B次元官网网址淎re there any more real cowboys?B次元官网网址� Neil Young sang Saturday night at the Hollywood Bowl on a rare evening when he was neither the headliner nor, at age 77, even close to the oldest artist on the bill.

Providing an instant answer, Willie Nelson, wearing a cowboy hat and red-white-and-blue guitar strap, slowly strolled on to the stage on his 90th birthday, bringing the crowd of more than 17,000 to its feet.

Nelson sat in a chair B次元官网网址� one of the few onstage concessions heB次元官网网址檚 made to age B次元官网网址� and joined Young for the rest of their 1985 duet, B次元官网网址淎re There Any More Real Cowboys?B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 want to thank all the artists who came out tonight to help celebrate whatever it is weB次元官网网址檙e celebrating,B次元官网网址� said Nelson, feigning senility and getting a laugh.

The moment came three hours into the first of a two-night celebration of the country legend at the open-air Los Angeles amphitheater, where generations of stars sang his songs in tribute.

B次元官网网址淎s a kid growing up in Texas, it seemed like there was nothing bigger than Willie Nelson,B次元官网网址� said Owen Wilson, one of the eveningB次元官网网址檚 emcees along with Helen Mirren, Ethan Hawke and Jennifer Garner. B次元官网网址淎nd looking out at the Hollywood Bowl tonight, it still feels like thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing bigger than Willie Nelson.B次元官网网址�

After Young, Nelson brought out George Strait, a country superstar of the following generation, for their self-referential duet, B次元官网网址淪ing One With Willie,B次元官网网址� followed by the Willie perennial, B次元官网网址淧ancho and Lefty,B次元官网网址� with Strait singing the part once played by the late Merle Haggard.

Nelson then shouted, B次元官网网址淐ome out and roll one with me Snoop!B次元官网网址�

Strutting out came rapper Snoop Dogg, sitting next to Nelson as they launched into their stoner anthem, B次元官网网址淩oll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.B次元官网网址� Perhaps fittingly, each seemed to forget the words at times. The two friends looked too happy to care.

B次元官网网址淪omebody make some noise for the legend Mr. Willie Nelson!B次元官网网址� Snoop shouted mid-song.

The parade of partners illustrated one of the nightB次元官网网址檚 themes: Willie brings people together.

B次元官网网址淎ll of the sudden, it didnB次元官网网址檛 matter if you were a hillbilly or a hippie, everyone was a Willie Nelson fan,B次元官网网址� Wilson said of NelsonB次元官网网址檚 late-blooming emergence as a singing superstar when he left Nashville, Tennessee, and returned to his native Texas in the 1970s. B次元官网网址淓ven the Dalai Lama is a Willie Nelson fan. ItB次元官网网址檚 true.B次元官网网址�

The crowd, which ranged from small children to seniors, illustrated the point. The stands were dotted with cowboy hats while hippies danced in the aisles and weed smoke wafted in the air.

Miranda Lambert thrilled them with a rousing, sing-along version of B次元官网网址淢ammas DonB次元官网网址檛 Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,B次元官网网址� NelsonB次元官网网址檚 1978 hit with Waylon Jennings. The Chicks blazed through 1970B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淏loody Mary MorningB次元官网网址� at the same break-neck pace that Willie and his Family Band played it live in their prime.

Nelson has outlived nearly every member of that band, which backed him for decades of constant touring and recording. His little sister and piano player, Bobbie Nelson, died last year. She got her own tribute from Norah Jones, who banged the keys through the younger NelsonB次元官网网址檚 saloon-style solo song, B次元官网网址淒own Yonder,B次元官网网址� from Willie NelsonB次元官网网址檚 definitive 1975 album, B次元官网网址淩ed Headed Stranger.B次元官网网址�

While many of the women who took the stage played rousing rockers, most of the men went in for quiet emotion.

Chris Stapleton kept his guitar at his side through a soft, reflective rendition of B次元官网网址淎lways on My Mind,B次元官网网址� NelsonB次元官网网址檚 biggest solo hit of the 1980s. NelsonB次元官网网址檚 son Lukas sang B次元官网网址淎ngel Flying Too Close to The GroundB次元官网网址� alone with his acoustic guitar, his voice a dead ringer for his dadB次元官网网址檚.

Another surviving member of the Family Band, harmonica master Mickey Raphael, was part of the weekendB次元官网网址檚 house band, led by Don Was, which backed almost everyone.

Nelson also has outlived most of his classic collaborators. But an essential one, his 86-year-old Highwaymen bandmate Kris Kristofferson, made it to the stage to join Rosanne Cash, the daughter of another Highwayman: Johnny Cash.

Rosanne Cash was singing NelsonB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淟oving Her Was Easier (Than Anything IB次元官网网址檒l Ever Do Again)B次元官网网址� when Kristofferson, who wrote the song, came out and harmonized with her on the choruses.

NelsonB次元官网网址檚 musical diversity was another evening theme.

B次元官网网址淗e blends and bends genres,B次元官网网址� Mirren said from the stage. B次元官网网址淗is timing and categories are his own.B次元官网网址�

Leon BridgesB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淣ight LifeB次元官网网址� showed off NelsonB次元官网网址檚 affinity for the blues, as did JonesB次元官网网址� jazzy trip through B次元官网网址淔unny How Time Slips AwayB次元官网网址� from 1961, when Nelson was known primarily as a songwriter of hits for others.

Ziggy Marley sang B次元官网网址淪till Is Still Moving To Me,B次元官网网址� which Nelson recorded in 1993 and later sang with Toots and the Maytals in one of his occasional forays into reggae. Marley shouted B次元官网网址淲ee-lay!B次元官网网址� in his Jamaican accent during the song.

SundayB次元官网网址檚 night show will feature a whole different range of acts including Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow and Emmylou Harris.

Young first took the stage with his early collaborator Stephen Stills. The pair played a revved up version of B次元官网网址淔or What ItB次元官网网址檚 Worth,B次元官网网址� swapping guitar solos on the classic hit they made as members of Buffalo Springfield in 1966.

Nelson brought out all the eveningB次元官网网址檚 artists to join him for the Carter FamilyB次元官网网址檚 1935 song, B次元官网网址淲ill the Circle Be Unbroken?B次元官网网址� a longtime live favorite of his and the classic closing song for all of country music.

It was clearly intended to be the end, as Hawke took the mic and started to thank everyone for coming.

But the 90-year-old wasnB次元官网网址檛 ready to stop. He interrupted and broke into Mac DavisB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 Hard to Be Humble,B次元官网网址� which Nelson and his sons recorded in 2019.

It was a funny choice for a final song, but its chorus was a perfect comic coda for a man who had been drowned in adoration all night:

B次元官网网址淭o know me is to love me, I must be a hell of a man. Oh lord, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to be humble. But IB次元官网网址檓 doing the best that I can.B次元官网网址�

Andrew Dalton, The Associated Press