In an Associated Press interview published November 1, 2024, Willie Nelson said he was not worried about dying because he felt well and did not hurt anywhere. AP described him as 91 at the time. His comments were personal reflections—not a medical assessment or a current health update.
What did Willie Nelson say about dying?
“Well, I’m 91 plus, so, you know, I’m not worried about it. I don’t feel bad. I don’t hurt anywhere. I don’t have any reason to worry about dying. But I don’t know anybody who’s lived forever,” Nelson told the Associated Press. The interview, by Maria Sherman, was published November 1, 2024, while he was promoting Last Leaf on the Tree. Read the AP interview.
Why did he say he was not worried?
Nelson linked his outlook to how he felt physically. “I take pretty good care of myself. And I feel like I’m in pretty good shape physically. Mentally? That’s another story,” he said, laughing. Those are Nelson’s own descriptions of his condition; the interview does not provide independent medical findings or a prognosis.
How old was Nelson when he made the remark?
AP described Nelson as 91 in its November 1, 2024 report. That age belongs to the date of the interview, not to a present-day update. The article offers no newer information about his health.
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The album behind the interview
The conversation accompanied the November 1, 2024 release of Last Leaf on the Tree, which AP described as Nelson’s second studio album of that year. His son Micah Nelson produced the album entirely. It combines original songs and covers associated with Neil Young, Nina Simone and Tom Waits, alongside reimagined songs by the Flaming Lips and Beck.
The album takes its title from a cover of Tom Waits’ “Last Leaf.” Reflecting on the deaths of contemporaries and being the only remaining member of the Highwaymen, Nelson said, “And then I am the only one left. And that’s just not funny.” In the same interview, he summed up his life in music this way: “I had a good time. And I did what I came here to do: make music.”
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What the interview does—and does not—establish
Nelson’s remarks explain his own stated attitude toward mortality at that moment. They are not evidence that a particular outlook, lifestyle or level of activity determines longevity, and they should not be read as a current bulletin on his health.
The AP story also mentioned a forthcoming cookbook by Willie and Annie Nelson. It reported that the couple planned to release Willie and Annie Nelson’s Cannabis Cookbook in the weeks after the interview; that report alone does not establish its later publication or current availability.
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