WILLIE NELSON TURNS 90!

THE OUTLAW COUNTRY LEGEND ON LOVE, MUSIC AND WHAT KEEPS HIM GOING AFTER SIX DECADES ON THE ROAD

- BRIANNE TRACY

It’s not every day a music legend turns 90. So when it came time for Willie Nelson to celebrate on April 29, his famous friends—including fellow Highwayman Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, George Strait and Miranda Lambert—went big, gathering for a two-day concert extravaganza, Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90, at the Hollywood Bowl. “I never thought I’d get here,” Nelson told People ahead of the festivities, which drew an estimated 18,000 fans each night. Still, in signature Nelson fashion, he waved off the fuss over his milestone birthday: “This ain’t nothing. It’s another day.”

The best gift Nelson could receive after more than 60 years in the business was just a simple good time onstage. “I get a lot of fun out of playing for an audience,” he says. “There’s a great energy exchange there. It’s what keeps me going.”

Despite Nelson’s reticence, those who have drawn inspiration from his genre-pushing music and social activism were eager to celebrate his impact. “You can’t talk about American music as a whole without Willie Nelson,” singer Charley Crockett said backstage. “That’s why this is a cultural event.”