Here’s to the one and only Willie Nelson.
With the CMA Awards right around the corner, we’ve been taking a look back at some of the best, and most memorable, moments from throughout the 50-plus years of the show.
There’s the time Alan Jackson walked out in the middle of a Beyonce performance, Shania flirted her way to the stage during a performance of “Any Man Of Mine,” and of course, one of my personal favorite’s, the time Sturgill Simpson busked outside of Bridgestone Arena during the show with his Grammy trophy on display.
And almost 10 years ago to the day, the show had some of the biggest names in country deliver a star-studded tribute to the Red Headed Stranger himself, singing some of Willie’s biggest hits and fan-favorite songs.
Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Lady A, and Willie’s longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael all took the stage to sing renditions of “Always On My Mind,” “Crazy,” “Whiskey River,” “Good Hearted Woman,” and Willie even joined them at the end to close it out with “On the Road Again”
A decade later, I think it’s high time we get fresh version of this… I don’t know if there’s any “saving” the show and the consecutive dismal ratings at this point, but it sure as shit wouldn’t hurt to try with another Willie Nelson medley, with the right artists, of course, right?
I mean, I could listen to Tim and Faith channel their inner Willie and Waylon all day long:
This years 56th CMA Awards show will air live next week on November 9th on ABC, with Peyton Manning and Luke Bryan co-hosting live from Nashville, Tennessee.
They’ve announced Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, Hardy, Lainey Wilson, and more as performers.
The opening of the show is set to include an all-star tribute to the late, great Loretta Lynn, which will surely be a highlight of the night.
