outlaw country cruise 6

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Lucinda Williams, Linda Gail Lewis, and Chuck Mead are also among those making the trip.

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The sixth Outlaw Country Cruise will set sail in February 2022, with stars such as Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle , and Lucinda Williams aboard.

The voyage, on the Norwegian Pearl, will mark a return visit for both Earle and Williams. They were part of Outlaw Country Cruise 5, which took place in January last year before coronavirus took its grip on the world. Others on the 2020 adventure included Shooter Jennings, Margo Price, the Mavericks, and Blackberry Smoke.

Next year’s expedition, organized by Sixthman and Renegade Circus, will raise anchor on February 25 in Miami, sailing to Costa Maya, Mexico, and the island of Harvest Caye, southern Belize, and returning on March 3. Harris will perform on the trip with the Hot Band, of which Crowell was a distinguished member for three years in the 1970s. Virtuoso British guitarist Albert Lee, his bandmate in the line-up at that time, is also in the line-up for the cruise.

‘Old Man From The Mountain’: Merle Haggard’s No.1s Kept On Coming

Earle will be with the Dukes, and other performers will include Old 97’s, Waco Brothers, Supersuckers, and Sarah Shook & The Disarmers. Artists also confirmed, with more to follow, are Elizabeth Cook, Chuck Mead and his Grassy Knoll Boys, Dale Watson, Jesse Dayton, Los Straitjackets, Linda Gail Lewis (younger sister of Jerry Lee), and Mojo Nixon. Each artist will play multiple shows during the trip.

Theme nights including costume parties will be offered along with other such facilities as a casino, spa, fitness center, swimming pool, a jogging/walking track, sports court, and hot tubs. Double occupancy interior rooms are currently available starting at $1,275 per person, and deposit and payment plans are available for prospective guests. For those of more expansive means, various balcony and penthouse suite options are available, culminating in the Owners’ Suites, which are currently priced at $5,285 per person. Pre-sale tickets for the cruise are available here .

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Headliners and Dates Announced for “Outlaw Country Cruise 6”

Live event company Renegade Circus and event association Sixthman are joining forces once again. The two companies are putting together a cruise trip for anyone who may be interested. The cruise given the name “Outlaw Country Cruise”, will be aboard Norwegian Pearl Cruiselines. Furthermore, the spectacular event will take place from February 25th to March 3rd, 2022. The six-night cruise will take guests from Miami, Florida to Costa Maya, Mexico and Harvest Caye, Belize. The cruise will also have legendary country music artists on ship performing their hit songs.

• Emmylou Harris
• Rodney Crowell
• Lucinda Williams
• Steve Earle

Other artists on tow include: The Dukes, Old 97’s, Elizabeth Cook, Waco Brothers, Chuck Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys, Dale Watson, Jesse Dayton, Supersuckers, Linda Gail Lewis, Los Straitjackets, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, and Mojo Nixon. More country music artists are still to be announced.

For the first time in over twenty-five years, Emmylou Harris will reunite and perform with longtime friend and collaboration partner Rodney Crowell and famous guitarist Albert Lee. The three of them will perform publicly as Emmylou Harris & The Hot Band.

The Outlaw Country Cruise has a history of selling out during the pre-sale. So the cruiseline is encouraging people to register for the cruise ASAP in order to receive early booking. Rates for double-occupancy rooms on the Outlaw Country Cruise begin at $1,275 per person. For more information about the cruise, visit www.outlawcountrycruise.com

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Outlaw Country Cruise 6 Setlists

Date Friday, February 25, 2022 - Thursday, March 3, 2022

So far, there are setlists of 24 gigs in 4 venues .

Artists (A-Z)

Friday, February 25, 2022

• Atrium @ Norwegian Pearl, Miami, FL, USA

2 attendees

• Pool Deck @ Norwegian Pearl, Miami, FL, USA
• Spinnaker Lounge @ Norwegian Pearl, Miami, FL, USA

Saturday, February 26, 2022

• Norwegian Pearl - Stardust Theater, Miami, FL, USA

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Monday, february 28, 2022, tuesday, march 1, 2022, wednesday, march 2, 2022, recent visitors.

2 festival people went.

Outlaw Country Cruise Timeline

2022 marks the 4th festival ( 6 total). Incorrect?

• Outlaw Country Cruise 2016
• Outlaw Country Cruise 2018
• Outlaw Country Cruise 2020
• Outlaw Country Cruise 2023
• Outlaw Country Cruise 2024

Tour Update

Marquee memories: pond.

