Willie Nelson Gets Emotional Remembering Dolly Parton as He Opens Up About Their Final Conversation

Willie Nelson is sharing more about one of the most difficult and emotional chapters of his life.

During a recent conversation with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, the legendary country performer reflected on Farm Aid, loss, mortality and the frightening battle with COVID-19 that once left him questioning whether he would make it through.

Farm Aid 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, September 26, at Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Nelson has been involved with the annual event since its beginning in 1985, helping raise awareness and support for family farmers while promoting sustainable agriculture.

Nelson told Cooper that when Farm Aid first began, he never imagined it would continue for so many decades. But as their discussion progressed, the conversation became increasingly personal, especially when Nelson began talking about death and Dolly Parton.

Willie Nelson Opens Up About His Near-Fatal COVID Battle

Nelson contracted COVID-19 in May 2022 and had previously spoken publicly about how difficult the illness was. During his conversation with Cooper, however, he offered an even more personal look at just how frightening the experience became.

“It was terrible,” Nelson recalled.

He explained that at one point he felt so sick that he asked his wife, Annie, to let him go.

But Annie wasn’t prepared to give up on him.

According to Nelson, she responded with the unforgettable words, “If you die, I’ll kill ya.”

She remained beside him and cared for him throughout the illness. After approximately a week, Nelson began showing signs of improvement. Within a few weeks, he was able to return to the stage.

Cooper asked Nelson whether he realized at the time how dangerous his condition had become.

“Oh yes,” Nelson answered.

He said he understood that he was extremely ill and described it as the worst physical sensation he had ever experienced.

Nelson also reflected on what he believes might happen after death. With his characteristic sense of humor, he mentioned that if he had another life, he would like to come back as a rodeo cowboy.

The interview gave viewers a rare glimpse into Nelson’s thoughts about mortality, his continued connection to Farm Aid and the experiences that have changed his perspective over the years.

Throughout his long life, Nelson has experienced the pain of losing people close to him. He understands that grief does not simply disappear, but that those left behind eventually have to continue living.

He acknowledged that his family would eventually have found a way forward even if he had died during his COVID illness, just as he has continued moving forward after losing his son, longtime friends and other people he loved.

Willie Nelson Reflects on His Final Conversation With Dolly Parton

The conversation eventually moved to Dolly Parton, whose reported death on August 25 at age 80 brought a lifetime of memories back to Nelson.

When Anderson Cooper asked him about the country music legend, Nelson answered simply and warmly:

“I loved her.”

Nelson also revealed that he had not realized Parton was seriously ill before her death. In fact, he had spoken with her not long before and remembered her as seeming perfectly fine during their conversation.

The two performers had been friends for decades, with their relationship stretching back to the early stages of their careers.

Following Parton’s death, Nelson chose to honor his longtime friend in a deeply personal way. Instead of issuing a lengthy public statement, he shared a video of the two of them performing their duet, “Everything’s Beautiful (In Its Own Way).”

For Nelson, the decades-long friendship represented far more than music.

They had watched each other’s careers evolve, performed together and remained connected through generations of country music.

That history made the loss especially meaningful for him.

Over the years, Nelson and Parton collaborated on numerous songs, including “Happy, Happy Birthday Baby,” “From Here to the Moon and Back,” and “Pretty Paper,” which they recorded in 2020 and later featured in Parton’s 2022 Christmas special.

Even after performing together for years, Nelson once admitted that singing with Dolly could be surprisingly difficult.

When Anderson Cooper brought up the subject, Willie laughed while explaining that the challenge came from his unusual approach to phrasing.

Nelson has always been known for delivering songs in his own distinctive way, often changing his phrasing rather than singing a song exactly the same way every time.

Their conversation about Parton eventually led to one of her most recognizable songs, “I Will Always Love You.”

Parton originally wrote the song for Porter Wagoner while trying to convince him that she needed to move forward from their successful professional partnership and television show.

Then, unexpectedly, someone from Nelson’s team spoke from off camera.

“He just recorded it.”

Cooper immediately appeared surprised and asked Nelson about the revelation.

“Yeah,” Willie confirmed. “In my last session. It was a great song. A great, positive song.”

The unexpected announcement adds another emotional chapter to the musical connection between Nelson and Parton.

For two artists whose friendship and creative partnership lasted for decades, Nelson’s recording of “I Will Always Love You” could become a particularly meaningful tribute to a longtime friend and fellow country music legend.