Willie Nelson celebrated 90 years on earth in April 2023 with two nights of music at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The two-night party featured icons, up-and-comers, and hitmakers alike. However, the highlights of the event came when Nelson shared the stage with other musicians. One would be hard-pressed to find a more epic collaboration than Nelson and “King” George Strait performing “Pancho and Lefty.”
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The performance was a trifecta of Texas legends. Nelson and Strait are two of the biggest country stars to come out of the Lone Star State. The late, great Townes Van Zandt wrote the song. While he never reached the commercial success or widespread recognition of those who covered his songs, those in the know—including stars like Nelson and Strait—hold the songwriter in high regard.
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Strait acknowledged Van Zandt while introducing the song at the Hollywood Bowl. “Townes Van Zandt wrote it and Willie sang the sh-t out of it with Merle [Haggard]. It’s called ‘Pancho and Lefty.’” Watch the two Texas titans share the song below.
Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard’s “Pancho and Lefty”
“Pancho and Lefty” is the one song penned by Van Zandt that most country music fans have heard. Since he released it on his 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, several artists have covered it. For instance, Emmylou Harris included a version of the song on her 1976 album Luxury Liner. Steve Earle, Elizabeth Cook & Jason Isbell, Luke Bryan & Dierks Bentley, and many more have recorded versions of the song as well. However, no recorded version of the song gained more popularity than the one by Nelson and Haggard.
“Pancho and Lefty” was the title track from Nelson and Haggard’s 1983 duet album. They took the song to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In 2020, their rendition of the outlaw story song was inducted into the Grammy Awards Hall of Fame.
Nelson and Haggard also included Van Zandt in their official music video for the song. Viewers can see the late songwriter portraying a young Federale in the flashback portions of the video. He also appears in the diner scenes, singing and playing guitar at a table.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for A+E Networks
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