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Outlaw Country Cruise 2020: 10 Best Things We Saw

By Joseph Hudak

Joseph Hudak

The Outlaw Country Cruise marked its fifth installment with one of its strongest lineups yet — so strong, in fact, that it made choosing between artists with conflicting set times nearly impossible. Fortunately, many of the singers, songwriters, and musicians played multiple times and popped up on one another’s stages. Steve Earle, in particular, was seemingly everywhere: leading a bon voyage photo op and teaching a songwriting class one moment, and singing with his band the Dukes and in put-together collaborations, the next. As Outlaw Cruisers already look ahead to next year’s sailing — January 21st through 27th, 2021 — we shout out the 10 highlights of 2020’s rowdy journey to Key West and Jamaica.

Elizabeth Cook

After hearing Elizabeth Cook and her aces three-piece backing band Gravy (guitarist Andrew Leahey, bassist Steve Duerst, drummer Herschel Van Dyke) play some of the new material on her upcoming album, its still yet-to-be-announced release can’t get here soon enough. Greasy rumblers like “Thick Georgia Woman” and “Bones” were well-suited for a boat full of outlaws, with Cook, in her dynamite fringe jumpsuit, cutting the most outlaw figure of all. The high point, though, was her reading of the new waltzing, classic-country song “Two Chords and a Lie,” a phrase that feels way more relevant today than the one that inspired it.

Waco Brothers

Chicago by way of Wales country-punk Jon Langford led the rowdiest group aboard the ship, the Waco Brothers. Whether they were playing a small interior stage or high-kicking their way across the pool deck (with guest Lee “Scratch” Perry, no less), Langford’s twang-rock band of brothers were mesmerizing. Evoking the best and baddest sides of the Clash and Johnny Cash, the Wacos steamrolled through shout-alongs like “Building Our Own Prison,” “Going Down in History,” and a cover of “I Fought the Law.” Both political and celebratory, the Wacos are essential listening for our current conflicted moment.

Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams just announced her new album Good Souls Better Angels , due in April, but on the Outlaw Country Cruise she was already playing songs off the rock-forward LP, like the Trump-eviscerating “Man Without a Soul.” The biting, fresh material clearly invigorated Williams, who was as energized onstage as she’s been in years, even when tearing through live-show staples like “Joy” off her iconic Car Wheels on a Gravel Road album. 1989’s “Changed the Locks,” in particular, was a revelation, a combustive mix of Williams’ droning vocals and the stomp and grind of her band Buick 6. Williams, who recently turned 67, looks and sounds reborn.

The Guitar Pulls

Sixthman and the Outlaw Country folks know how to curate a guitar pull. No less than four writers rounds were held over the course of the voyage, with artists like Jon Langford, Laura Cantrell, Jesse Dayton, Ted Russell Kamp, and Jesse Malin all trading songs. The final assembly was worth the price of the cruise alone: Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, the Mavericks’ Raul Malo, and Son Volt’s Jay Farrar all sharing the same stage. An Americana outlaw’s dream.

Carlene Carter

Carlene Carter brought along her trusty autoharp and a catalog of songs to the boat, carrying on the legacy of the Carter Family with inspired, folksy performances. She also sat with Sirius XM Outlaw Country host Elizabeth Cook for a candid Q&A, in which she talked about growing up the daughter of June Carter and Carl Smith, and the stepdaughter of the man she called “Big John” (that’s Johnny Cash, to you and me). Carter even guided a field trip to Johnny and June’s vacation home, Cinnamon Hill, in Jamaica, leading a group that included Kris Kristofferson in a sing-along of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson was the legend-in-residence on OCC5, joining Merle Haggard’s band the Strangers to deliver a knockout set of country classics. He didn’t just lean on the hits either: along with the ubiquitous “Me and Bobby McGee,” the 83-year-old Kristofferson offered a stark reading of 1970’s album track “Darby’s Castle.” He was also the subject of an all-star tribute concert from writers he’s influenced like Lucinda Williams, Shooter Jennings, and Steve Earle — whose onboard songwriting workshop, Camp Copperhead, Kristofferson attended to fine-tune some song ideas.

Jesse Malin

Jesse Malin’s Outlaw Cruise was his first cruise in general, but the New York sidewalk poet took to it like an old salt. Over two solo performances with his right-hand man Derek Cruz on piano and guitar, Malin played songs off his Lucinda Williams-produced album Sunset Kids and told wry, often self-deprecating tales of life as an aging punk. The cruise crowd, many of whom hadn’t heard Malin before, ate it up, especially when he guested with Williams on the pool deck to sing their blistering collab “Dead On” and a defiant rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Lee “Scratch” Perry

As soon as the reggae and dub music living legend hopped on the boat in Falmouth, Jamaica, Lee “Scratch” Perry was turning heads. Dressed in loud colors with a red beard and carrying a phone and a lighter, he hung with Kris Kristofferson, led a painting demonstration for cruisers, and hopped onstage with artists like Waco Brothers and Jesse Dayton to re-create the classics “War ina Babylon” and “Police and Thieves.” At one point onstage, he flicked his lighter’s flame directly into his microphone, proof that, even at 83, the producer of Bob Marley and the Clash is always searching for fresh effects.

