Willie Nelson's name was immortalized among rock and roll legends on Friday when he was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place at the Barclays Center in New York City on Nov. 3, and country singer Chris Stapleton, fellow nominee Sheryl Crow and Dave Matthews were on hand to help welcome him into the honorary institution.
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Nelson and Stapleton teamed up for a rendition of "Whiskey River," originally recorded by Johnny Bush and released by Nelson in 1973. Before performing the tune, Nelson joked, "I've been indicted, I mean, inducted." The two then launched into the raucous song, with Nelson singing lead and Stapleton adding his high-flying vocals. The version received thunderous applause from the audience.
According to Rolling Stone, Nelson and Crow — who was also inducted that night — performed a duet version of Patsy Cline's "Crazy," which was written by Nelson. Stapleton and Crow also joined Nelson and musician Dave Matthews for "Funny How Time Slips Away" to start the segment. The four teamed up again for an energetic performance of another Nelson classic, "On the Road Again."
Matthews also took to the stage to officially induct Nelson. The singer spoke of Nelson's musical legacy, his infamous marijuana use and his contributions to society through charitable endeavors like Farm Aid.
"Willie is an example of how the world could be if we could just straighten up and fly right," he said.
Nelson, himself, then took to the stage to accept the honor. Although he's never been labeled as Rock and Roll, Nelson remembered his time working as a radio DJ and playing some of the first songs by Elvis Presley.
"It's been a long ride from my first DJ job to being here with y'all," he reportedly said. "And as a DJ, I was playing those first songs by Elvis. I remember writers calling that 'rockabilly' rather than rock & roll, and I never did pay much attention to categories, and I'm not sure the fans did either."
Nelson reflected on performing with rock artists like Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis. He also thanked his family, including sons Micah and Lukas, for supporting him.
