Willie Nelson has shared a heartbreaking account of the illness that left him fearing he would not survive, revealing that he twice asked his wife, Annie D'Angelo, to let him go.
The country legend, now 93, revisits his severe bout of Covid-19 in 2022 in his new memoir, The Last Leaf: Reflections on Late-Life Creativity—and My Longest Love Affair.
Willie was 89 when he became ill. Four years later, his account is also a tribute to the woman he credits with helping him through the ordeal. The memoir, published by Penguin Press, explores their enduring partnership alongside his life in music. "You saved my life, Annie," he writes.
Willie Nelson recalls 'two weeks of utter hell'
In the memoir, Willie describes experiencing pain throughout his body as he struggled with the virus.
The illness followed a period in which Annie had worked hard to protect him from infection, with the family spending much of the pandemic at their Texas ranch.
"Annie wouldn't let any of us leave the ranch," he recalls, describing her protective clothing for grocery trips and meticulous cleaning routine.
When he eventually became ill, the experience was overwhelming. Willie remembers telling his wife: "Annie, ...