Introduction:
During his term as the 39th president (1977-1981), Jimmy Carter often had a revolving door of rock stars and country outlaws coming in and out of the White House, from Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, Waylon Jennings, and more in the heyday of Southern rock and the outlaw country movement.
At the time, Carter faced criticism for having musician friends. “There are some people that didn’t like my being deeply involved with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan and disreputable rock and rollers, but I didn’t care about that because I was doing what I really believed,” said Carter in the 2020 Mary Warton documentary Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President. “And the response from the followers of those musicians was much more influential than a few people that thought being associated with rock and roll and radical people was inappropriate for a president.”
Carter also built a lifelong friendship with Willie Nelson. He later revealed that Nelson, who once smoked pot with Carter’s son James Earl “Chip” Carter on the White House roof in 1980, helped him during the later days of his administration.
“I would play Willie Nelson music primarily,” said Carter, “so I could think about my problems and say a few prayers.”
Throughout the years, the former President would often join Nelson on stage. During Nelson’s 1980 visit, Carter invited him to perform on the South Lawn of the White House where the president and wife Rosalyn joined him on a cover of Jerry Jeff Walker’s 1973 “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother.” The former president also joined Nelson for a rendition of “Georgia on My Mind” during a 2004 taping CMT Homecoming: Jimmy Carter in Plains. The Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael composition was an ode to Carter’s home stage, made famous by Ray Charles in 1969.
“Amazing Grace” was another regular duet Carter (and sometimes Roslayn) would perform with Nelson, including their final time on May 20, 2016, at Chastain Park Amphitheatre (now Cadence Bank Amphitheatre) in Atlanta, Georgia. Merle Haggard was originally set to share the stage with Nelson for the show at Chastain Park. After Haggard’s death on April 6, 2016, Kris Kristofferson joined the lineup along with Haggard’s sons, Ben and Noel.
Nelson and Kristofferson introduced the Carters, who were applauded by the 7,000 fans in attendance. Then, Carter, who was approaching 92, and Rosalyn joined Nelson and Kristofferson for one last tender rendition of “Amazing Grace.” When it was all over, the quartet received a standing ovation, and the Carters shook the hands of everyone in the band before leaving the stage.
The performance marked the former president’s final appearance on stage with Nelson.