Jesse Dayton

On last year’s Outlaw Country Cruise, Jesse Dayton was bringing his brand of crunchy guitar-rock and winking lyricism to the smaller stages of the boat. This time, the outspoken Texas songwriter packed the vessel’s largest venue, the Stardust Theater, for a rip-roaring night of covers off 2019’s Mixtape Volume 1 project and fan favorite originals like “Possum Ran Over My Grave” and “Daddy Was a Badass.” Dayton is a wild live performer, slashing at his guitar like a serial killer, and he’s just as impassioned of a raconteur — at one point imploring his audience to not judge Jamaica by its sanitized, tourist ports. “Go to the cliffs of Negril,” he said, “It’s fucking paradise, man.”

The Late-Night DJ Sets

After midnight, the Norwegian Pearl’s casino becomes the epicenter of the boat, with artists and cruisers mingling, gambling, and drinking. And the late-night DJ sets provide the ideal soundtrack. This year’s stop in Falmouth, Jamaica, allowed guest DJ Jesse Malin to lean hard into a theme of reggae and punk, a combo that was all but perfected by the Clash. Shooter Jennings, meanwhile, dug into an eclectic, inspired mix of country and experimental music, making the case that the Grammy-winning producer’s natural state may be in front of the laptop.

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Heather mcmahan absolutely knot cruise, the galaxy cruise, chefs making waves, underground garage cruise, lindsey stirling's master of tides cruise, soulshine at sea, october 14-18, 2024, miami to nassau & great stirrup cay, bahamas.

The greatest show in sports is hitting the high seas! Join us for   Bananaland at Sea , sailing October 14-18, 2024 from Miami to Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas! Get ready to Go Bananas on this 4-day, fully immersive experience where the Savannah Bananas, the Party Animals, and the entire cast will be up to their usual antics— singing, dancing, banana tossing, and so much more. Score countless opportunities to strike up conversations with your favorite players and crew, participate in epic activities and games, and catch daily performances that’ll leave you awestruck aboard this unforgettable trip. You will leave feeling like a true VIB (Very Important Banana). The lineup won’t be complete without you, Banana Nation— so suit up and let’s cruise! 

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October 28 - November 1, 2024

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Heavy Metal thrashes through the high seas October 28 - November 1, 2024 aboard Norwegian Gem! Sail with pure American metal gods, Lamb of God round trip, Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Prepare for a relentless onslaught of heavy riffs, fierce vocals, and unforgettable immersive experiences with your favorite metal artists set against the breathtaking backdrop of the open ocean.  Get your horns up, and prepare for the heavy metal voyage of a lifetime!

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Experience the magic of Christmas on a floating winter wonderland and join us for four days at sea on our Hallmark Channel Christmas Cruise! Pack your bags for the vacation of a lifetime with your favorite Hallmark stars, sailing November 5-9, 2024 from Miami to Nassau on the beautiful Norwegian Gem. On board immerse yourself in Christmas crafts, participate in interactive talent panels, and enjoy an exclusive premiere of a new Hallmark Channel holiday movie from the comfort of our world-class theater at sea. Create everlasting memories with your family, friends, and fellow Hallmark Channel fans with a festival of fun!

128 days until we sail!

November 9-13, 2024

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Whether you’re an upside-down flower, a punk rock princess, or a glass passenger, you’ll feel right home cruising beneath the blue skies on Andrew McMahon’s Holiday From Real. On November 9, 2024, we set sail from Miami on the Norwegian Gem for a musical voyage more than 20 years in the making. Enjoy headlining sets from Something Corporate, Jack’s Mannequin, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness along with an impressive offering of Alternative, Pop, and Indie acts that span generations. We’ll party in Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau, Bahamas, and together we’ll celebrate the 15th annual Dear Jack Foundation Benefit at sea.

132 days until we sail!

November 13-17, 2024

Miami to great stirrup cay and nassau, bahamas.

You asked, so we delivered! The Rock The Bells Cruise: A Hip-Hop Experience returns November 13-17, 2024 for four days of nonstop parties, live performances by legendary MCs, DJs, Producers and more. Celebrate Hip Hop as we sail from Miami all the way to the Bahamas! In addition to all that live music, your days will be jam-packed with games, activities and immersive experiences with some of the biggest and best personalities in the game. The rockin' don't stop!

136 days until we sail!

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November 17-21, 2024.

