God Bless America, Willie Nelson’s Back Onstage for 4th of July Concert
![SPICEWOOD, TEXAS - MARCH 14: Willie Nelson performs in concert during Luck Reunion on March 14, 2024 in Spicewood, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images for Shock Inc.)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.rollingstone.com/wp-content/themes/vip/pmc-rollingstone-2022/assets/public/lazyload-fallback.gif)
After missing half a dozen or so concerts of the Outlaw Music Fest due to unspecified illness, Willie Nelson returned to the stage for his annual Fourth of July Picnic, held outside of Philly in Camden, New Jersey, on Thursday. Nelson, throwing his arms in the air in victory, was greeted with roaring cheers from the audience. The musician then took a seat on a stool to begin playing.
Like at the other concerts the 91-year-old performed at this year, the set list included staples like “On the Road Again,” “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” and “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground.” Nelson’s son, Lukas, sang “Texas Flood” and a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe” with his dad, and Nelson performed his song “The Border,” the title track from his new album, for the first time live.
Lukas has been filling in for Willie, singing his dad’s songs on the Outlaw trek, which also features Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and others. Those artists also performed at the Fourth of July Picnic, as well as Celisse, Maren Morris, and Mavis Staples. The concert marked the first time in 14 years that Nelson has held his Independence Day picnic outside of the Lone Star State.
Late last month, Nelson’s social media reported that the country singer-songwriter was “not feeling well” and would have to miss a series of Outlaw dates “per doctor’s orders.” On Tuesday, the artist’s social media reported: “Willie Nelson is looking forward to seeing everyone in Camden on July 4.”
In May, the ever-prolific Nelson released his 75th album, The Border; it’s also his 14th full-length in the past decade. “[The title track] is one of the Red Headed Stranger’s most moving and cinematic latter-day recordings, a story-song in which the toll and complexity of the immigration issue stings you in the face as hard as desert sand,” Rolling Stone’s review stated.