The country legend called for protecting farmland and natural resources in Abbott, Texas, where he grew up and still maintains a home
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NEED TO KNOW
- Willie Nelson is speaking out against data center development near his hometown of Abbott, Texas
- The country legend says the projects threaten farmland, natural resources and the character of rural communities
- Nelson’s stance follows decades of advocacy for family farmers, including founding Farm Aid in 1985
Willie Nelson is standing up for his Texas hometown.
The country music legend, who turned 93 in April, spoke out against building data centers near Abbott, Texas, where he grew up and still maintains a home and farmland.
“To whom it may concern and to everyone else as well,” Nelson captioned a social media post before sharing his concerns about the impact of data centers on the rural community.
“I grew up in Abbott, and I still have a home there with farmed land where I can still see stars at night. And now our community, like many others, needs to fight against data centers invading our land,” Nelson wrote.
Nelson’s comments come amid the proposed development of as many as 56 data centers in the Central Texas region, the Texas Tribune reported.
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“The last thing we need is a loud, water thieving, light polluting, data center anywhere near our town (or any others for that matter),” he continued.
“The strength of rural America has never come from big industrial footprints. It comes from generations of people, open spaces, local businesses, and a connection to the land,” he wrote.
The “On the Road Again” singer then turned his attention to farmland and natural resources, arguing that their preservation should take priority.
“All of America deserves thoughtful stewardship that doesn’t steal farmland (where our essential shared-food is grown) and small family farmers’ livelihoods, and not data centers that only destroy the environment around them,” Nelson wrote. “Whoever controls food and water, controls the masses.”
He ended the message with a plea to protect those resources, particularly in the community he has long called home.
“Let’s not allow our own demise or give up control over necessary resources in the U.S. and especially in Abbott,” he wrote.
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Nelson’s latest stance echoes a cause he has championed for decades. In 1985, the musician founded the annual Farm Aid music festival to support family-owned farms.
At 93, Nelson remains active both in his advocacy and his music career.
The 15-time Grammy winner got his start working as a songwriter and radio DJ in Texas and the Pacific Northwest in the late 1950s before moving to Nashville to pursue music. He released the first of his 105 studio albums in 1962 and continues to tour regularly.
His decades-long career will also be the subject of his upcoming book, The Last Leaf, which is set to be published on Nov. 10 by Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
In the book, Nelson reflects on his artistic journey, including his prolific output in recent years. Over the past 12 years, he has released 21 studio albums, written 50 new songs and performed hundreds of live shows.
Nelson has also spoken about staying active as he continues performing into his 90s.
Credit: Gary Miller/Getty
“I’m in pretty good shape, physically, for ninety-two,” Nelson told The New Yorker in December. “Woke up again this morning, so that’s good.”
His wife, Annie D’Angelo, 69, joked in the same interview that Nelson is “Benjamin Buttoning” her, referencing the 2010 Brad Pitt film in which the namesake character ages in reverse.
“He just keeps going and going,” Annie said.
The Last Leaf is available for preorder and will be released on Nov. 10.
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