Willie Nelson Is ‘Not Feeling Well,’ Misses Opening 2024 Outlaw Music Festival Show
The “On the Road” again singer, 91, is expected to make a full recovery and return to the stage next week
Willie Nelson was unable to perform in Georgia on Friday, June 21 due to “not feeling well.”
The country music legend, 91, was scheduled to perform during the opening night of the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival at Ameris Bank Amphitheater in Alpharetta, Ga., alongside fellow headliners Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss and Celisse. Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson, and the Family Band performed covers of Nelson’s classic songs and other hits in his place.
“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,” read a statement published on Nelson’s X (formerly Twitter) page. “He is expected to make a full recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.”
— Willie Nelson (@WillieNelson) June 21, 2024
The 2024 Outlaw Music Festival tour heads to Charlotte, N.C., for a show at PNC Music Pavilion on Saturday, June 22. Nelson was also scheduled to perform at Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday, June 23. He could be back onstage for the Wednesday, June 26 show at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach.
The festival tour was announced in February and is scheduled to continue through September. John Mellencamp is set to replace Plant and Krauss in late July.
“This year’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour promises to be the biggest and best yet with this lineup of legendary artists. 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,” Nelson said in a statement in February.
“There’s probably other things I will do and can do, but I’m not going to push myself too hard,” Nelson said in May 2023. “I know one day it all ends, but I’m not rushing it.”
He added that performing in front of an audience is “what keeps me going.”
