Introduction
“Pancho and Lefty” holds a storied place in country music history—originally penned by the Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt in 1972. Van Zandt’s haunting ballad, which tells the tragic story of two bandits—with one betraying the other—first appeared on his album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt . Though initially overlooked, the song gained broader recognition when Emmylou Harris recorded it in 1977—helping it reach wider audiences.
The definitive version arrived in 1983 when Willie Nelson teamed up with Merle Haggard to cover the song. Their rendition, featured as the title track on their album Pancho & Lefty, soared to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart and later was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . Nelson’s spontaneous late-night recording session—where Haggard delivered his final vocals in one take even as he fell asleep on his tour bus—remains the stuff of legend .
Fast forward to April 29–30, 2023: Willie Nelson celebrated his 90th birthday with a two-night spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl, titled Long Story Short: Willie Nelson 90 Live At The Hollywood Bowl. Among an all-star lineup, the highlight was a live duet of “Pancho and Lefty” with none other than George Strait . Their performance, released on the deluxe CD/Blu-ray and 2×LP editions, runs just over five minutes and captures a powerful moment between two country legends .
That night at the Bowl and earlier at Austin’s Moody Center in 2022—where Strait invited Nelson to join him on stage to mark Willie’s 89th birthday—underscored a long-anticipated musical partnership . Until then, despite their immense influence, the two Texan icons had never performed the song together. Their collaboration at Willie’s 90th birthday thus marked both a celebratory moment and a symbolic passing of the torch.