Country music legend Willie Nelson has opened up about why he isn't afraid of death
Willie Nelson has a remarkably laid-back attitude toward death, openly admitting that he's 'not worried about' it at all.
While the idea of facing the end of life can be unsettling for many, the singer behind hits like 'On the Road Again' doesn't share that fear.
At 91, the country music icon shared his perspective on death in a candid conversation, following the release of his 76th solo studio album and his 153rd project overall.
Nelson explained that he believes in taking good care of himself and feels confident about his health.
He said that he is in decent shape both mentally and physically.
"I'm 91 plus, so, you know, I'm not worried about it," he shared with the Associated Press. "I don't feel bad. I don't hurt anywhere. I don't have any reason to worry about dying."
He then added: "And I feel like I'm in pretty good shape physically. Mentally? That's another story."
The well-loved musician recently celebrated his 91st birthday in April, and he has an interesting reason for why he chooses to celebrate on two days instead of just one like most people.
In 2018, Nelson mentioned on his SiriusXM radio show that he marks his birthday on both April 29 and April 30, because of how his birth was officially recorded in 1933.
"I was born before midnight on the 29th, but it didn't get registered in the county courthouse until the next day, the 30th," he explained.
"So it went out officially as the 30th. I just do both days."
Beyond his music and birthdays, Nelson is famously known for being the only person who could out-smoke Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg, the rapper renowned for his love of marijuana, once admitted that even he couldn't keep up with Nelson's smoking habits during a shared session.
Nelson's reputation as one of the most famous cannabis enthusiasts in the world definitely holds up.
Talking about that experience, Nelson himself confirmed it in an interview with Daily Beast.
But when asked if he thought he could out-smoke anyone, he modestly responded:
"Oh, I don't know. There's probably people that can out-smoke me! I don't do a lot of smoking anymore."
He added: "I've switched over to a vaporizer because it's better on my lungs."
Nelson's latest album, titled Last Leaf on the Tree, was released on Friday (November 1).
The album was produced by his youngest son, Micah, and features songs by artists like Neil Young, Beck, the Flaming Lips, and Nina Simone, alongside tracks that Nelson himself wrote.
Micah described the album's focus in a statement to Rolling Stone: "There are little side-quests, but that became the through-line - facing death with grace."
It seems like Willie Nelson has everything in his life, including facing mortality, well sorted out.