Willie Nelson Makes Surprise ACL Appearances Alongside Chris Stapleton and Orville Peck

Willie Nelson unexpectedly became the guest of honor at Austin City Limits festival this past weekend.

The country legend joined the likes of Orville Peck and Chris Stapleton during their respective sets at the multi-weekend Texas fest, sharing the spotlight to showcase hits old and new.

During Stapleton's headlining set on Friday night (Oct. 11), the brawny vocalist welcomed Nelson onto the stage for performances of the Shotgun Willie classic, 'Whiskey River', and the Phases and Stages epic, 'Bloody Mary Morning.'

The ACL performance wasn't the first time the star-powered pair have teamed up, the duo having duetted at Nelson’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, toured together and graced similar festival stages over the last several years.

That Sunday (Oct. 13), Nelson also joined Peck for a live debut of their 2024 collaboration, 'Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other'.

The Ned Sublette original-turned-Nelson classic found its way onto Peck's 2024 album, Stampede, where the pair sang a duet of the charming waltz. Together, at ACL, the masked troubadour and the Red Headed Stranger gave audiences an enchanting display of beloved cowboy ballad.

Nelson spent the past ACL weekend in Austin, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the festival's namesake television program, the very first episode of which Nelson was involved in taping in 1974.

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