Willie Nelson "On the Road Again" After Brief Illness Forced Him to Cancel Gig

Country superstar doing OK after an illness prompted him to forgo a benefit show in Colorado

By Josh Grossberg Aug 20, 2012 3:40 PMTags
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Willie Nelson's publicist tells E! News the country legend is doing "fine" after suffering breathing problems on Saturday that prompted him to cancel a Saturday performance just outside of Denver.

"Willie's fine. His shows are going to continue," said his rep, Elaine Shock. "This was the only one that was canceled. He's actually on the road to the next gig."

Nelson, 79, was supposed to play a benefit concert at Castle Pines Village, about 21 miles north of Denver, that would have raised money for the Dumb Friends League, an animal sheltering organization (the event was dubbed Lulu's Barkin' BBQ). But an organizer told the Denver Post that Willie "woke up and had trouble breathing, so he was taken to the hospital."

Nelson's rep couldn't confirm if he was actually hospitalized, but she noted the "Always on My Mind" singer has already made a speedy recovery and is scheduled to perform next at the House of Blues in Dallas Texas on Aug. 21.

"He's not going anywhere," she added. "It really was high altitude-related."

This isn't the first time Nelson's lungs have failed him.

While on a family vacation in Hawaii in 1981, the country star and marijuana legalization activist suffered a collapsed lung while swimming that sent him to the hospital. The incident forced him to scrap 18 concerts while he recuperated.