He’s been instrumental in shaping both country and pop music, yet his appeal crosses all social and economic lines. Sometimes he’s called an outlaw, though from Farm Aid to the aftermath of September 11, from the resurrection of a burned-out courthouse in his own hometown to fanning the flame of the Olympics, it is Willie Nelson who brings us together.
Five Willie Nelson performances you can watch right now
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Willie Nelson is a superstar of country music (“Red Headed Stranger,” “Shotgun Willie,” “Stardust”). He reinvented the genre as one of the founding fathers of outlaw country, forging a style of music that went against the convention of its time.
Here are five videos from PBS of Willie Nelson performing some of his most famous songs:
Vintage Willie Nelson: “Whisky River”
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From the original pilot episode of Austin City Limits taped October 17, 1974, Willie Nelson kicks off the long-running and award-winning series with his classic “Whiskey River.” Willie Nelson was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame on April 26, 2014.
Willie Nelson with Emmylou Harris
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Emmylou Harris sings “Crazy,” which Willie Nelson wrote and Patsy Cline made famous in the early 1960s. Emmylou Harris performs in honor of Willie Nelson’s induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
Mark Train Prize: Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson
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Jimmy Heath, Willie Nelson, and Wynton Marsalis improvised together at the Twelth Annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize.
Austin City Limits: Willie Nelson
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Relish an hour with American music legend Willie Nelson. The Texan superstar performs a set of hits and songs from his latest album My Way.
Willie Nelson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize
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Watch an all-star tribute to singer and songwriter Willie Nelson, 2015 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Features performances by Nelson, as well as Edie Brickell, Leon Bridges, Rosanne Cash, Ana Gabriel, Jamey Johnson, Alison Krauss, Raul Malo of The Mavericks, Neil Young, Promise of the Real, Buckwheat Zydeco and past Gershwin Prize honoree Paul Simon.
