Keith Richards Surprises Fans at Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Concert, Sings ‘Live Forever’ With Willie

With his signature one-liner — “It’s good to be here, it’s good to be anywhere” — Keith Richards emerged onstage at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday night to sing with Willie Nelson at the second of the country legend’s two 90th birthday concerts. Together onstage, Richards, 79, and Nelson, 90 plus a day, made their case as the ultimate survivors. They sang about it, too, capping a two-song performance with Billy Joe Shaver’s eternal “Live Forever.”

But first, they revisited “We Had It All,” which they performed back in 2004 at the Wiltern in L.A. for another live tribute to Nelson titled Outlaws & Angels. “I’d like to thank Willie for inviting me to this party,” Richards said before Nelson kicked off the song, written by Troy Seals and Donnie Fritts. The pair traded verses as the house band, led by Don Was and featuring Jamey Johnson, along with Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah, backed them up.

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“I’m surrounded by Nelsons,” Richards quipped afterward. Then they kicked into Shaver’s “Live Forever.” With lyrics like “I’m going to live forever, I’m going to cross that river/I’m gonna catch tomorrow now,” it’s an anthem for both seizing the moment and leaving a lasting legacy. “When this old world is blown asunder,” they harmonized, “and all the stars fall from the sky/remember, someone really loves you.”

Over two star-studded nights in L.A., that love for Nelson was clear. On Saturday night’s opening concert, guests like Billy Strings, Kris Kristofferson, and Norah Jones, who all returned on Sunday, serenaded Nelson with some of his timeless hits. Nelson turned 90 on April 29th. This summer, he’ll launch the Outlaw Music Festival Tour with a rotating lineup of artists.

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