HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILLIE NELSON!
In his essay on A Beautiful Time, American writer and music journalist Mikal Gilmore
notes that “‘Energy Follows Thought’ is what qualifies as one of Willie’s wisdom songs.
Nelson has a lifetime of spiritual and philosophical thought he can draw from….
More to the point, though, he has also developed his own hard-earned, real-life sagacity….
‘Energy Follows Thought’ is a summation
of some of the thought Nelson has infused himself with
as a way of moving through life.”Â
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Read Mikal Gilmore’s essay here
New York, NY – Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, announces the release of Willie Nelson’s new studio album, A Beautiful Time, out today on his 89th birthday.
Legacy has released A Beautiful Time–Nelson’s new studio album (and 17th for the label)–on vinyl (black vinyl as well as an exclusive orange vinyl edition for Barnes & Noble), CD and digital formats (including in spatial hi-res audio in Atmos and 360RA formats).Â
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Purchase the album A Beautiful Time here
Produced by Willie’s longtime musical collaborator Buddy Cannon (who’s cowritten six of the album’s new songs, including five with Willie), A Beautiful Time is a fully-realized new studio album.
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In 2021, Legacy Recordings released two new Willie Nelson albums–That’s Life and The Willie Nelson Family. That’s Life, Willie’s musical homage to the artistry of Frank Sinatra debuted at #1 on both Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart and the Traditional Jazz Albums chart and is currently in the running for the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Grammy.Â
To mark the release of A Beautiful Time and his birthday, Nelson is performing in Austin, TX at the grand opening of the Moody Center tonight and tomorrow. On Sunday, May 1, he will return to his ranch in Luck, TX for the special concert event To Willie: A Birthday Celebration hosted by Bruce Robinson with performances by guest of honor Willie as well as Nathaniel Rateliff, Robert Earl Keen, Margo Price, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Vincent Neil Emerson.
To Willie:
A Birthday Celebration will also be broadcast at 8PM ET on May 1 on Willie’s SiriusXM channel Willie’s Roadhouse as part of a three-day birthday celebration of programming. The festivities kick off later today when daughter Paula Nelson hosts a one-hour special that premieres at 6pm ET and includes conversations and birthday wishes from Nathaniel Rateliff, Robert Earl Keen, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Bruce Robison, along with tracks from the new release. Other highlights of the weekend at Willie’s Roadhouse will include special birthday episodes of Ray Benson’s Austin Outer Limits and Sundays with Seely with Jeannie Seely. For more info go to blog.siriusxm.com/wilie-
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This summer he will again headline the Outlaw Music Festival with his family and friends joining the line up, including Willie Nelson & Family, Chris Stapleton, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Billy Strings, ZZ Top, Gov’t Mule, Brothers Osborne, Zach Bryan, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Allison Russell, Charley Crockett, Larkin Poe, The War and Treaty, Brittney Spencer and more as part of the 20+stop tour starting June 24. For complete Outlaw Music Festival tour details, please visit: outlawmusicfestival.com
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Willie Nelson & Legacy Recordings
In February 2012, Willie Nelson entered into an historic new record deal with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, marking a label homecoming for Nelson, who, from 1975-1993, had cut a phenomenal string of top-selling singles and albums for Columbia Records, beginning with 1975’s seminal smash Red Headed Stranger. New titles by the artist under the Legacy imprint include newly recorded songs and performances as well as archival releases, personally curated by the artist, drawn from all phases of his career including his recordings for RCA Records and others. Since signing with Legacy, Willie Nelson has sold more than 1 million albums for the label.
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Nelson’s album releases for Legacy Recordings have included:Â
The Willie Nelson Family (2021)
That’s Life (2021) (Grammy nomination: Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album)
Last Rose of Spring (2020)
Ride Me Back Home (2019) (Grammy: Best Country Solo Performance, “Ride Me Back Home”)
My Way (2018) (Grammy: Best Traditional Pop Solo Album)
Last Man Standing (2018)
Willie Nelson and the Boys: Willie’s Stash, Vol. 2 (2017)
God’s Problem Child (2017)
For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price (2016)
Summertime:Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (2016) (Grammy: Best Traditional Pop Solo Album)
Django and Jimmie (2015)
December Day: Willie’s Stash, Vol. 1Â (2014)
Band of Brothers (2014)
To All The Girls…Â (2013)
Let’s Face The Music And Dance (2013)
Heroes (2012)
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