Willie Nelson Celebrates Two Different Birthdays Each Year — Here’s When and Why

Fans of Willie Nelson have plenty of reasons to celebrate the country music legend, but this week they get not one — but two chances to send birthday wishes.

Nelson, born on April 29, 1933, explains that he marks his birthday on both April 29 and April 30, thanks to a quirk in how his birth was registered in Abbott, Texas. “I was born before midnight on the 29th, but it didn’t get registered until the 30th,” he told SiriusXM in 2018. “So I just do both days.”

Throughout his 91 years, Nelson has remained a vibrant performer. Last year, his 90th birthday was celebrated at the Hollywood Bowl with close friends like Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, George Strait, and Miranda Lambert. “I never thought I’d get here,” Nelson said. “Playing for an audience gives me so much energy—it’s what keeps me going.”

Since then, he’s stayed busy, performing with Kermit the Frog, appearing alongside Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, and collaborating with Orville Peck on a new version of Ned Sublette’s 1981 song, “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.” Peck revealed Nelson suggested covering the track in response to rising anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. “Once Willie wants to work with you, there’s really nothing the country world can say,” Peck said.

Whether it’s through his music, collaborations, or larger-than-life persona, Willie Nelson continues to inspire — and now fans get two full days to celebrate the living legend.