Willie Nelson famously said, “Roll me up and smoke me when I die. Fortunately, that day doesn’t appear to be on the horizon just yet.
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This summer, Nelson will join Bob Dylan as co-headliner of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which features acts such as John Mellencamp, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and more. Last month, the comedy Willie and Me dropped after a decade in the making.
On April 29, the country legend will celebrate 91 trips around the sun. And a month after that, on May 31, Nelson’s 75th solo album of new material will hit shelves. It’s going to be a busy spring.
Willie Nelson Announces Latest Album
Although the album is being billed as a solo project of new material, the first single — and title track — is a cover.
“The Border” was originally released in 2019 by another Texas country mainstay, Rodney Crowell. The “Stars on the Water” singer and Allen Shamblin teamed up to write the plaintive account of a U.S. border guard. I come home to Maria at the end of that day / In the shape of a shadow /
Holding demons at bay / It’s just the border they say.
Nelson’s version of the track bears all the weight of someone who’s lived nine decades — and that’s a good thing.
The title track is one of 10 songs on The Border, which includes four new songs written by Nelson and longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon.
Social Media Users Marvel at Nelson’s Longevity
If you’re feeling particularly accomplished today, one look at Shotgun Willie’s CV will puncture that bubble. Texas Monthly needed a team of seven staff writers to take on the task of ranking all 151 of Nelson’s album.
[The Story Behind the Debut Single Willie Nelson Wrote When He Was 12]
The numbers are staggering no matter how you look at them. “75?!?! his spotify profile must look crazy,” one user wrote on X/Twitter.
Many compared Nelson’s work ethic to that of another famously prolific artist. “Taylor trying to catch up,” another user wrote.
Many fans expressed their faith that Taylor Swift will one day catch up to Nelson. “taylor in 2089,” one Swiftie wrote. “and we will be streaming ofc.”