Experience the magic of Christmas on a floating winter wonderland and join us for four days at sea on our Hallmark Channel Christmas Cruise! Pack your bags for the vacation of a lifetime with your favorite Hallmark stars, sailing November 17-21, 2024 from Miami to Nassau on the beautiful Norwegian Gem. On board immerse yourself in Christmas crafts, participate in interactive talent panels, and enjoy an exclusive premiere of a new Hallmark Channel holiday movie from the comfort of our world-class theater at sea. Create everlasting memories with your family, friends, and fellow Hallmark Channel fans with a festival of fun!

140 days until we sail!

The Rock Boat XXIV

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The raw energy of rock, meets the unruly spirit of the wild, aboard The Rock Boat XXIV! Hosted by Sister Hazel, this high seas safari sets sail, January 26-31, 2025 round trip from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize and Roatan, Honduras . Strap in for five full days of live music, unrivaled collaborations, exotic shorelines, and the chance to mingle with your favorite artists. Swing into the adventure of a lifetime! 

210 days until we sail!

January 31 - February 4, 2025

Sixth time's a charm, Ragers! That’s right, we’re coming back for the 6th voyage of Chris Jericho’s Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea: Six on the Beach! We’ll commandeer the Norwegian Gem January 31 - February 4, 2025. Sailing round trip from Miami to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, get your sandy cheeks ready for table-slamming fan-favorites: an onboard wrestling ring, vibrant performances from musicians and comedians we love, and exclusive access to talent-hosted escapades. Even Poseidon gets down & dirty, so you should, too!

215 days until we sail!

February 4-8, 2025

Emo’s Not Dead Cruise   isn’t just a phase! Run it back for YEAR THREE with The Emo King, Matt Cutshall, and his pop-punk pals. Norwegian Gem will carry us on a sea of tears for 4-days, and nights with emo legends you’ve had on repeat for decades. Get in on this broken-heart boat from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas, February 4-8, 2025. Returning favorites like the Belly Flop Contest, The Tonight Tonight Show and the Battle of the Frontmen will be served up on a shiny sad platter alongside new angsty activities to be announced later on!

219 days until we sail!

February 8-13, 2025

Y’all ready for a little Country ‘cation? Step back in time to the days when Country music ruled the airwaves and cowboy boots were a fashion statement. Saddling up   February 8-13, 2025 , Boots on the Water is bringing the honky tonk to the high seas for five days of unforgettable live concerts with your favorite Country stars, unique collaboration shows, as well as immersive activities, line dancing, and theme nights to keep the party going all night long. In addition to the onboard fun, we’ll be boot-scootin our way from Miami to Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas for a break from reality with your toes in the sand. 

223 days until we sail!

February 13-17, 2025

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Break out the bubbles and vino - and raise a full glass as we toast to a music-filled celebration at sea for   Train’s 8th Edition of Sail Across the Sun! Sailing   February 13-17, 2025, from Miami to adventure-filled Cozumel, Mexico, aboard Norwegian Gem, this 4-day floating festival at sea brings together an incredible lineup of artists including Matt Nathanson, Yacht Rock Revue, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, The Dan Band, and more!

228 days until we sail!

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Outlaw Country Cruise 9

February 22-28, 2025, miami to nassau, bahamas and st. thomas, usvi.

Join this boat full of beautiful Outlaw people as we set sail on the 9th edition of the Outlaw Country Cruise! Enjoy another year of musical heaven on the high seas aboard the Norwegian Gem February 22–28, 2025 as we sail from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

237 days until we sail!

February 28 - March 7, 2025

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243 days until we sail!

Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea X

March 21-26, 2025, miami to harvest caye, belize and costa maya, mexico.

The biggest blues rock party at sea just got even bigger! To celebrate 10 incredible years, Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea will be sailing for five full days in 2025 with some of the best live music in the world. Join your fellow blues community and our host, Joe Bonamassa, with an all-start lineup for our 10th-anniversary extravaganza. Sailing March 21-26, 2025, Norwegian Gem will carry us from Miami, Florida, to two tropical destinations: Harvest Caye, Belize & Costa Maya, Mexico.

264 days until we sail!

March 26-31, 2025

311 Nation! Full send as we invite you to leave the real world behind for the return of the   311 Caribbean Cruise!   We’ll reunite at Sea for the epic   EIGHTH edition   of this PLUR-filled event. Join us on the beautiful Norwegian Gem from March 26-31, 2025, as we leave from Miami, Florida and sail to two Bahamian pieces of paradise: Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau! There’s nothing better than reuniting with your fellow 311 fans in the Caribbean - so don’t miss out on jumping onboard.

269 days until we sail!

The Broadway Cruise 3

March 31 - april 4, 2025.

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274 days until we sail!

April 9-13, 2025

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283 days until we sail!

