Willie Nelson on Fans Angry Over Beto Rally: 'We're Not Happy 'Til They're Not Happy'

By Stephen L. Betts, Rolling Stone

19 September 18

Country singer, who will perform a free concert for Democratic Texas senate candidate, talked about backlash on ‘The View’

illie Nelson was a guest on Tuesday’s installment of The View, sitting down with Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and their co-hosts of the talk show. The brief conversation turned from politics to his longtime friendship with fellow music icon Frank Sinatra.

Dressed in a black hoodie with “Willie’s Reserve” on the back, a reference to his line of cannabis-related products, the 85-year-old icon seemed bemused by the line of questioning regarding his support of Democratic Texas senate candidate Beto O’Rourke, who’s currently locked in a tight race with Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. “I’ve been supporting Democrats all my life…,” Nelson said. “I haven’t hidden it that much.”

Nelson, who was joined onstage by O’Rourke during the country legend’s 4th of July picnic earlier this summer, will headline a free-to-the-public rally in support of O’Rourke on September 29th in Austin. Behar asked the country singer about the perceived backlash that his support has caused within his fan base.

“I love flak,” he said. “We’re not happy ’til they’re not happy.”

“Everybody has an opinion,” Nelson added. “Everybody has a right to an opinion. I think I have one too.”

Nelson’s appearance on the talk show coincided with his just-released album, My Way, which pays homage to songs popularized by Sinatra. Nelson likened Sinatra’s prevailing attitude to his own, noting, “If you liked him, fine; if you didn’t, that’s cool.”

Nelson continues making the TV rounds with an appearance Wednesday night on CBS’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Earlier this week, Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson came out in support of his father’s political stance, expressing his thoughts in an online video.