Revisiting Willie Nelson’s Iconic Debut On The First-Ever ‘Austin City Limits’

Nothing beats a Willie Nelson throwback.

It feels like the Red Headed Stranger has been around forever, does it not? In a way… he kind of has been. The 92-year-old country music legend was born in 1933, and started writing and releasing music in the late 1950s and early 1960s. For those not gifted in math, that means Nelson has been contributing to the world musically for over six and a half decades.

That being said, Willie’s path to country music stardom wasn’t exactly linear. When he was first getting started, he moved around the country and took odd jobs all over the place (dishwasher, bouncer, door-to-door vacuum salesman) just to try and keep his dreams of a music career alive.

It was only in 1960 when Nelson moved to Nashville that things started to fall into place, and he was able to start making all kinds of connections (Hank Cochran, Patsy Cline, etc.). Willie’s songwriting made him stand out, and before too long, he signed on with Liberty Records in 1961. It was a whirlwind after that for Willie, who was finally able to shine through in his own right and make a name for himself.

Later, in the 1970s, Willie Nelson helped launch a little program called Austin City Limits. Ever heard of it? Chances are you probably have, since ACL has been an integral piece of country music and its history. And in case you didn’t know, Nelson’s presence on the pilot episode of Austin City Limits helped make Austin, Texas as much of a country music destination as Nashville, Tennessee.

Recently, Nelson and his social media team shared a clip from the appearance that helped get everything started.

For the inaugural episode of Austin City Limits, Nelson decided to include “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” in the setlist, which is actually a cover of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys (who released the song in 1945). Willie and his band also played songs like “Crazy,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” and “Good Hearted Woman,” among others.

But it was the performance of “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” that recently got the spotlight on social media. Nelson shared the footage from ACL that was filmed over five decades ago, and I wonder if Willie and his band even knew how important that very first Austin City Limits episode would end up being in the grand scheme of things:

“Willie and the band perform “Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)” on the very first episode of ACL TV that aired 51 years ago this year.”

The post Revisiting Willie Nelson’s Iconic Debut On The First-Ever ‘Austin City Limits’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.