April 13-17, 2025

All aboard Absolutely Knot, Rise + Relax with Heather at Sea - the ultimate trip for Heather McMahan fans!  Join Heather and her closest pals to experience a 'day in the life' of Heather as we take over the Norwegian Gem and sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas from April 13-17, 2025.  Onboard, prepare for an unforgettable adventure with Heather! Enjoy exclusive comedy shows from Heather and friends, be part of a live taping of her podcast Absolutely Not, luxuriate in spa treatments, and savor endless late-night chicken tendies. Dale!

287 days until we sail!

May 1-5, 2025

Cruising into a Galaxy that is a bit far away, join the inaugural sailing of The Galaxy Cruise blasting off from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas May 1-5, 2025. The Galaxy Cruise will take you on an adventure that is out of this world.  This fully immersive experience will transport you deep into the universe of the movies and characters you know and love with exclusive behind-the-scenes panels, Q&A’s, activities and meet and greets with your favorite actors, movie screenings, and more!

305 days until we sail!

May 5-9, 2025

Indulge in a second helping of the ultimate culinary celebration, Chefs Making Waves! Set sail on an immersive voyage of a lifetime, round-trip from Miami to Cozumel Mexico, May 5-9, 2025. Vacation with world-renowned chefs, experience live demonstrations, and enjoy unparalleled curated dining opportunities. Prepare to cruise the open ocean with a belly full of memories and a heart full of flavor! 

309 days until we sail!

May 9-13, 2025

Calling all freaks, misfits, and outcasts to come aboard! Inspired by the renegade spirit of Pirate Radio with over 20 years on the airwaves, Little Steven is hoisting the Jolly Roger, plugging in the waterproof fuzzboxes, and inviting YOU to join the maiden voyage of Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise. Sailing from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas on Norwegian Gem, May 9-13, 2025, it’s sure to be “The Coolest Cruise in the World.” From B-sides to seasides, Little Steven’s Underground Garage Cruise will offer a full-throttle Rock ‘N’ Roll adventure with an unrelenting lineup of over 20 bands, including multiple sets from iconic Rock ‘N’ Roll legends and keepers of the faith in 5 onboard venues, multi-artist shows and unexpected collaborations, SiriusXM Sessions at Sea with DJs from Little Steven’s Underground Garage, Renegade Cinema film screenings, meet-and-greet autograph sessions, merch store, tattoo artists, and more!

313 days until we sail!

May 13-17, 2025

A mystical journey at sea with violinist, songwriter, and dancer Lindsey Stirling awaits, aboard Master of Tides sailing May 13-17, 2025, round-trip from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas. Immerse yourself in Lindsey's World, with one-of-a-kind performances from Lindsey, a Q&A with Lindsey and her band, theme nights, and more!

317 days until we sail!

November 4-8, 2025

492 days until we sail!

Festival History

clock This article was published more than  2 years ago

Six days at sea with 1,200 Outlaw Country fans, two years into a pandemic

Stars, coronavirus tests and an endless buffet do their part as the cruise and music industries make a return

SOMEWHERE IN THE CARIBBEAN — It’s just past 4 on a Friday in February when Carlee Thomas takes to the pool deck stage to lead the opening toast of the Outlaw Country Cruise. Steve Earle is playing the first set, branded the “Sail Away,” but the Norwegian Pearl won’t be leaving port for two more hours. Carlene Carter’s flight to Miami is late; the ship is standing by so the singer can hop on.

“Thank you for being here!” screams Thomas, who serves as “senior warrior” for Sixthman, which is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line and presents everything from wrestling to music festivals on the company’s fleet. “Thank you all for sticking with us.”

Servers circulate plastic shot glasses containing a pinkish substance.

“It looks like they’re bringing us our psych meds,” says David Mansfield, the multi-instrumentalist who played in Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue.

After the toast, Earle takes the stage with the Dukes, his band, and kicks into a grinding version of his anthem, “Feel Alright.”

On paper, this might not seem like the golden ticket. Take 1,200 country fans weary from two-plus years of pandemic and put them on a six-day cruise with a buffet, a booze package and masking rules that just aren’t going to be enforced. And do this when the surge of omicron might be subsiding but has not disappeared.

Some are clearly leery. After five straight sellouts, Outlaw Country Cruise 6 is only about 60 percent full. Even those aboard have doubts.

Singer Laura Cantrell, who is married to SiriusXM satellite Outlaw Country programmer Jeremy Tepper, says that she was expecting a “s--- show, and that 20 percent of the bands at least would have band members that didn’t get on board.” Then she arrived at the Port of Miami that Friday. Whether you were Emmylou Harris or a first-time cruiser in a room without a porthole, you had to show a vaccine card and take a coronavirus test. And if you tested positive — as did Waco Brothers mandolinist Tracey Dear — you were shuttled off to a cheap hotel and not allowed to sail. In the holding room, waiting like everyone else for the results, Cantrell began to feel better about the Pearl.

