Willie Nelson‘s recent performances on Austin City Limits are scheduled to debut on select PBS stations this Saturday, January 26th. The pre-filmed concerts to be aired in one episode marked Nelson’s 18th time appearing as a musical guest on the live entertainment series based out of Austin, Texas since he first performed on the show’s pilot episode back in October 1974. The upcoming episode will be Nelson’s first time playing the show in nearly a decade, and to build up to Saturday’s premiere, the Austin City Limits‘ producers have begun sharing clips from the soon-to-be-televised performance.
Texas country music and Willie Nelson have been synonymous with one another ever since the pot-loving guitarist and songwriter returned to his home state following a brief failed stint as a songwriter and performer in Nashville in the early 1970s. The 85-year-old country music legend will look to take viewers through his Lonestar State journey during the upcoming episode, which will feature 18 songs performed with his Family Band. Saturday’s episode will include live renditions and audience sing-alongs of fan-favorites including “Whiskey River”, “Mamma’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”, and “Always on My Mind”, just to name a few. The episode will presumably pull select performances from all three of Nelson’s shows at Austin’s Moody Theatre (where the show is filmed) last month on December 29th-31st.
Fans can tune into some of the promotional clips shared by the show on Tuesday from the upcoming episode in the videos below.
Willie Nelson – Austin City Limits – Promotional Trailer #1
[Video: AustinCityLimitsTV]
Willie Nelson – Austin City Limits – Promotional Trailer #2
[Video: AustinCityLimitsTV]
Rolling Stone also shared a longer promotional clip from the forthcoming episode on Wednesday, which showcases Nelson performing “Funny How Time Slips Away”.
Recently, some of the biggest names in rock and country music including Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Dave Matthews, and Alison Krauss, recently gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to honor Willie Nelson and his legacy. You can read more about the all-star tribute to Nelson here.