Peak 4/20: Matthew McConaughey wishes Willie Nelson happy birthday, others serenade the star

Carly Mallenbaum, USA TODAY
·2 min read

If you've lost track of the days, today is April 20, aka 4/20.

Country music legend and longtime marijuana legalization advocate Willie Nelson is well aware of the date, and he's been celebrating the cannabis holiday with famous family and friends as part of a live stream (that started at 4:20 local time, and is set to last for four hours and 20 minutes).

The broadcast, which is airing on Facebook and Twitch and meant to benefit the Last Prisoner Project, has been unsurprisingly chill, but also peppered with technical difficulties and miscommunication, the latter of which Nelson's son and co-host Lukas has blamed on "my highness." Nelson is candid about the show's awkward pauses, saying "We don't know what we're doing."

But the show has rolled on, with Nelson keeping cool and cracking jokes while taking video calls from virtual guests who play him songs and wish him a "Happy 4/20" and "Happy birthday."

"I woke up today again, so I can't complain. I’m going to be 87," Nelson said, looking healthy nine days before his actual birthday. "It’s just a number."

Nelson's lineup began with Matthew McConaughey, who sent a brief video message in which he acknowledged Nelson's next "time around the sun," before he inexplicably transitioned into the topic of bingo, a game he hosted virtually for senior citizens recently. "B-I-N-G-O, get it on," said McConaughey. "May the best bingo win."

Nelson could only offer this reply: "It looks like you’re having more fun than the rest of us, so keep goin’!"

Other guests who called into Nelson's show included: Kacey Musgraves, who wore green PJs to sing "Lonely Weekend" and "Slow Burn"; Jeff Bridges, who ably covered Jenny Tolman's "My Welcome Mat"; Jeff Ross, whose headphones appeared to fall into his hot hub; Ziggy Marley, who soulfully strummed "One Love"; Bill Maher, who showed his joint to the camera; Jack Johnson, who performed a tune about playing poker with Nelson; and Tommy Chong, who could barely finish a dirty joke because he couldn't stop laughing.

More: Happy 4/20! The best stoner movies and TV shows you can watch right now

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Peak 4/20: Matthew McConaughey, others visit, party with Willie Nelson