At 92, Willie Nelson still knows how to turn a stage into a front porch jam, and fans say his latest performance was pure “once-in-a-lifetime” magic, according to Parade.
At the show, Nelson, performing with Alabama country group the Red Clay Strays, took on the gospel classic “I’ll Fly Away.” Video of the performance was shared on social media.
The performance clearly struck a chord with fans, who shared their emotional reactions in comments. One fan expressed appreciation for artists performing gospel music, writing: “I love when artists sing gospel and hymns, need more of it!”
Another simply described the experience as “Once in a lifetime. Legendary.”
A fan who had lost their grandmother in February 2024 shared that “I’ll Fly Away” was their grandmother’s favorite song, writing: “I asked her for a sign last night, and the fact that 2 of my favorite artists pop up not even 24 hours later!!!”
“I’ll Fly Away” is one of the most famous and widely recorded gospel songs of the 20th century. It was written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley, a songwriter from Oklahoma.
According to Hymnology Archive, one of the earliest recordings of the song was by Rev. J.M. Gates in 1940. Since, then the song has been covered by a slew of artists like Johnny Cash and Alison Krauss, among others.