“Maybe we’re emerging from whatever the latest wave was,” she says, a few days into the cruise. “Between vaccines and good practices, maybe we can move forward. I mean, I’m still not totally sure.”

The pandemic has been a slog for everyone, but it’s been particularly brutal on the two industries represented on the boat. In the early days, cruises teeming with infected passengers were kept at sea, which was miserable for the passengers and a public-relations nightmare. Then the industry shut down.

Norwegian Cruise Line started back last July, and in the fall Sixthman returned with events, including cruises with Kiss, Melissa Etheridge and Joe Bonamassa. Outlaw Country, originally set for February 2021 and co-organized by SiriusXM’s Tepper, had been postponed to this year. With omicron surging, Norwegian offered ticket-buyers a chance to bump their cabins to a future festival, including 2023’s “Outlaw Country Cruise” or “Outlaw Country West!,” which will sail from Los Angeles in November. Hundreds took up that offer. A few weeks ago, Tepper found himself texting friends and musicians with offers of free cabins. (A berth can cost anywhere from $1,580 to $5,300 — excluding a drink package.) That’s how Josh Kantor, a talented musician who is the organist for the Boston Red Sox but also plays with Wilco and other bands, ended up hauling his accordion onto the Pearl. During the cruise, he sat in with multiple acts, from Cantrell to the punkier Waco Brothers.

As hard as the pandemic’s been on the cruise industry, it’s been just as brutal on musicians. The ship’s headliners — Lucinda Williams, Earle and Harris — have been able to play gigs while maintaining a safe, social distance from crowds. Others have been more desperate.

Linda Gail Lewis, 74, the younger sister of Jerry Lee, says there were times she couldn’t make the $549-a-month payment on her Nissan Altima.

“It financially ruined me,” says Lewis, on her first Outlaw cruise. “I had four tours in Sweden that were canceled. I lost so much money and I had no money. I get little piddling gigs around Texas. You can’t make huge money playing locally because everybody wants to. And of course, Texas is wide open. And as scared as I was of that virus, I went out and did gigs before I could get the vaccine.”

Albert Lee, 78, the guitarist who has played with Harris, Eric Clapton and the Everly Brothers, ate through his savings. Lee’s inactivity also took a physical toll. He doesn’t practice offstage and keeps loose through a lifetime of steady gigs.

“Over the last two years, my hands just weren’t working like they did before,” he says, bending his fingers as if to show how they were stiffened.

And Sarah Borges, 43, who has recorded seven albums and had an eighth ready for release, spent the pandemic using the band’s Ford Econoline making courier trips from Boston’s Logan Airport. She was crushed when Tepper didn’t invite her to cruise for a third time. Then her fans began to post on the Outlaw Country Facebook page and make memes and tag Sixthman. Eventually, Tepper called. She would be a late add.

Borges brought enough clothes to change three times a day, from a purple sequin-and-ostrich-feather dress she got for $19.99 on eBay to a black Boston T-shirt in deference to her hometown. Then Sarah Shook, the North Carolina-based singer, came down with the coronavirus. Borges got bumped onto a special SiriusXM program onstage with singer and radio host Elizabeth Cook.

Tepper sat in the front row, nodding and laughing as Borges and Cook talked. “This isn’t a DJ talking to an artist,” he tells a reporter. “This is an artist talking to an artist. Just two girls talking.”

Later, Tepper was asked whether Borges had earned a spot on next year’s cruise.

“I don’t know,” he says.

But wasn’t she great?

“She’s awesome,” Tepper says. “But everybody’s awesome.”

Y ou hear it over and over, from passengers and also musicians: I’m not a cruise person. I’ve never been on a cruise before. Normally, I’d never do this.

Which is to say they’re not here for the unlimited buffet or overpriced trinkets at the touristy port stops — Costa Maya, Mexico; and Harvest Caye, Belize — or to drink icy margaritas until they can’t tell Willie Nelson from Willie Mays. Most say they are music fans and blown away by the program.

“If you told me in 2015 that I’d be going on a cruise once a year, I’d have said, ‘You’ve got the wrong person here,’ ” says Marie Lekumberry, 61, who owns a restaurant in Gardnerville, Nev. “Now there’s nowhere else I’d rather be at this moment.”

That goes for the performers, as well.

“I don’t want this to sound the wrong way, but is this work?” says Lucinda Williams, sitting in her suite on the 14th floor of the Pearl. “We’re on this ship, which still blows my mind when I open up the curtains when I get up and see the ocean.”

Jon Langford, the Welsh-born punk veteran of the Mekons and Wacos, remembers coming on board in 2020 for the first time.

