Willie Nelson Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic The list of narrators for the audiobook version of Bob Dylan’s upcoming book has come to light, and it reads like a who’s who of Oscar contenders from the past few decades, along with the author himself doing some of the reading. The lineup of voice talent reading chapters from “The Philosophy of Modern Song” aloud includes Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Sissy Spacek, Alfre Woodard, Jeffrey Wright and Renée Zellweger. This lineup of all-star Dylan surrogates has yet to be officially announced. It was first published by the U.K. magazine Uncut; Variety has confirmed the list.

Willie Nelson is reflecting on his long, wild friendship with his late best friend and drummer, Paul English.The country music icon recently spoke with ET's Kevin Frazier and shared stories about his experiences with English while first making it big and then touring the country over the past five decades.«He was my best friend for many, many years,» said Nelson, who chronicled their friendship in his new book, We went up and down the road a long time and had a lot of fun together. He was my best friend.«English first joined Nelson's band in 1966 and served as both the band's drummer, as well as a de facto bodyguard and muscle when needed.

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Willie Nelson is lucky to have had good friends to help him face his demons.

“The Kelly Clarkson Show” returns with an electrifying start.

Susan Sarandon admits that that she knew nothing about country music before beginning work on Monarch, Fox’s upcoming sudser that the producers describe as “Empire meets Succession.”

Miranda Lambert may be one of the country industry's biggest stars but the singer was just one of the girls this weekend on a trip to Texas.READ: Miranda Lambert reveals unexpected health reason behind extended break from workJoined by her mom Bev and longtime friends, Miranda shared a picture of the group as they spent time on a boat, with five of the women lounging on the top deck while the others posed underneath. Miranda wore a string bikini that tied around her neck, and paired it with a trucker hat that had the word 'wander' embroidered across it.WATCH: Miranda Lambert rocks cowgirl dress from Idyllwind lineIn another snap she rocked a daring bright orange string bikini top with a vintage cowboy hat."Take me back Texas!' she captioned the post.MORE: Miranda Lambert joins Willie Nelson for special recordMORE: Inside Miranda Lambert's sprawling $3.4million Tennessee home"We had the best girls weekend in Gruene Texas.

A country music star has been found dead after being reported missing more than a week earlier. The body of Luke Bell, 32, was discovered in Tucson, Arizona, according to the New York Post, which cited the city's police department. His friend Matt Kinman, also a country artist, confirmed his death to the Saving Country Music website, saying he was found on Monday near to where he was reported missing on 20 August.

Country singer-songwriter Luke Bell, whose throwback style blended strains of Texas, Nashville and Bakersfield, has died, according to his friend and collaborator Matt Kinman. He was 32.

Country artist Luke Bell has been found dead at the age of 32, nine days after he went missing in Arizona. The “Working Man’s Dream” musician’s friend Matt Kinman confirmed Bell’s death.

Saving Country Music.Born in Kentucky and raised in Wyoming, Bell was found dead in Tucson, Arizona, yesterday, near where he had been reported missing on Aug. 20, according to the Tucson Police Department.As of yet, the singer’s cause of death remains “unknown,” per authorities currently probing the tragedy. However, Kinman told music blog the Boot that his buddy had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, adding that a recent change in his medication might’ve have “played a role” in his disappearance.Born in Lexington, Kentucky on January 27, 1990, and raised in Cody, Wyoming, Bell dropped out of the University of Wyoming and moved to Austin, Texas to pursue a career in country music.

Carson Burton Jimmy Fallon, Willie Nelson, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmie Allen, Zach Williams and Miley Cyrus have been cast as guest stars in NBC’s “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas.” The film sees Parton in the lead role and also stars Tom Everett Scott, Ana Gasteyer and Angel Parker. “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” is a movie musical about the making of a network TV special. The film follows the backstage story and on-camera results of Parton’s desire to share “mountain magic” at Dollywood during Christmas. When three characters known as the “Three Wise Mountain Men” appear to Parton, she finds herself on a private journey into her past. By the time her special is set to air, a newly inspired Parton finds that she has renewed understanding of the magic of Christmas.

Strap into your sleigh: “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” has added guest stars Miley Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Fallon, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jimmie Allen and Zach Williams, along with cast members Tom Everett Scott, Ana Gasteyer and Angel Parker.NBC’s meta “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” is a modern-day movie musical that stars the music legend as herself, following her attempts to put on a network TV special.The movie is about “the frenetic backstage story and delightful on-camera results of Dolly’s desire to uplift an exhausted world’s spirits by sharing the unique “mountain magic” she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas. Throughout the movie’s production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Mountain Men.

