Willie Nelson’s Los Angeles ninetieth birthday celebration is destined for the live performance historical past books.
“Lengthy Story Quick: Willie Nelson 90,” the already power-packed two-night occasion on the Hollywood Bowl on April 29 (Nelson’s precise birthday) and April 30, has blown as much as epic proportions with late-breaking additions.
“That is a kind of weekends that persons are going to be speaking about without end,” musician Lyle Lovett instructed USA TODAY from the purple carpet backstage on the Hollywood Bowl earlier than the live performance started Saturday. “I bought the phrase, and I stated, simply inform me the place. I used to be honored. I flew up from Austin on Southwest and all people was going to the live performance. It was a celebration.”
The live performance program has expanded.
“It is simply getting greater and greater by the second,” says live performance government producer Keith Wortman. “And if anybody deserves this, it is ole Willie boy.”
Nelson and his crew have been eyeing this live performance date because the music legend’s eighty fifth birthday and finally landed on the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl.
“We thought that this iconic venue could be actually cool,” says Wortman, who spoke to USA TODAY Thursday after watching Nelson rehearse a section onstage with Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
“These two previous mates taking part in tunes collectively, that is what makes Willie the happiest,” says Wortman. “That is how he is doing his birthday, with all of his family and friends coming as much as play collectively.”
Who’s taking part in at Willie Nelson’s ninetieth birthday live performance?
The checklist is staggering, with eclectic acts from Snoop Dogg to Shooter Jennings set to hit the stage to honor Nelson, who’s within the seventh-decade of his iconic music profession.
“We put a considerate checklist collectively of all of Willie’s shut family and friends of musicians that he is both recorded with or toured with,” says Wortman. “And that simply occurs to be a very massive checklist.”
That features Beck, Billy Strings, Bobby Weir, Booker T. Jones, Buddy Cannon, Charley Crockett, Chris Stapleton, Daniel Lanois, Dave Matthews, Dwight Yoakam, Edie Brickell, Emmylou Harris, Gary Clark Jr., George Strait, Jack Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Bridges, Lily Meola, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Worth, Miranda Lambert, Neil Younger, Norah Jones, Orville Peck, Particle Child, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Money, Sheryl Crow, Stephen Stills, Sturgill Simpson, The Avett Brothers, The Chicks, The Lumineers, Tom Jones, Tyler Childers and Ziggy Marley.
What different celebrities will honor Willie Nelson?
Because of the Hollywood location, stars reminiscent of Chelsea Handler, Ethan Hawke, Gabriel Iglesias, Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner, Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson will function presenters.
The birthday celebrant will carry out all through on each nights and anticipate many duets, trios and multi-artist jams.
“And we have now a couple of extra surprises up our sleeves that we’ll sustain our sleeves till they occur on the live performance,” says Wortman.
It is already the most popular ticket on the town (single tickets begin at $458 on Stubhub) and the live performance occasion guarantees to be talked-about for a lot of Willie Nelson birthdays to return.
“That is really shaping as much as be a historic music occasion,” says Wortman. “I am undecided if we will be wheeling out a cake on the stage, however there’s going to be cake someplace.”
Need extra of Willie? Learn on:
All within the household:Brings in his little children for the primary time on ‘Willie Nelson Household’ album
Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame 2023 nominees:George Michael, Missy Elliott, Willie Nelson high the checklist
Not going wherever:Willie Nelson declares he is ‘Nonetheless Not Lifeless’