“We had our guard up and we were just like, ‘I need a room to get away and hide,’ ” says Langford. “But after a couple of days you realize all the people on this boat are all music lovers and they’re respectful, really polite. I was never in my room.”

For cruisers, the slate can be overwhelming. You wander out of a Williams show in the Stardust Theater and find Linda Gail Lewis banging out “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” in a crowded bar, or the Beat Farmers, on the pool deck, playing an amped-up cover of Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s “Powderfinger.” There are shows recorded for SiriusXM, home of the Outlaw Country channel, and there are the guitar pulls, during which Williams, Harris, Rodney Crowell and Earle sit onstage and trade stories and songs. On this cruise, there’s a tribute to Crowell, 71, which he caps by leading a star-studded cover of Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” that includes Mansfield on mandolin. (Known for his musical exploits, Mansfield once played miniature golf with Gram Parsons.) Characters like cowpunk instigator Mojo Nixon and legendary road manager Phil Kaufman, who famously stole and then ritualistically burned the body of Parsons in Joshua Tree back in 1973, are given plenty of mic time.

And when the music finally wraps, nobody’s hopping in a van to drive through the night to a gig in Millersville.

“I’ve been playing music professionally since 1980 and I’ve never been treated better as an artist,” says Eric “Roscoe” Ambel, the producer and guitarist who has been in bands with Joan Jett and Earle. “There’s no real distinction between the absolute top tier. This artist pass gets you in anywhere you want to go. As a professional musician, even if you’re on a big festival, you never get to see this.”

That goes for the late-night artist parties. On the 14th floor, starting at midnight, they gather in a spacious suite that includes an open bar, a piano, and guitars and basses leaning against the wall. At the first gathering, Pete “Wetdawg” Gordon, a high-energy pianist who plays with Nixon, coaxes Lewis over to the keyboard, where she sings “You Win Again,” a 1958 hit for her brother. Keith Coleman, 65, a fully adorned Elvis impersonator from Tampa Bay, takes the microphone to churn out “Jailhouse Rock,” and grizzled Supersuckers guitarist “Metal” Marty Chandler picks up an acoustic. Eventually, Williams arrives to catch up and keep time with a shaker.

Tepper plays down his role, but by all accounts, he’s responsible for curating this cruise. At 58, he’s a kind of benevolent schmoozer, albeit with a fan’s ear and a music geek’s knowledge. He played in the World Famous Blue Jays, launched a record label, and served as editor of Vending Times and Wrestling’s Main Event magazine. In 2000, as DJ RigRocker, Tepper began spinning vinyl in clubs.

He won’t put down commercial country, but he doesn’t take to songs about short-shorts, pickup trucks and bros, favoring the harder-edge twang pioneered by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joe Shaver and later Williams and Earle. In 2004, after a set at Irving Plaza, Stevie Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen band member and SiriusXM programmer, tapped on his shoulder and recruited him for Sirius. Today, he’s program director for Outlaw Country and Willie Nelson’s Willie’s Roadhouse channels on the satellite network.

On the boat, Tepper is a constant presence, his long hair tucked into a bun under a trucker cap, roaming the crowd and backstage areas.

“He’s a musical genius,” says Anthony Diaz, Sixthman’s chief executive. “These aren’t just concerts on a cruise ship. These are environments where you set the stage for collaborations and moments that do not happen on land.”

In 2020, that meant bringing reggae icon Lee “Scratch” Perry on for a cruise to Jamaica, featuring a tribute to Kris Kristofferson. For 2022, Tepper cooked up a reunion of Harris’s 1970s “Hot Band” with guitarist Lee and singer Crowell. In another theater, guitarist Bill Kirchen held a tribute for his pioneering country rock swing band, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. The cruise’s musical highlight may be the return of Williams, who has been recovering from a 2020 stroke.

On the first night of the cruise, Williams’s road manager, Travis Stephens, walks her onto the Stardust Theater stage and positions a chair next to her so she can lean on it for support. But then Williams, the queen of richly detailed story songs that drove the rise of alt-country in the 1990s, begins to sing. The 2020 stroke has clearly hobbled her — she can’t play guitar and tires more easily — but her artistry remains intact.

“Her voice is completely there,” says Harris, who will share the stage with Williams twice during the week. “Her soul, her genius is still there, and nothing will ever take away the things that are still unimpaired.”

During a second performance, on the pool deck, Williams has to deal with a wind so strong it blows over her monitor. Stephens races onstage to tape a set of lyrics to a music stand. Still, Williams manages to deliver a scathing criticism of Russia before a pitch-perfect performance of “Man Without a Soul.” Afterward, in her suite, she will admit that she was touched by the way the cruise crowd responded after she talked about her recovery.

