Willie Nelson Celebrates his 91st Birthday–Twice

Willie Nelson performs during the Farm Aid Music Festival (2023)
Willie Nelson performs during the Farm Aid Music Festival (2023.) SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP via Getty Images

Country music legend Willie Nelson celebrated his 91st birthday not once, but twice this month.

Nelson boasts "two" birthdays: April 29 and/or April 30 1933. As of today, he is definitively 91 years old. Each year, Nelson takes the time to carve out not one, but two days for birthday festivities.

"I was born before midnight on the 29th, but it didn't get registered in the country courthouse until the next day, the 30th. So, it went out officially as the 30th," explained Nelson to Sirius XM's Willie's Roadhouse in 2018. He was born in Abott, Texas.

"I just do both days," said the singer.

Nelson's Wikipedia and IMDB pages claim that the Shotgun Willie artist was born on the 29th.

Regardless, the nonagenarian enjoys two days worth of celebrations each year.

His daughter, Lana Nelson Fowler, further detailed why her father spends two days out of the year enjoying his big day. She revealed that Nelson treated April 29 as his birthday until he entered the Air Force in 1950. He served for nine months before being discharged because of medical issues with his back.

"Dad celebrated his birthday on the 29th of April until he was 18 years old and went into the Air Force. He had to finally get a birth certificate, and it said he was born on the 30th. Not to argue with the government, we celebrated his birthday on the 30th for about 40 years," said Lana.

Nelson's cousin, meanwhile, claimed that he was born "a few minutes before midnight on the 29th," but that the doctor "didn't record the birth until after midnight" on April 30.

Regardless of his "correct" birthday, the "Riders in the Sky" singer maxes out his time enjoying birthday festivities.

Nelson took to X to commemorate his own big day, posting a video compilation of what he had been up to during his 90th year.

"A year for the books...Here's to 91!" he tweeted.

The video pictures highlights of the singer's 2023. Nelson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shortly after turning 90 years old. He celebrated the milestone birthday with two massive concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. He also performed alongside Kermit the Frog, singing "Rainbow Connection" with the Muppet star.

The clip is scored with Nelson's track "Made in Texas."

Fans flooded his replies to wish the star a happy birthday. The birthday festivities began on Nelson's Instagram story on the 29th as he reposted several sweet messages wishing him a happy 91st trip around the sun.

Earlier this year, Nelson joined masked country star Orville Peck for a duet of "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other." He also appeared on Beyoncé''s COWBOY CARTER album on "SMOKE HOUR" and "SMOKE HOUR II" interludes.

He is set to release his next album,The Border, on May 31.

Age is not slowing down the musician, activist and cannabis enthusiast.

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