Willie Nelson was the first artist to perform on the pilot taping of Austin City Limits back in 1974, and he has returned to the now-iconic television series to help close out its 50th anniversary celebrations. Before his full performance airs on Saturday, February 15th, watch an exclusive preview of “Always on My Mind” below.
On October 17th, 2024, Austin’s Long Center for the Performing Arts hosted a performance by Willie Nelson & Family to commemorate half a decade since the launch of the live music program on PBS. An hour-long recording of the outdoor concert set against the city’s skyline will be aired as a Season 50 special premiering on February 15th at 8:00 p.m. ET. It will be available to stream online immediately following the initial broadcast.
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Following a warm-up set by local swing legends Asleep at the Wheel, the 91-year-old country veteran took the stage with renditions of “On the Road Again,” “Bloody Mary Morning,” “Still Is Still Moving to Me,” and more. The majority of his set, however, was comprised of covers of songs like “Always on My Mind” by Gwen McCrae, “Last Leaf” by Tom Waits, and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” by Kris Kristofferson, among many others.
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Nelson has performed on Austin City Limits more than any other artist, with a total of 18 appearances to his name. Unsurprisingly, a bronze statue dedicated to him now sits at the entrance of the show’s studio home in the capital of Texas. In 2014, he became the inaugural inductee into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
“There would be no Austin City Limits without Willie Nelson — simple as that,” ACL executive producer Terry Lickona said in a press release. “He launched ACL into the television universe in 1974, and has helped keep us going for 50 years.”
Willie Nelson has a packed itinerary this year, with a slew of dates scheduled for the winter before he embarks on the star-studded “Outlaw Music Festival Tour” with Bob Dylan in May. The 34-date concert series will feature a rotating lineup of supporting acts, including Wilco, Waxahatchee, Billy Strings, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, The Avett Brothers, Sheryl Crow, and many more. Grab tickets to see Willie live here.
Willie Nelson 2025 Tour Dates:
02/12 — Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphitheater *
02/13 — Immokalee, FL @ Seminole Casino ^
02/15 — Clearwater, FL @ The BayCare Sound ^
02/17 — Key West, FL @ Coffee Butler Amphitheater ^
02/19 — St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheater ^
02/20 — St. Augustine, FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheater ^
02/22 — Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheater ^
04/10 — Brandon, MS @ Brandon Amphitheater
04/13 — Macon, GA @ Atrium Health Amphitheater
04/15 — Gautier, MS @ The Sound Amphitheater
04/16 — Huntsville, AL @ Orion Amphitheater
04/18 — New Braunfels, TX @ Whitewater Amphitheater #
04/19 — New Braunfels, TX @ Whitewater Amphitheater #
05/13 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater ~
05/15 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheater ~
05/16 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl ~
05/18 — Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheater ~
05/20 — Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater ~
05/22 — Spokane, WA @ ONE Spokane Stadium ~
05/24 — Ridgefield, WA @ Cascades Amphitheater ~
05/24 — Quincy, WA @ The Gorge Amphitheater ~
06/20 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theater ~
06/21 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center ~
06/22 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center ~
06/25 — Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheater ~
06/27 — Memphis, TN @ Radians Amphitheater ~
06/28 — Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater ~
06/29 — Ridgedale, MO @ Thunder Ridge Nature Arena ~
07/05 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion ~
07/06 — The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ~
07/25 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheater ~
07/26 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion ~
07/27 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park ~
07/29 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater ~
08/01 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell at Jones Beach Theater ~
08/02 — Saratoga Springs, NY @ Broadview Stage at SPAC ~
08/03 — Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion ~
08/08 — Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater ~
08/09 — Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium ~
08/10 — Syracuse, NY @ Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview ~
09/05 — Bangor, ME @ Maine Savings Amphitheater ~
09/06 — Hartford, CT @ Xfinity Theatre ~
09/07 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center ~
09/12 — Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion ~
09/13 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center ~
09/14 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion ~
09/19 — East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theater ~
* = w/ Belle Brantz
^ = w/ Randall King
# = w/ Robert Earl Keen
~ = w/ Bob Dylan (Outlaw Music Festival)
