Since the 1950s, country music has played home to the iconic Willie Nelson. Sharing his love for the genre, the singer released legendary songs like “Funny How Time Slips Away”, “Pretty Paper”, and “Hello Walls”. Although Nelson is 90 years old, he continues to showcase his talents as he prepares for the release of his 75th solo album titled The Border, which will release on May 31. Outside of the studio, Nelson has appeared in over 30 films and has been a strong advocate for the legalization of marijuana. And it appears that country singer Luke Combs once found out what it is like to party with Nelson.
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Appearing on the Full Send Podcast, Combs discussed an array of topics like his career in country music. But while rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest stars in music, the country singer recalled getting the chance to play poker with Nelson. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Combs jumped at the invitation. And after playing a quick round of golf, the artist found himself at Nelson’s beach house. Jump to the 1:15:50 mark to hear the story.
Recalling the moment he met Nelson, Combs said, “So we get in there, we’re talkin’ for a minute, dude, he rips the piece out, dude, you know what I mean? The peace pipe. And I’ve heard the stories, bro, it’s like, don’t, you know. Toby Keith has a song called ‘I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again,’ you know what I mean?” He added, “I’ve heard the song, I’m aware of the moment, you know. And I go, ‘All right, man, when this thing comes, you only got one, dude, you can’t go twice, dude, on this deal.’”
[RELATED: Willie Nelson Has Played One Guitar Since 1969: The Story of “Trigger”]
Luke Combs Stunned At Willie Nelson’s Karate Moves
That deal lasted a short while as Combs needed a great deal of water after taking more than a single hit. While trying to gain his senses, he explained how Nelson unexpectedly stood up and moved to another room fashioned with a punching bag. “He stands there and like, arms out, like full Karate Kid and starts just kicking this punching bag. Tossing crane kicks, dude, he’s 84, and like, just hammering this punching bag. And I’m looking at the poker table, and I’m like, ‘What is happening?’ Nobody sees this happen.”
Watching Nelson display his agility at such an age, Combs joked that Nelson never gave an explanation. “He goes out, is out for five minutes, could’ve been five hours, I don’t know the difference at this point… comes back in, stops at the thing, hits one more crane kick, walks back in, doesn’t say a peep about it. It was wild. It was absolutely wild.”
(Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for BetMGM)
