Willie Nelson’s 70th solo studio album, First Rose Of Spring is out on Friday, 24th April

By Hannah Compton on February 26, 2020 • ( Leave a comment )

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release First Rose Of Spring — Willie Nelson’s 70th solo studio album (and 14th for the label) — on Friday, 24th April (just before Willie’s 87th birthday on 29 th April).

First Rose Of Spring will be available on CD, vinyl and digital formats. The album’s title track and the First Rose Of Spring music video are available now.

An atmospheric soulful showcase of beautifully-written songs and poignant performances, First Rose Of Spring is Willie’s first new release since winning the 2020 Best Country Solo Performance Grammy Award — his 10th overall, not including his Grammy Legend and Lifetime Achievement Awards — for Ride Me Back Home, the title track from his 2019 Legacy Recordings release. The previous year My Way, Willie’s musical homage to Frank Sinatra took home the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.

Premiering 11 new Willie Nelson studio performances and featuring original artwork created by Willie’s son Micah, First Rose Of Spring finds Willie working again with longtime friend and producer Buddy Cannon and debuts two new songs co-written by the pair: Blue Star and Love Just Laughed.

Alongside his new compositions on the album, Willie pays musical tribute to a variety of pop and country songwriters and performers, interpreting songs penned by Toby Keith (Don’t Let The Old Man In), Billy Joe Shaver (We Are The Cowboys) and Pete Graves (Just Bummin’ Around – a song recorded by Jimmy Dean, Dean Martin and others).

An intimate journey through life and love as seen through Willie’s unique perspective, First Rose Of Spring finds the artist deep in every moment, sharing profound insights and experiences through songs he’s written and songs he loves to sing. Among the younger songwriters celebrated on the album are the composing teams Randy Houser, Allen Shamblin & Mark Beeson (First Rose Of Spring) and Marla Cannon-Goodman, Casey Beathard & Don Sampson (Stealing Home).

One of the key tracks on the album is Willie’s heartfelt interpretation of Our Song, a new composition by contemporary country music hitmaker Chris Stapleton. Willie Nelson & Family will appear as special guests on Chris Stapleton’s All-American Roadshow on two big dates this year: Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on March 14 and “A Concert for Kentucky” at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky on April 25.

Willie Nelson – First Rose Of Spring

1. First Rose Of Spring (Randy Houser, Allen Shamblin & Mark Beeson)

2. Blue Star (Willie Nelson & Buddy Cannon)

3. I’ll Break Out Again Tonight (Sanger “Whitey” Shafer & Doodle Owens)

4. Don’t Let The Old Man In (Toby Keith)

5. Just Bummin’ Around (Pete Graves)

6. Our Song (Chris Stapleton)

7. We Are The Cowboys (Billy Joe Shaver)

8. Stealing Home (Marla Cannon-Goodman, Casey Beathard & Don Sampson)

9. I’m The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised (Wayne Kemp, Bobby Borchers & Mack Vickery)

10. Love Just Laughed (Willie Nelson & Buddy Cannon)

11. Yesterday When I Was Young (Hier Encore) (Charles Aznavour & Herbert Kretzmer)