Beyoncé Can’t Say Enough Nice Things About Willie Nelson: ‘You Are One of Our National Treasures’
It’s hard to imagine another celebrity who would make Beyoncé blush. But when Bey met Willie (again) at the Kamala Harris rally in Houston on Friday, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” star could not say enough about how much the country icon means to her.
“The Great Willie! You are the coolest!,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday morning (Oct. 29) featuring a snap of her with Willie Nelson backstage at the event, in which she is wearing her black skirt and jacket ensemble and Nelson is rocking black jeans, a red bandana and a funky Harris/Walz t-shirt. “I admire you, and I sincerely thank you for being the pioneer you are. Thanks for your impactful music, your advocacy, and the gracious way you appreciate and celebrate other artists! You are 1 of 1.”
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Bey also recalled that Nelson was “so kind” to her and the other members of Destiny’s Child when they “fanned out” about meeting him years ago. “And you greeted me with the same kindness 20 years later!” she said. “You are one of our national treasures.”
In addition to meeting up twice in the past 20 years, Bey recruited Nelson for the appropriately toke-tastic “Smoke Hour,” one of the radio-themed interludes on her country-leaning Cowboy Carter album. Both musicians appeared in Bey’s hometown of Houston on Friday (Oct. 25) at a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, where Beyoncé and her Destiny’s Child bandmate, Kelly Rowland endorsed the current Vice President.
“I’m not here as a celebrity,” Beyoncé said. “I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares, deeply, about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided. Our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.”
Nelson, 91, opened the event for tens of thousands by asking the crowd, “Are we ready to say Madam President?” before playing his classic hits “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” and “On the Road Again.”
Beyoncé didn’t just share the stage with Nelson, though. In her photo roll, Bey also appeared to model a very special souvenir from Nelson — his branded “pretend it never happened” red bandana — smiling broadly with her hands on her head as she showed off the one-of-a-kind keepsake.
The photo series also featured a moody black-and-white snap of Nelson performing, a GIF of the country legend blowing a kiss to the audience, another shot of her and mother, Tina Knowles, posing with Willie, a throwback image of a 2004 Texas Monthly cover story in which Queen Bey wore a Nelson T-shirt and red bandana and a final GIF of her snuggling up to her Nelson headgear.
Nelson and Beyoncé are just the latest in a growing roster of A-listers who have thrown their support behind Harris in her battle against convicted felon Donald Trump. Among the others who’ve endorsed Harris are: Taylor Swift, Usher, Eminem, Leonardo DiCaprio, Cher, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Charli XCX, George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Megan Thee Stallion, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and many more.
On Monday, a number of artists born in Puerto Rico, including Ricky Martin, Bad Bunny and Luis Fonsi — and Jennifer Lopez, whose parents were born in P.R. — also threw their support behind Harris in the wake of the racist, misogynistic and antisemitic comments made by a comedian at twice impeached former President Trump’s rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden over the weekend. Among the off-color jokes made by podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe was one in which he said, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
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