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MUSIC PEOPLE
NEWS
JUNE 2023 Volume 54 Number 6 Issue 640
Editor Duncan Warwick
Contributors David Allan , Janet Aspley , Donnie Ayers , Craig Baguley , Tony Byworth , Larry Delaney , Don Cusic , Julie Flaskett , Michael Hingston , Stan Hitchcock , Tony Ives , Sianna King , Spencer Leigh , John Lomax III , Bryce Martin , Adrian Peel , Paul Riley , Alex Rossi , Chris Smith , Tom Travis , Walt Trott , Jack Watkins New release consultant : Steve Tidbury
Assistant editor Kelly Gregory
Photographers Patricia Presley , Barry Dixon
WILLIE ’ S 90th
Willie Nelson and Keith Richards perform at the Hollywood Bowl on April 30 , 2023 for Long Story Short : Willie Nelson 90 | Photo Credit : Randall Michelson
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Please recycle this magazine
S tars were out in force at LA ’ s
Hollywood Bowl to honour Willie
Neslon ’ s 90th birthday at the end of April . The two nights of concerts , Willie Nelson 90 : Long Story Short , included a wealth of talent that spanned generations of performers from the bluegrass wunderkind Billy Strings ( who opened with Whiskey River ) to country music legends like Kris Kristofferson to ageing rockers like Keith Richards who joked , “ It ’ s good to be here — it ’ s good to be anywhere .”
Along the way it also included less likely performers such as Ziggy Marley and Snoop Dogg ( with whom Willie has shared more than the occasional spliff and who asked the crowd to “ Roll one for Mr . Nelson ”).
Hollywood stars like Ethan Hawke , Jennifer Garner , Hellen Mirren , and Owen Wilson were on hand to introduce artists and truly special moments came one after the other , the icing on the cake being two songs by Willie and George Strait including Poncho And Lefty .
Country artists such as Chris Stapleton , Dwight Yoakam , Emmylou Harris , Lyle Lovett , Miranda Lambert , Sturgill Simpson , The Chicks , Tyler Childers and Margo Price rubbed shoulders with Tom Jones , Neil Young , Norah Jones , and Stephen Stills with Nelson also making room for his producer , co-writer Buddy Cannon , and his sons Lukas ( whose solo rendition of Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground is generally reckoned to be one of ‘ the ’ performances of the weekend ) and
Micah ( The Particle Kid ).
Sheryl Crow , recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame alongside Willie Nelson , sang the signature song Crazy , while Norah Jones also honoured Nelson ’ s sister Bobbie Nelson who died last year and had played piano in his Family Band .
Rosanne Cash aided a fragile looking Kristofferson off the stage after the two of them had sung Lovin ’ Her Was Easier and nods to The Highwaymen included Jamey Johnson ( who also put in a stint in the ‘ house ’ band ) singing Billy Joe Shaver ’ s Live Forever that the supergroup of Willie , Cash , Waylon and Kris cut .
Miranda Lambert snagged Mamas Don ’ t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys , Lyle Lovett sang Hello Walls , calling it the “ perfect song ”, and Charlie Crockett cited Willie as the inspiration for why he is so prolific before introducing The Party ’ s Over by dedicating it to “ the Virginia State policeman that pulled me out of my car , busted me , gave me a couple of felonies , and he asked me to play a country song for him on my Telecaster , and I swear , as I ’ m standing here by God ’ s grace , the only song I could remember was this one right here . It goes something like this .”
Willie ended the evening singing Happy Birthday To Me ( with a little help from the crowd ) and a song from his old friend Mac Davis , It ’ s Hard To Be Humble .
The concerts bore all the signs of a star-studded TV special but no news yet on when / if that is likely to be aired .
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