JUST IN: Country Legend Willie Nelson Pauses Tour for Health Reasons
The Texas native “has not been feeling well” and is following doctor’s orders.
Willie Nelson; Photo by Pamela Springsteen
Willie Nelson, 91, is under the weather and has been forced to cancel a handful of appearances on the Outlaw Music Festival Tour 2024.
According to a statement shared by his team on social media, the country music icon “has not been feeling well.” He is going to follow his doctor’s orders and use the next four days to rest up. Nelson is expected to make a “quick recovery” and will return to the tour next week.
Until then, his son, Lukas Nelson, will join the Family Band and “a few guests” to perform a special set full of Willie Nelson classics during his absence.
The Outlaw Music Festival Tour also features Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, and Celisse. They will perform on the upcoming dates as scheduled.
It appears that Willie Nelson will miss out on the following stops of the tour: Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, GA (June 21) , PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC (June 22), Coastal Credit Union Music Park, Raleigh, NC (June 23). Fans can stay tuned to his official social media accounts for updates.
The Outlaw Music Festival Tour 2024 will continue throughout the summer and into the fall with dates planned through September 20, 2024.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Nelson, who was recognized earlier this year as the oldest musician still actively touring, released his 152nd album, The Border, on May 31, 2024. The project includes the single, “Made In Texas” as well as the title track, which is Nelson’s insightful rendition of Rodney Crowell and Allen Shamblin’s “The Border.”
The album was produced by the Country Music Hall of Famer’s longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon and includes a total of 10 tracks.
Later this year, Nelson will release a cannabis cookbook with his wife, Annie. Out on November 12, 2024, Willie and Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook: Mouthwatering Recipes and the High-Flying Stories Behind Them features the couple’s favorite recipes enhanced with a unique twist: cannabis.
Inspired by meals savored during nationwide tours, at their ranch, and in beloved cities, the recipes in this cookbook are paired with Willie’s personal anecdotes. From Buffalo wings to chocolate cake and fried chicken, the Nelsons have assembled a selection of tasty, simple-to-prepare dishes that offer a mellow high with each delicious bite.
“Over a lifetime of study, I learned that pot is more than pleasure. Its positive properties are limitless,” Willie Nelson writes in the cookbook’s Note to the Reader. “It’s a blessing and a blast. It’s good fuel. Together with Chef Drummer, one of the most celebrated cannabis chefs, and my wife, Annie, the most celebrated chef in our home, I’m excited to help you to cook up a whole mess of wholesome meals.”
Written by David Ritz, Mia Tangredi, and Chef Andrea Drummer, Willie and Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook features a section devoted to cannabis-infused foundational elements like cannabutter, finishing oil, simple syrups, sugars, salts, and tinctures.
The unique cookbook will include 265 pages, retail for $29.99, and will officially hit shelves on November 12.
Written by
Lauren Jo Black
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.