The legendary Willie Nelson stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night (May 14) for a chat and to play some music.
During the conversation, the 79-year-old country music legend discussed his new album Heroes, his recent collaboration with Snoop Dogg, his first big break, working with the legendary Patsy Cline (“she’s great…the best singer out there”), and more.
Jimmy asked Willie about his well-worn guitar (named “Trigger,” after Roy Rogers’ horse), which is famous for its large hole. “Even with a hole in it it still sounds…good?” Jimmy asks. Willie responds, “Well, I think it sounds better.”
It’s hard to fit a lot into a five-minute interview, but Fallon was also able to get in a question about Willie’s tour bus, which runs on biofuel. Willie is, among other things, a biofuel activist, and so he discussed his opinion that farmers should grow both our food and our fuel. As Willie puts it, there’s “no need” anymore to “[go] around the world startin’ wars over oil.”
Watch the entire interview with Jimmy Fallon.
Willie played two songs live on the show as well. One was an unforgettable seven-minute performance of “Texas Flood” (the blues standard made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughan). The performance featured Willie’s 22-year-old son Lukas Nelson, who’s also an impressive guitar player. (Lukas sings and plays on nine of the 14 tracks on Heroes.)
Watch Willie and Lukas perform “Texas Flood.”
Willie and Lukas also performed a version of Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe,” one of the tracks on Heroes.
Watch a performance of “Just Breathe.”
Heroes, which was released this week, also features Merle Haggard, Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson,and Sheryl Crow. The album is currently streaming in full on AOL Spinner.
Amber Morgan/KILT Houston
