Like Father, Like Son: A Stunning Comparison Video Shows How Much Lukas Nelson Learned from Willie Nelson

In recent years, Willie Nelson’s son Lukas has been proving that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree. He’s an incredibly talented vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter much like his dad. That has become more apparent over the last year as Lukas stepped in for Willie on multiple stops during the Outlaw Music Festival tour.

Last year, Willie’s team shared a TikTok video showing him and Lukas performing “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” during separate solo performances. The clip of Willie performing the song came from a concert in 1984. The clip of Lukas comes from 2023, nearly 40 years later.

[RELATED: Watch Willie Nelson’s Son Cover “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” for His Dad’s 90th Birthday Celebration]

The clip shows some interesting similarities and differences between Lukas and Willie. For one, the younger Nelson nails his dad’s guitar style. Additionally, when he wants to, Lukas can copy his father’s voice. However, he’s not just copying Willie’s style. Instead, Lukas uses his own phrasing. However, as he seamlessly shifts between surging ahead of the beat and lagging behind it, it is clear that he learned to sing from Willie.

Willie and Lukas Nelson Perform a Country Classic

Lukas Nelson has proven time and again that he’s great at covering Willie’s songs. This comparison video of them doing “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” shows both of them singing one of the country icon’s signature songs.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1980: Willie Nelson Released ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, the Classic Movie Soundtrack to His First Starring Role]

Videos like the one above show fans that while Willie won’t live forever, Lukas will be there to keep the Nelson family legacy alive.

Willie wrote “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” and released it as the second single from the soundtrack from the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose. It went to No. 1 on the country chart and give him his seventh chart-topper as a solo artist.  

The film marked Nelson’s first starring role. While the film wasn’t a huge hit, the soundtrack went to No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. More importantly, it gave the world two classic songs—“Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” and “On the Road Again.”

Both songs were No. 1 singles for Nelson and would become signature songs for the iconic singer/songwriter.

Featured Image by Suzanne Cordeiro/Shutterstock