Willie Nelson may have turned 85 in April, but the country legend isn’t letting his age hold him back from doing what he loves. Although Nelson has had to cancel and walk out of some performances due to illness, in recent years he is always ready to entertain his loyal fans.
After decades on the road, you would think that Nelson would tire of tour life. But such is not the case. Speaking to Joe Leydon of Cowboys & Indians magazine, Nelson said that he gets restless if he stays home for too long.
“There’s a certain kind of energy exchange that takes place in a concert no matter who it is, me or whoever,” Nelson said. “People pay money to come see it, and for some reason, they usually all are clapping their hands, and they’re singing. And for some reason, I enjoy it too.”
Out of all touring country artists, Nelson continues to maintain one of the most rigorous schedules. Knowing his age, many people assume that he would be worn out from trying to keep pace with such as a busy life. But Nelson is still going strong, and he feels lucky that he is.
“Everything’s going good,” Nelson told CBS newsman Bob Schieffer in an interview quoted by Leydon. “I think age is just a number. It’s the way I’ve heard it all my life: It’s not how old you are, it’s how you feel. And I’ve been lucky with [everything], health-wise and career-wise. I haven’t really got anything to b—- about!“
However, whenever an artist reaches Nelson’s age there is the inevitable talk of retirement. In fact, artists much younger than him have hung up their hats and said goodbye to tour life to enjoy their golden years at home.
As you would expect, Nelson has been questioned on whether or not retirement is in his future. He got honest about his plans when he spoke to Schieffer, and what he had to say was priceless.
“When I asked him when he was going to retire, he said, ‘All I do is play golf and music. Why would I want to quit either of those things?‘” Schieffer recalled of his conversation with Nelson. “Pretty good philosophy.”
From the sound of it all, it seems that Nelson never plans to retire from country music. We’re glad to hear that, because he’s still got it after all of these years! His video for his hilarious song “Still Not Dead” is just one of many things that proves it. You can check it out in the clip below.