Willie Nelson To Perform At Saturday Capitol Rally

AUSTIN, TX —Legendary singer Willie Nelson announced he will be playing a free show Saturday on the steps of the Texas Capitol, the Houston Chronicle reported Thursday.

The performance will be part of a rally for the protection of voting rights, which is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. There has been no word about what time the 88-year-old Nelson will take the stage.

The rally will mark the end of the four-day, 27-mile, Selma-esque "Georgetown-to-Austin Moral March for Democracy," which is being led by former congressman Beto O'Rourke and civil rights and religious leaders. Upwards of 10,000 people are expected to attend, according to MySanAntonio.com

The appearance at the Capital, will be Nelson's first large-scale performance since the start of the pandemic, though he did give a series of smaller shows at his Spicewood Luck Ranch earlier this month, according to the Austin Chronicle.

In a statement, Nelson explained why he signed up for the cause.

"It is important that we ensure the right for EVERY American to vote and vote safely," Nelson said. "Laws making it more difficult for people to vote are UnAmerican and are intended to punish poor people, people of color, the elderly and disabled … why? If you can't win playing by the rules, then it's you and your platform - not everyone else's ability to vote."

At 8 a.m. Saturday, marchers are scheduled to gather outside the Texas AFL-CIO building, 1106 Lavaca Street, before heading to the Capital at 9 a.m. ahead of the rally and performances. Those interested in attending can RSVP online at actionnetwork.org/events/georgetown-to-austin-march-for-democracy.

As MySanAntonio.com noted, this won't be the first time Nelson, who lives in Luck, and O'Rourke have teamed up. Nelson joined O'Rourke on the campaign trail in 2018, as O'Rourke attempted to unseat congressman Ted Cruz.

Earlier this month, Nelson helped O'Rourke raise funds to support Texas Democrats who decamped to Washington D.C. after the controversial voting rights bill was revived during Texas' special legislative session.