Willie Nelson's Health Is Not Looking Good (2024)

Country legend Willie Nelson has managed to live a much longer and more fruitful life than many of his contemporaries. In fact, the 88-year-old singer is still touring and performing to this day. Though many have speculated that he may be on his last leg. Join Facts Verse as we explore why Willie Nelson’s health is not looking good.

Over the past several years, country legend Willie Nelson has had to deal with numerous health problems. In 2015, Willie was on tour with Merle Haggard when he had to cancel a couple of shows to undergo a minor operation on his lungs. At the time, the singer had already suffered from numerous bouts of both pneumonia and emphysema over the course of his life. And he urged to undergo a stem cell operation to try and heal some of the damage. Willie was able to rejoin with Merle after recovering from the surgery, though that wasn’t the end of Willie’s problems.

A few years later, in 2017, Willie had to stop in the middle of a show that he was putting on in Salt Lake City, Utah. The singer was having difficulty breathing, and was seemingly unable to keep up with the rest of his band. After the struggle became too much for the singer to fight through, Willie had to taken to a nearby hospital. Thankfully, Salt Lake City’s excessive altitudes turned out to have caused the majority of the problem. And Willie able to make a speedy recovery after transported to an area closer to sea level. The singer has always expressed that he doesn’t like taking time off from performing, whether he has to or not.

Willie’s numerous health problems over the years have generally attributed to his smoking. While Willie is a well known pot smoker, there have also times in his life where he has smoked up to three packs of cigarettes a day. Though the singer has tried to abate his cigarette usage over the years. He was still smoking marijuana the traditional way up until 2019. After too many bouts with emphysema, 2019 saw Willie give up smoking marijuana once and for all. However, that doesn’t mean that the singer has given up other means of consuming cannabis that won’t hurt his lungs, such as edibles, tinctures, and vapes.

When it comes to the benefits of cannabis, Willie has always been one of the plant’s biggest advocates. The singer has fought for the legalization of marijuana across America. And even had a memorable meeting with President Barack Obama about it during the latter’s presidency. This event offered Willie his second opportunity to smoke marijuana on the White House grounds, after having done so once previously during the Jimmy Carter presidency.

The country music star has said that he smoked his first marijuana joint in 1954. After previously developing habits of smoking both tobacco and rolled-up cedar bark. In the singer’s early days, he was a bigger drinker than he was a dope smoker. Which caused the young star to be a bit rowdier than we like to think of him as being today.

According to Willie, his increased marijuana usage into his 30s and 40s helped the singer mellow out and start developing a much healthier lifestyle. This healthier lifestyle has, in turn, allowed the singer to prosper and perform astonishingly well into his old age. Even if Willie were to retire today, he’s still managed to tour for longer than most of his peers. All the while suffering from numerous health problems. Though the singer isn’t too fond of hearing the tabloids speculate about how much longer he has left to live. He has said that he’s simply grateful to still be around.

Not only has Willie Nelson been an advocate for marijuana use during his lifetime. But he has also recently founded a company that sells marijuana-infused products, such as tinctures, teas, and coffees. The company is called Willie’s Remedy, named as such because Willie truly believes that cannabis is the remedy that has allowed him to live such a long and prosperous life.

Besides marijuana, there’s another part of Willie’s life that the singer believes has played a huge part in his overall prosperity and longevity. And that is his active and fast-paced lifestyle. Sadly, the singer’s recent bouts with his health, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic, have caused Willie to live a more sedentary lifestyle than he might otherwise like to. If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support! As well, subscribe to the channel if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way! Join Facts Verse as we explore why Willie Nelson’s health is not looking good.

According to Willie Nelson, one of the worst things that a person can do for their health is lead a sedentary lifestyle. This is one of the reasons that Willie has always been so averse to taking breaks from performing. Even when his failing health has required him to. However, this aversion to a sedentary lifestyle has also played a big role in Willie’s day-to-day living. Though one might imagine that a typical pothead spends most of their time inside. Willie takes pleasure in making himself an exception to this rule.

Willie has shared that he always takes the time out of his day to do something active. Even when he isn’t actively touring the country. On Willie’s days off, he likes to make sure he at least takes a stroll or does some push-ups. This active lifestyle is something that Willie believes has played a large part in extending his years. Recently, Willie has been complaining that the COVID-19 pandemic has been keeping him from getting out as much as he would like to.

Although he may be several years past the average retirement age it appears as if Willie refuses to let poor health force him out of work. The singer has mentioned that he would like to hit the road once again in 2021. And there have been rumors that this tour may be his last. However, it seems as if these rumors have yet to be substantiated. Join Facts Verse as we explore why Willie Nelson’s health is not looking good.

The idea of retirement has been brought up to Willie in several interviews. And the singer has always brushed the topic aside. According to Willie, there’s nothing that he’d rather be doing than being out on the road and performing music. If the singer truly believes that his busy and active lifestyle is the thing that has been keeping him alive for all of these years. Then it stands to reason that he likely views retirement as nothing short of a death sentence.

Although Willie likes to brush the idea of retirement aside, he certainly isn’t sensitive about the topic. The singer has always had a good sense of humor through his numerous bouts with poor health, and has always come out the other side laughing. Likewise, the singer chooses to laugh when he’s asked if the current tour he’s on will be his last.

Fellow music legend Sammy Hagar has shared that Willie once told him that he jokingly considered every single tour to be his last. However, Willie has been on countless tours since giving Sammy this classic line. It appears that Willie will likely die doing what he loves. And what he loves is touring and performing across the country.

Although Willie’s health hasn’t been looking too good the past decade, there appears to be some hope in the air. Though the singer is approaching his 90s, he has made several life changes in recent years that could drastically improve his overall health. Since most of Willie’s health problems are tied directly to his smoking. The fact that he has managed to give up the habit once and for all stands as a great sign that the singer is doing his best to stick around as long as possible. Still, it’s rare to see a musician touring into their 90s. And Willie has never one to put on a show if he doesn’t think he’ll have the energy to blow his fans away.

Though rumors will continue circulating about Willie’s inevitable end every time he makes an appearance. Fans can rest assured that the singer will continue giving his all to country music until the day he dies. In March of 2021, Willie leant a new and original song, titled “I’ll Be Seeing You”, to an advertising campaign for COVID-19 vaccination. Subsequently, he and his sister publically received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. According to Willie, he has felt like he’s been inside of a prison since the beginning of the pandemic. And hopes that receiving the vaccination will help ensure that he’s back out on the road as soon as possible. Join Facts Verse as we explore why Willie Nelson’s health is not looking good.

In addition to the new and original song that Willie offered to the COVID-19 vaccination advertising campaign. The singer also released a brand new album in 2021. The album called That’s Life, and consisted of Willie covering many classic songs popularized by Frank Sinatra. The album served as a follow-up to Willie’s previous tribute to Frank Sinatra, the 2018 album My Way. That’s Life was Willie’s 71st official studio album. And it seems incredibly unlikely that it will end up being his last release. Even amidst medical turmoil, Willie has managed to release at least one album a year since 2016. Though his albums no longer perform at the top of the charts, they keep him alive.

Willie Nelson has had a surplus of country hits throughout his career, including “On the Road Again” and “Georgia on My Mind”. Comment down below to share if you’ve got a particular favorite Willie Nelson tune. Or if you’re going to make a point to see him on his upcoming tour just in case it turns out to be his last! As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!