Miley Cyrus is taking on a new role in her godmother Dolly Parton‘s movie!

Jimmy Fallon and Miley Cyrus, along with Billy Ray Cyrus, Willie Nelson, Jimmie Allen and Zach Williams, have been cast as guest stars in NBC’s Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Bob Dylan was announced earlier this year as having written separate appreciations of more than 60 different songs for his forthcoming book, “The Philosophy of Modern Song.” Now, the names of all 66 songs he wrote about have been revealed, thanks to the dissemination of a table-of-contents page for the highly anticipated book, which comes out in early November via Simon & Schuster. (Read the full list below.) Not surprisingly, classic songs written and/or recorded by Americans greats like Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, Townes Van Zandt will come up for consideration. Less expectedly, Dylan will detour to analyze songs like Cher’s “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves,” the Eagles’ “Witchy Woman,” the Fugs’ “CIA Man” and Rosemary Clooney’s “Come On-a My House.”

Willie Nelson got COVID bad.

EJ Panaligan editorBillie Eilish and her mother Maggie Baird will be honored at this year’s EMA Awards, the Environmental Media Association announced on Monday.The celebration honors globally recognized individuals for their work toward protecting the planet, and the ceremony will take place on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles.Eilish, an Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning artist, and Baird will be honored with the EMA Missions in Music Award.

Miranda Lambert, 38, looked sensational as she shared an incredibly rare selfie alongside her husband Brendan McLoughlin for fans on Saturday.MORE: Miranda Lambert joins Willie Nelson for special recordTaking to her Instagram Stories, the country singer was a vision as she rocked a fabulous cowgirl hat that featured a bandana tied around the bottom. Sitting next to her was her doting husband and the pair were beaming from ear-to-ear.WATCH: Miranda Lambert rocks cowgirl dress from Idyllwind lineCaptioning the sweet snap, the star wrote: "How y’all doin? Fun times @pbr Nashville."READ: Miranda Lambert pleads with fans in emotional video SEE: Miranda Lambert looks fierce in black leather alongside husband Brendan McLoughlinFans went wild for the country photo and took to the comments section with messages for the star.

Willie Nelson had a "pretty rough time" with Covid-19 earlier this year. In an interview for The New York Times, the country music icon revealed he tested positive for the virus in May. "I had a pretty rough time with it," he shared.

Miranda Lambert has shared the news with fans that she will join the likes of Willie Nelson in a special tribute record for Billie Joe Shaver.MORE: Miranda Lambert pleads with fans in emotional video Billie Joe died in October 2020 at age 81 and it has now emerged that New West Records will release a compilation record called Live Forever: A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver on 11 November which will see Miranda perform with singers including Amanda Shires and George Strait.WATCH: Miranda Lambert's rise to fame "Excited to be a part of this," Miranda commented.Billie Joe Shaver was born in 1939, in Corsicana, Texas, and over the years he wrote songs including Waylon Jennings’ landmark album Honky Tonk Heroes, You Asked Me To, recorded by Elvis Presley in 1975, and Georgia on a Fast Train by Johnny Cash.MORE: Miranda Lambert looks fierce in black leather alongside husband Brendan McLoughlinREAD: Miranda Lambert reveals her mom's heartbreaking secret cancer battleMiranda's news comes after she took to Instagram to share photos of herself performing at the Windy City Smokeout in July - Chicago's country music, BBQ and beer festival.She rocked a pair of denim shorts for the show, which was teamed with a tasseled denim sleeveless jacket and cream cowboy boots.

Brad Pitt‘s Make It Right Foundation has struck a $20.5 million settlement with owners of post-Hurricane Katrina homes the actor’s foundation initially built and sold to affected families below cost but ultimately drew attention for the homes’ poor conditions after the families moved in.

Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation has struck a $20.5 million settlement with owners of post-Hurricane Katrina homes the actor's foundation initially built and sold to affected families below cost but ultimately drew attention for the homes' poor conditions after the families moved in.The settlement calls for Global Green, an environmental non-profit organization that was not part of the 2018 class action lawsuit, to foot the bill on behalf of Pitt's foundation. The preliminary settlement agreement — which still requires the court to sign off on — will aim to resolve outstanding issues in the litigation over homes Make It Right developed in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticBilly Joe Shaver, one of the figureheads of the “outlaw country” movement that came out of Texas and flourished in the 1970s, is the subject of a forthcoming tribute album that sees some of the top names in country and Americana saluting the late legend, including Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, George Strait, Nathaniel Rateliff, Rodney Crowell and Margo Price. The project, “Live Forever: A Tribute to Billy Joe Shaver,” comes out on New West Nov.

