Willie Nelson Honors Merle Haggered With ‘Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle’ Album

Willie Nelson announced his album, Workin' Man: Willie Sings Merle, coming Nov. 7. The record will feature 11 covers of Merle Haggard's most beloved songs, including the lead single, "Workin' Man Blues." Spanning from Haggard's first No. 1 album, Swinging Doors (1966), to later classics like "Ramblin' Fever" and "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink" (1980), this project marks Nelson's 155th album and 78th solo studio effort. Preorders are available now on Nelson's official website in both vinyl and CD formats.

Produced by Nelson and longtime collaborator Mickey Raphael at Pedernales Studios in Austin, the album features Kevin Smith on bass and Billy English on drums and percussion. These sessions also include Nelson's final recordings with his late sister, Bobbie Nelson, and drummer Paul English. The release underscores Nelson and Haggard's decades-long friendship and creative partnership, which began in the 1960s and included three joint albums and countless live performances. Their last collaboration, Django and Jimmie, featured the hit song "It's All Going to Pot."

"I think we probably think a lot the same way when it comes to the music. You know, we both look for the unusual. Something in the song that makes it remarkable. There's a million songs we could have recorded, and to bring it down to the fourteen that we did, it takes a bit of genius I think, to accomplish such a thing. Willie and I work good together I think when it comes to picking material. There's some really good songs on that album," shared Haggard.

The album's release will coincide with the premiere of Highway 99: A Double Album, a documentary directed by Ethan Hawke that chronicles Haggard's legendary career and features Nelson as a key interviewee. The film will debut at the Telluride Film Festival.

Nelson is currently on the final leg of the Outlaw Music Festival 10th Anniversary Tour, which runs from Sept. 5 to Sept. 19, with stops from Bangor, Maine, to East Troy, Wisconsin. The lineup includes Bob Dylan and Sheryl Crow. Following the tour, Nelson will headline the 40th annual Farm Aid concert in Minneapolis on Sept. 20, alongside Neil Young and John Mellencamp. Nelson continues to promote his hemp-derived THC social tonics, Willie's Remedy+, which support American farmers and contribute to Farm Aid.