Americans celebrate the 4th of July in many different ways: a neighborhood and/or family bar-b-q, a swim party, a picnic at the park, a concert.
And then there is the famed “Willie Nelson 4th of July Party,” a Texas tradition since 1973 when it landed like a meteor on the summer Festival circuit; it’s still the place to be seen, on stage or in the audience.
Most of us won’t be there in person, but we can take a few minutes and listen to Willie sing ”America the Beautiful” which is a beautiful song. Willie is our generational stand-in: his voice touches us. It’s humble and grateful which, combined with the the video, shot after shot of our beautiful homeland: pristine lakes, snow capped mountains, dry deserts, sandy beaches– prompt a feeling of a collective national pride.
Boomers, we may have our political differences, but when we each, personally, listen to Willie Nelson sing “America The Beautiful,” and watch the video, we can put our differences aside, and agree that while our country isn’t perfect, it’s still the best game in town.
Monday’s event includes Kris Kristofferson (who turned 80-years old last week), Jamey Johnson with Alison Krauss, Leon Russell, Brantley Gilbert, newcomer Margo Price (her song “Hurtin” (On The Bottle)” was featured on the May 25th Boomer Music Update post) along with many others.