A little girl and her mother took a trip to Walmart, not realizing 6-year-old Etta was about to meet one of her idols. Chris Stapleton, the multi-Grammy award winning country singer, was a man on a mission, off to purchase supplies for families in need after the horrible Kentucky floods.

Neil Young has said he won’t perform at this year’s Farm Aid event because of his ongoing concerns over COVID-19.Young confirmed the news in response to a fan letter on his Neil Young Archives site that said: “I am not ready for that yet. I don’t think it is safe in the pandemic,” he wrote, adding, “I miss it very much.”The veteran artist co-founded the yearly benefit concert to support American farmers.

Neil Young still isn’t ready to go back to doing concerts.

Neil Young has indicated he’s not yet ready to play concerts, saying he doesn’t think it is safe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.The songwriter was recently announced as one of the performers for this year’s edition of Farm Aid, the annual benefit concert for American farmers founded by Young, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and others.When responding to a fan’s letter on his website that expressed excitement at the news, however, Young responded saying he wouldn’t be attending the festival. “I will not be at Farmaid this year,” Young replied.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music CriticMusic fans or just aficionados of unusual cultural events who can get themselves to Willie Nelson’s ranch in late October and early November are destined to get lucky. For a stretching lasting from Oct.

Angelique Jackson Producers of the indie film musical “Americana Dream” have tapped Nashville-based music artists Mary Sarah and Sam Varga to play the story’s central couple, Billie Carton and Lucky Fontana.Sarah and Varga nabbed the leading roles after an extensive nationwide search for singer-songwriters to act in the original musical written and directed by Ate de Jong and co-written by Variety’s Steven Gaydos.“Americana Dream” takes viewers behind the scenes of the film’s titular reality TV music competition program, where Lucky and Billie transition from imposters willing to do anything for money and fame, to a real couple, willing to sacrifice their dreams of success for real love and their real music. Sarah was a finalist on season 10 of NBC’s “The Voice” and is set to star in Justin Ward’s upcoming film comedy “Paradise: The Movie.” Sarah recorded her first album “Bridges,” when she was only 15; the project showcased her talent alongside country music legends including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard and Tanya Tucker and was reissued through Time Life Records in 2020.Varga has also been performing since his early teens, releasing singles and performing regionally; his dynamic live act garnered significant attention in Austin, Texas before he relocated to Nashville in 2019.

Mickey Rooney's nine kids — has died. He was 77.The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed to ET that Rooney Jr.

Paul Petersen, founder of the child-actor advocacy group A Minor Consideration. No cause of death was given. Longterm partner Chrissy Brown told THR that Rooney Jr.

Mickey Rooney Jr., the eldest son of Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney who went on to a show business career of his own that included being an original – if short-lived — Mouseketeer, an actor and a member of Willie Nelson’s band, died Saturday at his home in Glendale, AZ. He was 77.

Carson Burton Mickey Rooney Jr., an original Mouseketeer, musician and actor who was the first child of Mickey Rooney, has died. He was 77.Rooney Jr. died Saturday at his home in Glendale, Arizona, according to a Facebook post from friend and actor Paul Petersen.

confirmed the news to the Hollywood Reporter. She noted that the musician died from unknown causes at his home in Glendale, Arizona.Rooney Jr. was an original Mouseketeer who appeared on Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” in 1955 alongside his brother Tim.He also was a born-again Christian, according to the Riverside Press-Enterprise, and performed in bands with singer Willie Nelson.The Birmingham, Alabama, native appeared alongside Nelson on the silver screen in 1980’s “Honeysuckle Rose” and 1984’s “Songwriter.” His first film role was in the 1966 movie “Hot Rods to Hell.”His former “Mickey Mouse Club” castmate Paul Peterson penned a tribute to Rooney Jr. on Facebook over the weekend.“I first met Mickey, the oldest of nine siblings sired by his famous father when he and Timmy were hired by Disney to be Mouseketeers in 1955,” Peterson began.

Mickey Rooney Jr. has sadly died at the age of 77.