George Strait and Willie Nelson are two of the most accomplished, famous, and talented people ever to grace the country music genre. When Townes Van Zandt's song, "Pancho and Lefty" put them together for a duet, it was pure country music magic. Per American Songwriter, the pair of famed singers pooled their singing gifts at Nelson's gala 90th birthday celebration nearly two years ago in April 2023 at the Hollywood Bowl.
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The memorable concert was shown on PBS. I recall watching it and being mesmerized. American Songwriter rightfully lauded the knockout performance of Nelson and Strait as "epic." Two towering voices joining to sing a classic story song by the late, legendary Van Zandt. Perfection!
Many Artists Performed 'Pancho And Lefty' Over The Years, But George Strait And Willie Nelson Really Stand Out
Per the outlet, "...Emmylou Harris included a version of the song on her 1976 album Luxury Liner. Steve Earle, Elizabeth Cook & Jason Isbell, Luke Bryan & Dierks Bentley, and many more have recorded versions of the song as well." Nelson and Merle Haggard recorded it for their 1983 album. Their version of "Pancho and Lefty" flew to the top spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
But the team of Nelson and Strait is unbeatable. Fans absolutely swooned over their sublime, gorgeously mellow cover of this song. That's clearly shown by the excited and almost worshipful tone of their comments on YouTube.
"Fantastic" with a thumbs-up emoji
"Such a wonderful moment seeing them on stage together."
"I LOVE this!!!" with 11 red heart emojis
"The most beautiful version of this song, two king[s] in one song."
"Two ICONS"
"Loved this performance the other night."
It Was A Rare Pairing For These Two Texas Titans Of Country Music
Per Taste Of Country, "Even though the two Texans have enjoyed parallel careers over the last 45 years, they've shared a song very few times. In fact, it wasn't until 2019 that Strait got to sing with Nelson."
So what a special treat it was for all to see these giants singing together and doing so beautifully! The audience looked blissful, and no wonder. They knew they were a part of a once-in-a-lifetime event.
George Strait has been a powerhouse from the start go with Strait Country, his first single "Unwound!" Was and still is a great song my best friend and I played over and over again, and again until we just wore out that cassette tape. "Amarillo by Morning" was everyone's favorite in our group of friends.
I fell in love and married a little lady that I met a few albums of Strait's later. Her Mom told me that I would have to play second fiddle to Strait. I told her that I was in good company!
38 years later we are still listening to him and his music.