“His Guitar and His Spirit Are Magnificent”: Watch Willie Nelson Crush a Guitar Solo at 91 Years Young

Willie Nelson fell ill in late June and had to take some time off to recover. Then, on July 4, he was back in the saddle. Now, he’s back on the road and performing as usual. However, he seemed to have come back to the stage before he was 100 percent. A video from his July 7 concert in Hershey, Pennsylvania showed that while he may not have been fully recovered, his guitar skills remained unmatched.

In the video below, the 91-year-old Outlaw Country icon is performing “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” Throughout most of the song, Nelson is content to sit behind Trigger and allow someone else to sing the lead vocal part. However, he adds his voice to the chorus. Some might say that the Red-Headed Stranger didn’t look great during the performance. Then, when it was time for him to take a guitar solo, he showed that his playing was unaffected by the illness he was fighting.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: On the Road Again: Willie Nelson and His Son Are Joining Forces With Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, and More]

Nelson’s guitar solo starts at about the 1:40 mark in the video above. The improvised instrumental break lasts nearly an entire minute. As his left hand moves up and down Trigger’s neck, Nelson seems to come alive. The rest of the performance sees him singing more and tossing in small guitar fills here and there. It was almost as if the solo helped to reinvigorate the country legend.

As one fan so perfectly put it, “His guitar and his spirit are magnificent. Live forever, Willie.”

Willie Nelson Covers a Kris Kristofferson Classic

Those who enjoy country music and some classic rock are likely fans of Kris Kristofferson without knowing it. While he never saw great success as a recording artist, the singer/songwriter/actor penned a collection of classic songs. For instance, he wrote “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Lovin’ Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again),” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” among many others.

He first released “Help Me Make It Through the Night” on his 1970 album Kristofferson. Then, several artists including Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Joan Baez, Sammi Smith, Mariah Carey, and many more put their stamp on the song over the years.

Willie Nelson recorded his version of the song for his 1979 album Sings Kristofferson. He released it as the first and only single from the album. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.

Featured Image by Randy Miramontez