ALWAYS ON MY MIND

Music Legend, 93, Reveals Heartbreaking Near-Death Moment With Wife

The Grammy-winning artist shared details of his darkest hours.

Kevin Winter/Getty

By Natalie DemareePublished Nov 11, 2026 12:29PM EST

Legendary musician Willie Nelson has revealed new information about his near-death battle in 2022.

The Grammy-winning singer, 93, detailed a deeply personal conversation with his wife, Annie, 70, during his darkest hour with COVID-19 in a new memoir titled The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity — and My Longest Love Affair.

Willie Nelson reflects on his near-death battle with COVID in his new memoir.
Penguin Random House

In the book, the “On the Road Again” singer credits his wife of 35 years with saving his life. She was ready with a nebulizer, COVID test, oxygen, and a Paxlovid prescription at the time Willie fell ill.

“I’d worked this all out for months. I knew there was a good chance you’d catch it,” Annie said in the conversation, adding that she “needed to be ready.”

Photograph of Willie Nelson performing — Willie Nelson performs at the Farm Aid Music Festival at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, on September 23, 2023.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty

“All I can remember is feeling excruciating pain in every cell of my body,” the country music legend said.

Continuing, “Am I right in remembering that I said, ‘Annie, you need to let me go?’”

Annie confirmed that’s what he asked her, but she wouldn’t let him go.

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“What I actually said was, ‘Willie, if you die, I’ll kill you,’” she said.

Country singer Willie Nelson and his wife, Annie, at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards on February 23, 2000, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
LUCY NICHOLSON/Lucy Nicholson/AFP via Getty Images

The “Always on My Mind” singer said that the illness got so bad that even his doctor was skeptical that he’d make it through, telling him, “Mr. Nelson, I have to warn you: This medicine will either get you better, or it will kill you.”

“I’ve never seen such utter pain,” Annie said, adding that Willie asked her twice to let him die.

The couple shares two sons, Lukas Autry Nelson, 37, and Jacob Micah Nelson, 36.

Country music icon Willie Nelson with his sons, Lucas Autry Nelson and Jacob Micah Nelson, at Global Green USA's 10th Annual Pre-Oscar Party at Avalon on February 20, 2013, in Hollywood.
David Livingston/David Livingston/Getty Images

Willie has six other children from previous marriages, including three adult children with his late first wife, Martha Matthews, including a son who died by suicide in 1991; one daughter with Mary Haney, who died of cancer in 2017; and two daughters with his third wife, Connie Koepke.

The chart-topper, whose career spans seven decades, first revealed his diagnosis in an August 2022 interview with The New York Times Magazine.