Willie Nelson Suddenly Cancels Upcoming Performance Per 'Doctor's Orders'
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on June 21, 2024 at 5:45 PM EDT
Unfortunately, country music artist Willie Nelson, 91, had to cancel a few upcoming performances after medical professionals ordered him to rest for the next several days.
The 91-year-old "On The Road Again" artist was scheduled to headline the Outlaw Music Festival in Alpharetta, which kicks off tonight. However, those with tickets will be a bit disappointed now that Willie Nelson had to cancel the next few performances.
Doctor Orders Country Music Singer To Rest Up
According to a statement posted on Willie Nelson's official X page, the country music singer had to unexpectedly cancel his upcoming shows per doctor's orders.
"We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor's orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days," Nelson's team announced on Friday, June 21.
While it is unclear what exactly Nelson is fighting, it seems to not be too serious as his team announced he would be back for the big Outlaw Music Festival tour next week. "He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week. In the meantime, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, along with a few guests, will perform a special set to include Willie's classics and other songs."
"Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss & Celiisse will continue to perform as scheduled," the statement concluded.
When Will Willie Nelson Return To The Stage?
According to the statement, Willie Nelson is expected to miss tonight's show, Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Sunday in Raleigh. He may return on Wednesday when the tour hits Virginia Beach, Virginia. However, an exact date has yet to be announced.
“This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists,” Nelson said of the tour in February. “I am thrilled to get back on the road again with my family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love.”
Willie Nelson Was Abandoned By His Parents
The four-part docuseries “Willie Nelson & Family" brought fans of the country music artist into Nelson's life and revealed some unknown facts about the 91-year-old.
One of the biggest bombshells was that Willie Nelson's parents abandoned him. Nelson's mother, Myrle, left the family soon after Nelson's birth, and his dad, Ira, abandoned his children after remarrying. He and his sister then moved in with their grandparents.
“For as long as I can remember, Bobbie and I called my grandparents ‘Mama and Daddy Nelson.’ Mama and Daddy Nelson gave Bobbie and me two gifts that saved our lives: love and music,” Nelson recalled, per Salon. “My grandmother stressed the importance of breathing way down deep from the diaphragm, she called it. I found out that that’s probably been as much help as anything in keeping my voice strong.
“Mama and Daddy Nelson taught music as a form of worship, another way to praise the Lord," he added. "They anchored us, raised us and kept us — or at least, tried to keep me — on the straight and narrow.”
Struggling With Drinking And Suicide
Also, in the docuseries, Willie Nelson revealed he struggled with suicidal thoughts and abused alcohol, especially when he struggled to make enough money as an aspiring performer and songwriter after moving to Nashville with his first wife, Martha Jewel Matthews.
“She and I were fighting worse than ever, and I started drinking more than ever,” Nelson said. “I would get drunk every night and go home with someone different every night. [I was] slowly self-destructing. I really didn't care.”
He continued, “Back in my drinking days, I tried to [die by] suicide a couple of times. One time in the dead of winter I was so down on myself I laid down in the middle of the street hoping a car would run over me. No such luck. I had to get up off my a-- and kept on trying to figure out how to make a living.”
Being A Role Model For His Kids
The country music artist has been through a lot over the years, but Willie Nelson says it will only help to inspire his kids.
“Dad has been homeless, he’s had his house burnt down, he’s been through four marriages, he’s been up and down, he’s been broke, he’s [fought] the IRS, he’s lost a child . . . that’s what makes him inspiring to me: His resilience in the face of adversity," the artist said.
