Willie Nelson is missing another Outlaw Music Festival Tour date as he recovers from an unspecified illness.
The 91-year-old has canceled his Wednesday night (June 26) appearance in Virginia Beach, Va. The show will still proceed with Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.
- The Outlaw Music Festival Tour opened on June 21, but Nelson had to miss the first weekend on “doctor’s orders.”
- Language on his social media pages indicated a non-serious illness that he could recover from quickly.
- Lukas Nelson and Family will once again step in for Willie Nelson tonight.
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Comments about Willie Nelson canceling a concert
Response to Nelson’s social media messages show considerable concern for his long-term health. Fans held their breath last week as he started with, “We regret to inform you …” before sharing he was sick.
“I don’t know how many more of these posts I can handle. I panic each time” shares one fan on Instagram after Wednesday’s announcement.
“My heart keeps dropping at these omg,” says another.
The new note states that Nelson is expected to return to the tour shortly. That could be as soon as Friday, when he’s set to play the first of three straight shows. In fact, he has seven concerts scheduled over 10 days to start July.
Nelson suffers from emphysema and even quit smoking marijuana in 2019. Breathing issues have kept him from the stage on several occasions throughout the last decade, but he’s also had periods of sustained live music.
The Outlaw Music Festival Tour runs through September. Nelson’s newest social media posts reveal that Lukas Nelson and special guests will play several of his hits.
Billy Dukes is a Senior Editor and Executive Producer of Video Content at Taste of Country. He specializes in country music interviews, trend analysis and the Secret History of Country Music. Additionally, Billy covers Yellowstone, 1923 and related television shows through the Dutton Rules podcast. To date, he’s written more than 13,000 articles for Taste of Country and produced over 3,000 videos for the Taste of Country YouTube channel.
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Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
30 Pictures of a Young Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson began his music career in the late 1960s. Back then he wasn’t the typical country artist from Nashville — he was considered an outlaw.
Take a look back to his early years, and see photos of a young Willie Nelson that you may have ever seen before.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul