Willie Nelson, 91, has made a surprising statement about his health after worrying fans with show cancellations over the summer.
The country music icon said death is one of the themes of his new album, prompting him to reflect on his life and health.
he told the Associated Press: ‘Well, I’m over 91, so, you know, I’m not worried about that. I don’t feel bad. It doesn’t hurt anywhere.
‘I have no reason to worry about dying. But I don’t know anyone who has lived forever. I take care of myself pretty well.
Nelson, who quit smoking marijuana after decades, added with a laugh: “I feel like I’m in pretty good physical shape.” Mentally? That’s another story.
Willie Nelson, 91, revealed he is in “pretty good shape” after worrying fans about show cancellations. He performed last week at a Texas rally for Kamala Harris (pictured)
Nelson sang and played guitar in 1969 (pictured). He has been a beloved artist for decades.
This admission comes after Nelson missed the opening dates of his Outlaw Music Festival summer tour due to his health.
“We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor’s order, has been advised to rest for the next four days,” the Grammy winner’s team wrote in a statement.
‘He is expected to make a quick recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week. Meanwhile, Lukas Nelson and the Family Band, along with some guests, will perform a special set featuring Willie classics and other songs.
After doctors cleared him to perform, he opted out of performing at a show in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
Nelson has already had to cancel other shows due to illness in recent years.
Nelson has canceled performances several times over the years, citing health problems as an explanation.
In 2018, Nelson had to leave the stage during a show in North Carolina because he was feeling “unwell and had a stomach virus.”
The following year, he canceled a tour with Alison Krauss, 53, because he announced “a respiratory problem” that needed to be treated.
One of his efforts to improve his health was to stop smoking marijuana, but it later became clear that he still consumes other types of cannabis products.
In 2020, Nelson shared his secrets to living a long life, although he admitted that he “never thought I would get this old.”
He has called cannabis “good medicine and I’m glad it’s being accepted across the country, and I’ll be glad when every state in the union legalizes it, because I think it will be healthy for everyone.”
In addition to releasing his 75th solo studio album, The Border, in May, Nelson also recently appeared on the ‘Smoke Hour’ interludes from Beyoncé’s highly anticipated album Cowboy Carter.
In apparently good health, Nelson performed at a rally in Houston, Texas, for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last week.
Their new album, ‘Last Leaf on the Tree’, was released on Friday. It’s a collaboration with his youngest son, Micah.
Although Willie and Micah were already very close, the couple took their relationship to the next level after spending hours in the studio at work.
Nelson, pictured in 1978, said he is not worried about dying while talking about his new album.
Micah produced the project and had a huge role in the song selection process.
The 34-year-old man told Saving country music who took a ‘sculptor’s approach’ to his project, before noting that he and his father worked very hard on the album.
He said: “It’s an approach that I really love and that I’ve used a lot over the years: just throw the clay in and step back, then maybe add a little bit more, and then maybe cut back here, and build the tracks it forms.’
This album is Nelson’s 76th solo album and 153rd overall, the Associated Press reported.