Willie Nelson keeps living the life he loves at 92. 'I'm not through
with it yet'
[June 13, 2025]
By ANDREW DALTON
Willie Nelson's 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl could
have been mistaken for a retirement party.
But two years later at 92, he's working as much as ever. Not that
retirement would look much different. The life he loves is making music
with his friends, even after outliving so many dear ones.
Nelson will be on the road again with Bob Dylan when the Outlaw Music
Festival resumes for the second leg of its 10th year starting on June 20
in Clarkston, Michigan
Asked if he’d ever like his life to get the feature film treatment that
Dylan did last year with “A Complete Unknown, ” Nelson said, “I’ve heard
some talk about it. But I'm not through with it yet.”
Nelson spoke to The Associated Press in a phone interview from Hawaii's
Oahu.
“Bob's a good friend,” Nelson said. “And I'll be glad to let him
headline.”
The tour is one part of a loaded year. It'll lead right up to the 40th
anniversary of Farm Aid in September. This spring, Nelson released his
77th studio album. And he's added a new THC tonic, Willie's Remedy, to
his wide world of weed products.
An all-Crowell album
Nelson has always loved singing the songs of his friends as much as if
not more than the ones he writes himself. In 1979, he released “Willie
Nelson Sings Kristofferson,” a full album of the work of his friend Kris
Kristofferson, who died last year.
He has similar love for the songs of his friend Rodney Crowell. Nelson
has long performed Crowell's “Til I Gain Control Again,” which he called
“one of the best country songs that I think I've ever heard.” Now he's
released a whole album of Crowell tunes, “Oh What a Beautiful World.”
“So far he hasn’t written one that I don’t like,” Nelson said.
The album comes on the 50th anniversary of “Red Headed Stranger,” the
album that many consider Nelson's masterpiece. A breakthrough for him at
age 42, it took him from respected journeyman to beloved superstar.
Nelson said he's already begun work on album number 78, but declines to
share its direction.
Willie's Family band, old and new, still with no set list
As Nelson returns to the road, the only surviving member of the classic
lineup of his Family band is Mickey Raphael, 73, whose harmonica has
duetted for decades with the Willie warble.
Bassist Bee Spears died in 2011. Guitarist and backup singer Jody Payne
died in 2013. Drummer Paul English died in 2020. And Nelson's sister
Bobbie Nelson, his only sibling and his piano player, died in 2022.
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This album cover image released by Sony shows "Oh What A Beautiful
World" by Willie Nelson. (Sony via AP)
 But the band he takes on the road
now is just as familial in its own way. It often includes his sons
Lukas and Micah. English's brother Billy plays the drums. The son of
Payne and singer Sammi Smith, Waylon Payne, plays guitar.
They collectively keep up with Nelson's wants and whims on stage.
One thing the live show never includes is a set list. He refuses to
use them. Band members — and sound guys, and lighting guys — have to
stay on their toes and be ready for anything.
“I’d rather play it off the top of my head, because I can read the
crowd pretty good,” Nelson said. “They jump in there.”
The list-less set lately has included classics like “Whiskey River”
(always the opener, no guessing to be done there,) and “Bloody Mary
Morning” along with newer adoptees like Tom Waits' “Last Leaf,” a
song that perfectly expresses Nelson's survivor status.
“I'm the last leaf on the tree,” Nelson sings in the song that leads
his 2024 album of the same name. “The autumn took the rest, but it
won't take me.”
“My son Micah found that for me,” Nelson said. “I really love the
song, and the audience likes it, it’s one of the real good ones.”
He's also been performing songs written by Micah, who records and
performs as Particle Boy.
One favorite, “Everything Is B- - - - - -t,” seems to stand in
contrast to the gospel standards like “I'll Fly Away” and “Will The
Circle Be Unbroken” that he often plays a few minutes later. Willie
disagrees.
“It's all gospel,” he says with a laugh.
Farm Aid turns 40
September will bring the 40th anniversary addition of Farm Aid, the
annual festival to support family farmers, which Nelson founded with
Neil Young and John Mellencamp, He performs there annually. It was
inspired by one-off charity concerts like “Live Aid,” but became an
annual institution, rotating each year to a different farm-adjacent
city. It's in Minneapolis this year.
Asked his favorite, he said, “They’ve all been good, for different
reasons. The first one was great, the last one was great.”
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