(CoakleyPRess) Iconic live music television series Austin City Limits (ACL) was born in 1974 when Willie Nelson taped its pilot episode. This became the cornerstone for 50 years of groundbreaking, award-winning music television. Now, the series North Star, Willie Nelson, returns fifty years later with a uniquely iconic performance to commemorate Austin City Limits remarkable half-century milestone. The ACL Hall-of-Famer and his Family band perform a mix of classics from his timeless catalog in this memorable, career-spanning hour; the special installment premieres Saturday, February 15 @8pm ET/7pm CT as part of the series anniversary Season 50. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. 2025 continues the yearlong 50th Anniversary of the revered music institution, which celebrates its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible half-century.
For this special ACL Presents, a Texas-sized performance with Willie Nelson & Family was recorded from downtown Austin's Long Center concert lawn, marking only the fourth time the show has ever taped an outdoor performance. In Austin City Limits five decades, no artist has personified the program's eclectic, freewheeling spirit more fully than the man with the braids, the bandana and the guitar named Trigger. An American original and ACL Hall of Fame icon, Nelson has appeared on the show more than any other performer; for this extraordinary occasion, he carves his name in ACL history once again to celebrate the show and commemorate his 1974 pilot performance. The trailblazing live music program was given the green light, premiering on PBS in 1975. "The house that Willie built" is now an institution that has become the longest-running music series in television history.
With a smile as wide as the Rio Grande, Willie calls out "50 Years! Let's go for 50 more!" as he kicks off the hour with his perennial opener "Whiskey River," the same song he launched the pilot taping with five decades ago. That landmark performance captured the musician's sheer joy of playing for a live audience; that same joy is palpable in this new hour as Willie is accompanied by the five-piece Family band, including son Lukas Nelson and longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael (who also performed on the pilot episode). With the real-life Austin skyline, familiar from the backdrop of ACL broadcasts, illuminated behind them, Willie & Family take the audience on a journey of memories and highlights, with beloved numbers that established him as a songwriting legend: "On the Road Again," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Crazy," "Night Life" and "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys." Willie cups his hand to his ear and the multi-generational audience takes the chorus as Willie answers back "I hear you!" with a grin. On set staples "Still Is Still Moving" and "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" the Texas native reminds fans that his trusty six-string sidekick Trigger still has a lot left to say.
The set also features the pinnacles of his artistry as an interpreter: "Georgia on My Mind," anchored by harmonica master Mickey Raphael's counter melodies; a gorgeous "Always On My Mind" highlights his inimitable phrasing, the weight of his words in this golden chapter taking on a new poignancy. "Here's a song me and Waylon Jennings wrote one night," says Willie before launching into "Good Hearted Woman," a classic he performed in his 1974 series debut. He forges a remarkable connection with the ACL crowd and calls for the audience to join in; they reply with joy and respect during the many sing-along moments. He performs a new song, a rendition of Tom Waits' "Last Leaf," a meditation on mortality that, in true Willie style, lands as resilient as it does reflective. A singular artist, the outlaw legend performs his new-classic anthem "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die," signaling this is a celebration, not a capstone. The hour wraps with "The Party's Over," the same song Willie closed the original pilot with. He receives an outpouring of love and an extended standing ovation before tossing his hat and bandana into the thrilled crowd. ACL writes Willie's name in the sky as a drone show lights up the night sky with his famous image and the stars over Austin shine bright for a magical close. The hour captures an enduring artist continuing to perform live and do what he loves for as long as he can and Austin City Limits is proud to share the journey.
"There would be no Austin City Limits without Willie Nelson, so it was a dream come true for us to celebrate our 50th with Willie with a special show 50 years to the day from when he taped the original pilot episode," said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. "For me, it was an emotional, magical night - one we'll never forget."
Episode setlist:
Whiskey River (1974 pilot)
Whiskey River
Stay All Night
Still Is Still Moving
Bloody Mary Morning
Medley: Funny How Time Slips Away / Crazy / Night Life
Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
Angel Flying Too Close To the Ground
On the Road Again
Always On My Mind
Just Outside of Austin (Lukas Nelson)
Georgia On My Mind
Good Hearted Woman
Last Leaf
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die
The Party's Over
The Party's Over (1974 pilot)
Rounding out the series golden jubilee celebrations is a two-hour primetime PBS special, Austin City Limits Celebrates 50 Years, saluting the program's historic milestone set to premiere on April 4, 2025. This all-star celebration features some of the brightest stars in the show's 50-year history as they return to the fabled ACL stage; the special will feature one-of-a-kind music performances with a stellar line-up including Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr. joined by Eve Monsees, Billy Strings featuring Sierra Hull, Indigo Girls, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, Brandy Clark, Rufus Wainwright, The Mavericks, Ángela Aguilar and many more, co-hosted by Austin-based actors Jared and Genevieve Padalecki. Stay tuned for a special installment, Austin City Limits 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame Honors Garth Brooks, airing this spring.
ACL's landmark Season 50 launched in September 2024 with sterling hours and performances from many newly-minted 2025 Grammy Award-winners: Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Norah Jones, Carín León and Jacob Collier. The season showcased many returning favorites in revelatory hours: iconoclast Sturgill Simpson, fan-favorites The Avett Brothers, rock and R&B dynamo Brittany Howard, country superstar Wynonna Judd and Colombian rock icon Juanes. ACL showcased breakout acts in must-see series debuts: Chart-topping Nashville sensation Jelly Roll, country trailblazer Mickey Guyton and next-generation singer-songwriters Gracie Abrams and Hurray for the Riff Raff. ACL shone a spotlight on many series favorites: Austin's own rock and soul guitar great Gary Clark Jr. and psychedelic soul act Black Pumas; standout singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers; formative bluegrass trio Nickel Creek and powerhouse husband-and-wife vocal duo The War & Treaty.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]