CBS Presents “Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration,” A Concert Special
Honoring the Music Icon’s Legendary Career, Sunday, Dec. 17
Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live At The Hollywood Bowl, produced by Blackbird Presents, in deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray, Digital and 2xLP configurations on Friday, Dec. 15.
The digital edition of Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live At The Hollywood Bowl features 52 performances including 13 digital-only bonus tracks exclusive to this release. So far, four preview tracks have been released including Dave Matthews (who inducted Willie into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last month) doing “Funny How Time Slips Away,” The Avett Brothers (who joined Willie earlier this fall for his yearly Outlaw Festival tour) performing “Pick Up The Tempo,” Willie’s son Lukas Nelson delivering a gorgeous version of “Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground” and a just-released, all-star chorus of dozens of guests joining Willie for a rendition of “On The Road Again” coupled with “Happy Birthday.”
The deluxe 2CD+Blu-ray edition of Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live At The Hollywood Bowl includes three-hours of video performances from the concert along with three video bonus performances, 39 audio tracks and a multi-page booklet. A 2xLP vinyl edition featuring select highlights from the event will also be available Friday, Dec. 15. Both configurations can be pre-ordered and singles can be previewed HERE.
2023 has proved a banner year for Willie, who recorded two new studio albums for Legacy: I Don’t Know a Thing About Love (Willie’s musical tribute to legendary American songwriter Harlan Howard, released in March) and Bluegrass (Willie performing 12 of his favorite self-penned classics with a bluegrass ensemble). Released Sept. 15, Willie’s Bluegrass entered the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart (Sept. 30) at No. 1, marking his first appearance on the chart in its 21-year history. Willie’s roots-inspired album has been nominated for the Grammy Award in the Best Bluegrass Album category.
In February, Willie took home two Grammys at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards including Best Country Album for A Beautiful Time. Over the course of his career, Willie Nelson has earned, among innumerable prestigious honors, 12 Grammy Awards including their Lifetime Achievement Award.
On Nov. 3, Willie Nelson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “This year’s incredible group of Inductees reflects the diverse artists and sounds that define rock & roll,” said John Sykes, Chairman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, who noted that the Induction Ceremony coincided “with two milestones in music culture; the 90th birthday of Willie Nelson and the 50th Anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop.” A broadcast edit of the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will air on ABC from 8-11pm ET on Jan. 1, 2024.
Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live At The Hollywood Bowl is the definitive music release of the star-studded concerts celebrating Willie’s 90th Birthday. The concerts were recorded live on April 29 & 30 at the legendary Hollywood Bowl and feature once-in-a-lifetime performances by Willie Nelson, Allison Russell, Beck, Billy Strings, Bobby Weir, Booker T. Jones, Buddy Cannon, Charley Crockett, Charlie Sexton, Chris Stapleton, Daniel Lanois, Dave Matthews, Dwight Yoakam, Edie Brickell, Emmylou Harris, Gary Clark Jr., George Strait, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Keith Richards, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Bridges, Lily Meola, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Margo Price, Micah Nelson (Particle Kid), Miranda Lambert, Nathaniel Rateliff, Neil Young, Norah Jones, Orville Peck, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dogg, Stephen Stills, The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, Tom Jones, Tyler Childers, Warren Haynes, Waylon Payne and Ziggy Marley.
CBS presents “Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration,” a concert special honoring the legendary career of music icon Willie Nelson, Sunday, Dec. 17 (8:30-10:30 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+).
The star-studded special, recorded live earlier this year across two nights before a sold-out crowd at the legendary Hollywood Bowl, celebrates Nelson’s milestone 90th birthday and the 12-time GRAMMY® Award-winner’s contributions to popular culture and music.