“I don’t want to be the last man standing… Wait a minute, maybe I do,” sings Willie Nelson on the opening line from his sixty-seventh (!) studio album, Last Man Standing, released this week. Nelson has been ruminating on life and death for several albums in this, his ninth decade. He’s mourning old friends: Waylon, Ray Price, and Merle. But he’s never been this cheeky, either, dropping wry one-liners like ashes from …well, you know.
Willie Nelson turns eighty-five on April 29, and his creative output has reached yet another peak. He still tours like a maniac, too. He is the man. In honor of his birthday, here are eighty-five hits, deep cuts, and live recordings. Yes, there’s even the luxurious voice of Julio Iglesias, too. So turn it up and raise a glass (or celebrate in whatever manner you see fit) to honor one of the world’s greats. Happy birthday, Willie!
