In the words of his famous 1980 hit, Willie Nelson is gearing up to get “on the road again.” The country crooner will take his “Outlaw Music Festival” on a nineteen-show tour beginning June 24.
The Outlaw Music Festival started touring in 2016. Other greats who have appeared with Willie Nelson in the past years include Neil Young, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan. This year Chris Stapleton will appear at the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania stop on September 23.
“The Outlaw Music Festival Tour has always been about family and friends coming together for a great day of music and fun. With the amazing group of artists joining us, this year promises to be our most special Outlaw Tour,” Willie Nelson said.
Fans are in store for a setlist that includes hits like “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” “Red Headed Stranger,” and “Crazy,” which he originally wrote for Patsy Cline in 1961. He sang his version — giving it a personal and unforgettable touch — in 1962.
Willie Nelson’s return to the road proves he is not ready to retire yet, though he turns 89 on April 29.
Unfortunately, one beloved family member will be missing from this iteration of The Outlaw Music Festival; Willie’s sister, Bobbie, passed away in early March.
Bobbie was the first member of Willie Nelson’s band, writing songs and touring with him throughout the decades. Willie and Bobbie were very close and even wrote a memoir, Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of The Family Band, in 2020.
Bobbie’s last recording was for Willie’s latest album, The Willie Nelson Family, in November 2021.
Tickets for the Outlaw Music Festival go on sale to the general public March 25 at 10 a.m. and start at $45 on Ticketmaster. The Outlaw Music Festival will stop in Dallas on July 2 at the Dos Equis Pavilion at Fair Park.