Willie Nelson & Chris Stapleton Sing “Whiskey River” Duet At Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction
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Willie Nelson Takes To The Stage To Perform During Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
The legendary Willie Nelson was officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Friday (November 3). His class included Rage Against the Machine, Missy Elliott, Kate Bush, George Michael, Sheryl Crow, and The Spinners. The Hall also honored Chaka Khan, Al Kooper, and Bernie Taupin with the Musical Excellence Award.
90-year-old Nelson is one of few country stars to earn a spot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Other country members include Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, and Dolly Parton.
Nelson said on social media he was “honored” to be chosen to join the Rock Hall.
On top of being recognized during the ceremony, Nelson also took to the stage to perform. At one point, he joined country music powerhouse Chris Stapleton to sing one of his most iconic songs, “Whiskey River.”
Chris Stapleton Honors Willie Upon Rock Hall Induction By Singing “Whiskey River” With Him
Nelson co-wrote “Whiskey River” with Johnny Bush. Bush released his version of the song first, in 1972. He took the track to the 14th spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Then, Nelson released his rendition of “Whiskey River” in 1978. His recording peaked at the 12th spot on the Hot Country Songs chart.
Today, “Whiskey River” is known as one of Nelson’s signature songs.
Stapleton is no stranger to singing “Whiskey River.” He’s covered the song before, along with some of Nelson’s other tunes.
He will often sing “Always on My Mind” in conjunction with his own song, “Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning.” Stapleton recently performed the two songs during Nelson’s 90th birthday bash at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
But when Stapleton joined Nelson onstage for his Rock Hall performance, he joined him on “Whiskey River.”
The two of them seemed to have a blast performing the song during the induction ceremony. At one point, the cameras caught Nelson looking over at Stapleton with a huge grin on his face.
The Rock Hall shared a short clip of the pair’s performance on social media, which you can watch below. The full ceremony is available to stream on Disney+ if you’d like to see more.
