Introduction:
Two generations of country music collided over the weekend when country superstar Carrie Underwood had the opportunity to play a show with the legendary Willie Nelson.
Underwood, 40, and Nelson, 90, appeared at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, October 21 for ATLive. The pair had a backstage encounter while visiting the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Underwood documented the moment on Instagram with a clever caption.
ATLive Performances
“Having a Willie great time here in Atlanta,” she wrote alongside a photo of the pair. They appear to be posed together in front of a tour bus while behind the scenes of the venue.
Saturday’s ATLive lineup also included headliner George Strait and special guest Little Big Town. On Friday, ATLive featured a Latin lineup consisting of headliner Grupo Firme, J Balvin, Farruko, and Yahritza Y Su Esencia.
According to Setlist.fm, Nelson’s setlist for ATLive included live performances of some of his biggest hits such as “On The Road Again,” “Bloody Mary Morning,” and “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.”
Meanwhile, Underwood performed “Church Bells,” “Good Girl,” “Blown Away,” and more.
Previously Collaborated
Willie Nelson and Carrie Underwood have history together as they previously teamed up for a duet of “Always On My Mind” for Nelson’s To All The Girls project. The collaborative album, which arrived in 2013 featured Nelson singing duets with a variety of female singers, including Miranda Lambert, Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, and more.
For their duet, Nelson and Underwood sang “Always On My Mind,” originally recorded by Gwen McCrae and later released by Brenda Lee. Elvis Presley also recorded “Always On My Mind” before Willie Nelson shared his version in 1982.
Of recording “Always On My Mind” with the country music icon, Underwood shared, “It’s just one of those beautiful classic songs that everybody knows and everybody sung and everybody, you know what I mean? So many people have recorded the song and sung the song, and for me to be able to say that, I sang it with Willie Nelson. It’s pretty awesome. Willie has a very distinct voice. You would know it the second you heard him say two words and everything from his look to his music, to his guitar playing to his writing is just very Willie.”