At 90 years young, Willie Nelson has still got it.
The red headed stranger made a rare late night TV appearance on The Late Show last night to perform “I Never Cared For You” ahead of his rock and roll Hall of Fame induction this Friday.
He’s gearing up to release a greatest hits album on Friday as well, and I will never get over how incredible it is to see him still going the way he does at 90… I mean, he just got off the road from a summer-long tour.
Anywho, “I Never Cared For You” was a solo write by Willie, and was actually his only single release with Monument Records in 1964.
And while it certainly didn’t receive national, commercial success at country radio or anything like that, it was very well-received in his home state of Texas.
He later re-recorded and included the song in several subsequent album releases, and just as in the original he recorded 59 years ago, the man can still play guitar like nobody’s business…
Here’s to the legendary Willie Nelson:
The studio cut:
Country Music Legend Willie Nelson To Be Officially Inducted Into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame’s Class Of 2023
When it comes to one of the most well-rounded, all time great singer/songwriters in all of music, Willie Nelson is right up there with the best of them.
Although Shotgun Willie’s primary genre was country music, the guy was never afraid to venture out and try a different sound, and throughout his 99 studio albums that have spanned from 1956 up to now, we’ve seen the guy dabble in country, blues, jazz, gospel, and even rock & roll.
Needless to say, the 90-year-old Texan has done it all throughout his career, and that’s why we all love the guy.
With that being said, it appears that another accolade will be added to Nelson’s long list of musical accomplishments, as the guy is officially set for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, according to Billboard.
Nelson is joined by Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, Missy Elliott, Sheryl Crow, George Michael and the Spinners, who all rounded out the impressive class of 2023. A Tribe Called Quest, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, the White Stripes and Warren Zevon were all nominated but did not make it into the class this year.
Despite the name, the Rock & Roll Halle of Fame inducts artists from all genres, and has sport of become the de facto “music hall of fame.” Whether that makes any sense (to me it doesn’t) we can debate about later, but it does seem a little silly to have pop stars, country artists and rappers something titled the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
That being said, the nominees are chosen by 1,000 voters each year, including members of the music industry, former inductees and historians. They consider length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration, according to the hall of fame.
It’s hard to find a guy in country music who is more deserving of this honor, as Nelson has been able to reach such a broad variety of audiences throughout his extensive career.
Its great to see country artists who’ve always chosen to do things their own way finally get recognition from other genres, as we saw Dolly Parton get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year.
These inductees will be celebrated at an induction ceremony and concert to take place November 3rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
