Willie Nelson, one of the last living legends of Country music, will receive the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The prestigious honor recognizes a songwriter’s incredible contributions to pop music and is named in honor of George and Ira Gershwin.
Nelson, 82, has been performing for over six decades and has helped introduce country to new audiences and generations over the years with his “outlaw country.” He’s also a skilled guitarist and has crossed over to several genres to prove his versatility. “Crazy,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Hello Walls” and “On The Road Again” are just a few of his many songs that have become standards.
He is also still recording. He just made Django and Jimmie with one of his contemporaries, Merle Haggard. Released in June, the album debuted at the top of the Billboard Country Album chart and reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200. His previous solo album, last year’s Band of Brothers, hit No. 5 on the Billboard 200.
"Willie Nelson is a musical explorer, redrawing the boundaries of country music throughout his career," Librarian of Congress James Billington said in a statement. "A master communicator, the sincerity and universally appealing message of his lyrics place him in a category of his own while still remaining grounded in his country-music roots. His achievements as a songwriter and performer are legendary. Like America itself, he has absorbed and assimilated diverse stylistic influences into his stories and songs. He has helped make country music one of the most universally beloved forms of American artistic expression."
Nelson added, “It is an honor to be the next recipient of the Gershwin Prize. I appreciate it greatly.”
The previous recipients of the Gershwin prize are Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King and Billy Joel.
Nelson will receive the honor in Washington D.C. in November after a series of celebrations.
image courtesy of PGKirkland/MPI/INFevents.com