Following in his legendary father’s footsteps at an early age, Lukas Nelson formed the country-rock outfit Promise of the Real in 2008. After releasing eight studio albums, the son of outlaw country icon Willie Nelson decided to strike out on his own, releasing his solo debut, American Romance, last June. Recently, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter showed off his versatility with a cover of Sting’s 1985 hit “Fortress Around Your Heart.”
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The second single off Sting’s solo debut The Dream of the Blue Turtles, “Fortress Around Your Heart” is a song about “trying to bridge the gaps between individuals,” the Police frontman has said. “I think it’s one of the best choruses I’ve ever written,” added the 17-time Grammy Award winner.
Learning to play the No. 1 hit on the guitalele, Lukas Nelson more than does it justice as he croons, Then I went off to fight some battle / That I’d invented inside my head / Away so long for years and years / You probably thought or even wished that I was dead.
“You sound terrific on this Sting song!” raved one Instagram user. “You kept a vocal flavor of the song, and made it your own.”
[RELATED: Lukas Nelson Shares New Song That Fans Say Sounds “Just Like Willie”]
Although sticking primarily to country and rock, Nelson has proven many times over that there’s no genre he can’t conquer. Here he is below putting a bluegrass stamp on Adele’s 2011 hit “Someone Like You.”
Lukas Nelson Isn’t “Competing” Against His Dad at the Grammys
After previously winning a Grammy Award for his work with Lady Gaga on the soundtrack to the 2018 film A Star is Born, Lukas Nelson has a chance to win his second Grammy this year. His solo debut American Romance landed him a nod in the inaugural Best Traditional Country Album. To win, however, he’ll have to beat his dad. The elder Nelson, 92, received a nomination for his 77th studio project, Oh What A Beautiful World.
However, Lukas insists, “There’s no rivalry at all. Me and him joined teams, so we got a 40 percent chance. A win for anyone in that group [is a win for me].”
Featured image by Stephen J. Cohen/WireImage
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