How often does America’s greatest folk songwriter share the stage with the greatest country songwriter? That magical moment happened when Willie Nelson and Paul Simon sang “Homeward Bound” for Willie’s 70th birthday. The chemistry was off the charts, as the pair created an achingly beautiful vocal duo, while they traded lead vocals and harmonies. Paul is normally the main event on guitar, but here Willie brought the New Yorker’s song to the next level with his signature crying licks at 1:49.
The outlaw of country music normally keeps it sorta low key onstage, but by the end of this collab, Willie was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning, and it’s easy to see why! Paul was similarly appreciative. When Willie dropped his guitar solo, you could tell Paul was absolutely loving that moment. “Homeward Bound” was also a perfect song choice for the duo. The Music Man has to say if anyone can match the synergy of Simon & Garfunkel, it’s definitely this star-studded duo!
Willie and Paul sang “Homeward Bound” on April 9, 2003, at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. The event, which was later released as the television special Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin’, was held to celebrate Willie’s 70th birthday. Fans found a lot to like, and added comments such as “Willie’s styling made it fresh for Paul Simon’s work of art” and “So glad to see Willie doing this American classic written by Paul Simon. Excellent. When the audience started clapping now that’s a hootenanny!”
Willie’s 70th birthday bash had no shortage of big names hit the stage. Another highlight of the evening came when Shania Twain sang “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” with Shotgun Willie. Although it’s Willie’s hit, he takes a supporting role on guitar and backing vocals here. This proved to be a perfect choice, as nobody in country music can mesmerize like Shania when she holds the floor. The collab created a legendary moment, and 63 million views later, it’s Willie’s most popular performance on YouTube.
Simon & Garfunkel dropped “Homeward Bound” on January 19, 1966. Paul was the sole songwriter for the tune. The duo cut the song during the recording of their second album, Sounds of Silence. It was released on the UK version of that album. However, listeners outside the UK had to wait until the duo’s third album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, to get “Homeward Bound” on LP. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that the UK getting the song early was quite fitting. This was because Paul wrote the tune in England in 1964. He began writing it on a piece of paper at the Widnes railway station while waiting for a train for his next gig in Hull.
