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Willie Nelson on angry Republicans: 'I don't care'

Conservatives are upset with the country music legend over his planned concert in support of Texas Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke

Roisin O'Connor
Music Correspondent
Wednesday 19 September 2018 12:52 BST
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Willie Nelson on Republicans being angry with him: 'I don't care, they're entitled to their opinions and I'm entitled to mine'

Willie Nelson is not bothered about the backlash he has faced from Republicans over his support for Beto O’Rourke.

The country music legend has been booked to perform at a fundraiser for the Democratic congressman from Texas, who is currently running for Senate against Senator Ted Cruz in a race that has become tighter than conservatives expected.

Asked about the angry comments he has received during an interview on The View, Nelson replied: “I don’t care.” The 85-year-old native Texan repeated: “I don’t care” and continued: “They’re entitled to their opinion, and I’m entitled to mine.”

He added that he was surprised by the backlash given that he has openly supported Democratic candidates his entire life, and appeared to find the reaction more amusing than anything else.

“I love flak,” he joked. “We’re not happy ‘til they’re not happy.”

Nelson recently released a new album of Frank Sinatra covers, titled My Way. He will perform at Farm-Aid – an annual benefit for farmers launched in 1985 with Neil Young and John Mellencamp – on 22 September.

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