It goes like this: Willie Nelson starred in the pilot for Austin City Limits in 1975 and has appeared many times since. Asleep at the Wheel kicked the first episode proper in 1976 and is also a multiple headliner. Amazingly, they’ve rarely collaborated, despite being buddies for 40 years. So when these great Texas artists came together to record 2009’s fantastic Western swing tribute Willie and the Wheel, we had to have this explosion of musical chemistry on the show – especially since it coincided with our 35th anniversary.
Featuring great old tunes like “Right Or Wrong, ‘“Hesitation Blues” and “Fan It,” as well as a handful of Willie classics, the resulting episode has since become one of our all-time favorites. It’s a special show to our beloved audience as well, and we’re happy to present this encore episode. Tune in to your local PBS station this weekend, and you might want to push the furniture against the wall in case you’ve the urge to dance.
Go here for more details on this episode, and check in with our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr pages for more ACL info and ephemera. Next week: M Ward and Okkervil River.