He even addressed the issue in a recent tune called Still Not Dead.
“The Internet said I had passed away
But you can’t believe a damn thing that they say.”
I can personally testify that Willie is still living, at least as of Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. That’s the day I finally got a chance to see him live – and alive – in Asheville, N.C. I can also confirm that he continues to have a strong voice and can still skillfully pick his iconic guitar Trigger.
Willie sat down throughout the show at Rabbit Rabbit, but at 90 years of age who could blame him for taking a load off. His busy tour schedule along with the Outlaw Music Festival dates certainly would wear on a person half his age. Sixteen additional Outlaw shows were recently added for the fall of this year. He has recorded 100 albums and just keeps on writing new material.
In Asheville he played many of his famous compositions such as “On the Road Again,” “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” and “Good Hearted Woman,” as well as newer tunes such as “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
Okay, now for some personal peeves. Willie is such a great songwriter that I just wish he hadn’t spend precious time during the concert covering other people’s tunes. I don’t mean playing songs he is known for and made his own such as “Whiskey River,” “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” “Georgia,” and “You Were Always on My Mind.” He did those and they were great. But then he also let his fellow guitarist sing “Working Man Blues” and a couple of Kris Kristofferson hits “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” There’s certainly nothing wrong with those songs but they weren’t Willie.
But again, I can’t blame him for needing a break from carrying all the lead vocals. All in all I’m just happy to have gotten a chance to see him. I was thinking I never would.
As I mentioned in a previous blog post (you can read it here), back in May of 2018 I had traveled to Charlotte to attend the Outlaw Music Festival headlined by Nelson. But didn’t get a chance to hear him play or sing because he walked off the stage twice without explanation.
I was especially disappointed because I wanted to see the legendary songwriter in person. At the time, Willie was 85 and I feared that might be the last chance I would ever get to see him.
Fortunately it wasn’t. Five years later there he was and I wasn’t going to miss this sold-out show. And he’s not done yet. Maybe I’ll see him again in a few years as he continues to defy those Internet rumors.