Happy birthday to the one and only Willie Nelson.
He’s as busy as ever, having just released his 77th solo studio album, and 154th album overall, Oh What A Beautiful World last week, which focuses on the songs of Rodney Crowell and his extensive discography.
He’s also hitting the road this summer for his annual Outlaw Music Festival tour, which will kick off in May and features an extensive list of dates.
The music legend turns 92 years young today, though he actually has two birthdays. Yep, the red headed stranger’s birth certificate actually lists April 30th as his birthday, because his birth didn’t get registered to the county courthouse in time, so they recorded it a day late. Obviously, this was before there was much technology, and hey, it’s probably more fun to celebrate your birthday for two days rather than one anyways.
During an interview with SiriusXM radio in 2018, Willie explained the full story:
“I was born before midnight on the 29th, but it didn’t get registered in the county courthouse until the next day, the 30th. So, it went out officially as the 30th. So I just do both days. Two parties.”
Born and raised in Abbott, Texas, Willie was raised mostly by his grandparents, and took to music from a very young age. He started playing local bars when he was still too young to be hanging out there, and while his very religious grandma didn’t love that, she appreciated the extra money after Willie’s grandfather died and din’t xuestion him too much.
The famous story goes that Willie moved to Nashville as a young adult and tried to make it in Music City, and actually did produce legendary songs like “Night Life” and “Crazy” while e was there, though he sold them to artists for mere dollars just to have enough to scrape by. Of course, they became standards, but Nashville became too much for Willie and he eventually left to go back home to Texas. After bouncing around some, and a couple failed marriages, Willie eventually landed in Austin, found something special there and had an audience that wanted to hear what he had to say, and he became a pioneer of the country outlaw movement in the 70’s.
The rest, as they say, is history, and Willie has been at hit for decades, becoming one of the world’s most celebrated songwriters and musicians.
Happy Birthday, Willie. Thanks for all the years of incredible music and stories.
You can view all of the openers and tour stops for the Outlaw Music Festival below.
2025 OUTLAW MUSIC FESTIVAL TOUR DATES & LINEUPS:
May 13, 2025
Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, Phoenix, AZ
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
May 15, 2025
North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
May 16, 2025
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Sierra Hull
May 18, 2025
Toyota Amphitheatre, Wheatland, CA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
May 20, 2025
Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater, Nampa, ID
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
May 22, 2025
ONE Spokane Stadium, Spokane, WA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
May 24, 2025
Cascades Amphitheater, Ridgefield, WA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Lake Street Dive
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
May 25, 2025
The Gorge Amphitheatre, Quincy, WA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Billy Strings
Lake Street Dive
Sierra Hull
Lily Meola
June 20, 2025
Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Trampled by Turtles
Myron Elkins
June 21, 2025
Blossom Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
Myron Elkins
June 22, 2025
Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Trampled by Turtles
Myron Elkins
June 25, 2025
FirstBank Amphitheater, Franklin, TN
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Trampled by Turtles
Tami Neilson
June 27, 2025
Radians Amphitheater, Memphis, TN
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Trampled by Turtles
Tami Neilson
June 28, 2025
Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Trampled by Turtles
Tami Neilson
June 29, 2025
Thunder Ridge Nature Arena Ridgedale, MO
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Trampled by Turtles
Tami Neilson
July 5, 2025
Dos Equis Pavilion, Dallas, TX
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
The Avett Brothers
The Mavericks
Tami Neilson
July 6, 2025
The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Presented By Huntsman, The Woodlands, TX
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
The Avett Brothers
The Mavericks
Tami Neilson
July 25, 2025
Ameris Bank Amphitheatre, Alpharetta, GA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
Charles Wesley Godwin
Willow Avalon
July 26, 2025
PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte, NC
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
Charles Wesley Godwin
Willow Avalon
July 27, 2025
Coastal Credit Union Music Park, Raleigh, NC
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
Charles Wesley Godwin
Willow Avalon
July 29, 2025
Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
Willow Avalon
August 1, 2025
Northwell at Jones Beach Theater, Wantagh, NY
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Wilco
Lucinda Williams
Waylon Payne
August 2, 2025
Broadview Stage at SPAC, Saratoga Springs, NY
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Wilco
Lucinda Williams
Waylon Payne
August 3, 2025
BankNH Pavilion, Gilford, NH
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Wilco
Lucinda Williams
Waylon Payne
August 8, 2025
Darien Lake Amphitheater, Buffalo, NY
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
The Red Clay Strays
Waylon Payne
August 9, 2025
Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
The Red Clay Strays
Waylon Payne
August 10, 2025
Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview, Syracuse, NY
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Turnpike Troubadours
The Red Clay Strays
Waylon Payne
September 5, 2025
Maine Savings Amphitheater, Bangor, ME
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Sheryl Crow
Waxahatchee
Madeline Edwards
September 6, 2025
Xfinity Theatre, Hartford, CT
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Sheryl Crow
Waxahatchee
Madeline Edwards
September 7, 2025
Xfinity Center, Mansfield, MA
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
TBA
Waxahatchee
Madeline Edwards
September 12, 2025
Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, NJ
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Sheryl Crow
Waxahatchee
Madeline Edwards
September 13, 2025
PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Sheryl Crow
Waxahatchee
Madeline Edwards
September 14, 2025
Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Sheryl Crow
Madeline Edwards
September 19, 2025
Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
Willie Nelson & Family
Bob Dylan
Sheryl Crow
Waxahatchee
Madeline Edwards
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