Exactly five decades following Willie Nelson‘s first appearance on the debut episode of Austin City Limits, the country music superstar will return to the long-running series for a special concert celebrating its 50th anniversary.
50 years to the day that Nelson taped the ACL pilot on October 17, 1974, the taping for the Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash will happen on October 17, 2024.
Joining Willie Nelson and the Family at the celebratory event are Austin’s own Asleep at the Wheel, who also taped their first ACL special during the series’ first season. Nelson, the inaugural inductee into the ACL Hall of Fame, last appeared on the series in 2018, his 18th ACL performance.
In a statement about Nelson’s participation, longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona said “There would be no Austin City Limits without Willie Nelson – simple as that.” “He launched ACL into the television universe in 1974, and has helped keep us going for 50 years.”
The outdoor concert at Austin’s Long Center will be free to the public via registration; check out the full details here and highlights from the 50th Birthday Bash will air on ACL in early 2025.
ACL’s Season 50 starts on September 28 with an hour-long episode dedicated to Kacey Musgraves, with Jelly Roll, Gracie Abrams, and Brittany Howard, with Chris Stapleton, Norah Jones, Mickey Guyton, and others already booked for October tapings.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Roberta