Living country music legend Willie Nelson will release a documentary called “Willie Nelson Presents: King of the Roadies” on April 27, 2025.
GettyWillie Nelson Debuted “King of the Roadies” Trailer In March
The film’s trailer reveals it will center on a legendary Willie Nelson fan, Benjamin H. Dorcy, III, who is nicknamed “Lovey.” Dorcy became the “world’s first roadie” by following Nelson on his tour stops, and pioneered the profession as we know it, according to a press release cited in a CultureMap Austin report. Roadies are known for traveling with a band and helping set up equipment, but their creative value to the artists they dedicate themselves to goes far beyond that, per the story.
The report quoted Nelson as describing his relationship with Dorcy by saying, “It’s one thing to have a bunch of good ideas. But to make them work and to put them into action, you need someone like Ben to do it, and he never failed.”
The Dallas Morning News reported Dorcy’s death on September 16, 2027, after what it called a “50-plus-year career as Willie Nelson’s righthand man.”
Documentary Will Premiere Two Days After Album Release
A post on Nelson’s official Instagram page says his new album, “Oh What A Beautiful World,” will be released on April 25. The announcement also informs fans the album’s title track features two-time Grammy winner and fellow country artist Rodney Crowell. The song can be heard now on Spotify.
Rolling Stone says all 12 of the album’s tracks were either written or co-written by Crowell. Some of the songs were previously performed by Crowell himself, and some were cuts for other artists. One of these is “Making Memories Of Us,” which Keith Urban unforgettably interpreted in 2005 for his album “Be Here.”
The end of April will bring Nelson a lot to celebrate, as the country king’s 92nd birthday comes April 29. In a 2020 Slate interview, the then-87-year-old told the outlet he didn’t think he would “ever get this old.” He joked, “I always thought I was lucky to make it past 21” after calling his younger self “pretty dumb.”
One secret to Nelson’s impressive longevity may be his dedication to staying active. He revealed in the Slate interview that he was still doing martial arts “as much as I ever did.” The Abbott, TX native, who said he also enjoys walking and jogging, added, “I still try to do a little workout every day just to pay for the day. That’s what I call it: You have to do something to pay for the day.”