“I just told the audience what was going on and was honest with them,” says Williams. “It’s heartwarming. The audience applauded as I walked out, like kind of welcoming me back, and they had their arms open to me.”

T he one thing this boat isn’t showcasing is politics.

That’s surprising, considering that country music is, as an art form, a microcosm of America. There’s the Steve Earle branch of the country party, which leans hard to the left, and the Travis Tritt axis, which strongly supported Donald Trump.

At the beginning, this latter group seemed more visible. In 2016, the first Outlaw Country Cruise launched as a partnership between Norwegian’s Sixthman and Renegade Circus, the live event division of Van Zandt’s company. It came after Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” cruise had wrapped in 2014. Some of the passengers seemed to be holdovers.

Steve Goldberg, who runs a cybersecurity company in Newton, Mass., remembers sitting at a cafe with his wife, Carol.

“And a guy had a giant Hillary T-shirt with bars and, like, ‘Lock her up’ and a MAGA hat,” says Goldberg. “And we’re like, ‘Oh, gosh, get me out of here.’ ”

By the next year, the shirts were gone. So were the flags.

“I ran all the f---ing Confederate flags off almost single-handedly, trust me, by refusing to sign their s--- and bad-mouthing Donald Trump,” Steve Earle says over lunch in the artists’ lounge. “And they all just went away and they got replaced by other people because there’s waiting lists for all these cruises.”

On the Pearl this time, some wondered whether the vaccination requirement cut out those on the far right. A few past cabin holders had posted angry comments on the Outlaw Country Cruisers Facebook page. Others told their friends they weren’t going if they had to get the shot. Lee’s regular drummer, Jason Smith, wouldn’t get vaccinated, so he was replaced on the boat by keyboardist John “J.T.” Thomas’s son, John. Lee’s wife, Karen, got vaccinated only because she wanted to be on the ship. She was not happy about it and, in her cabin, proudly shows off her Trump bracelets and books she brought onboard about Anthony S. Fauci and Democratic fundraiser George Soros.

“I did a Johnson & Johnson and I can do some blood treatments with ozone to purify my blood later,” she says. “And hopefully that will take me back to where I was before I had the vaccine.”

Then there was the case of Texas singer Dale Watson, an Outlaw Cruise regular. In December, he announced on social media why he wouldn’t be going. He felt he already had natural immunity and pledged to take a test before every gig, but “that’s not enough for this administration.”

Reached by phone after the cruise, Watson says he wasn’t sorry he missed out.

“It was totally Norwegian Cruise Lines, and they have to do what they think is best, but the Outlaw Cruise got stuck in the middle of that,” he says, and pauses. “It didn’t feel very outlaw to do something because you’re made to do it.”

The Waco Brothers, started in Chicago in 1994, have never been chartbusters. And though the band will throw an amped-up George Jones or Johnny Cash song into the set, it’s mainly country in spirit. The band sings of union workers and environmental disaster and are led by Jon Langford, a punk prankster who delivers jagged guitar lines on his sea-green Stratocaster.

It’s playing the final set on the pool deck. The week has been almost flawless, though the Beat Farmer’s bassist had to stay in his cabin after coming down with the flu, and a drunk cruiser did take a header on the floor by the Atrium bar during Bill Kirchen’s set. But that’s barely a blip on a boat occupied by so many.

Langford wears a Waco Brothers sailor hat, has Kantor play the set and calls up Sally Timms, his Mekons partner, for a few songs. (She was one of Tepper’s late, unbilled invites.) He also asks Shinyribs singers Alice Spencer and Courtney Santana to hop onstage.

Two years ago, before the shutdown, Langford and the Wacos took the pool deck with Lee “Scratch” Perry for Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come.”

“Probably the best night of my entire life,” Langford tells the crowd.

Perry died last year, but Langford, as a kind of informal tribute, decides to do the song again. He calls for Texas legend Joe “King” Carrasco to come to the stage.

“Where’s Joe the King? Release the King!”

Crowell, wearing a dark blue T-shirt and checkered Vans, leans against a post to the side of the stage. He spent last year feeling conflicted about his decision to tour behind a new album. He wore a mask and, as soon as he could, got vaccinated. But was his album promotion somehow contributing to the spread?

On this cruise, he has played gigs, been celebrated with a special tribute, and performed with friends Harris and Lee in the “Hot Band.” On the boat, Crowell talks of trying to be more understanding of differing viewpoints. The vaccine doubters got under his skin.

“And no, I don’t want them on a boat with me in the middle of Belize,” he said. “But I’ve grown weary of us and them.”

Even here, among the vaccinated, there are probably people who don’t share his political views. So what? After a few days at sea, with nobody arguing and a fully vaccinated crowd thrilled to be seemingly free to laugh and dance, Crowell has begun to think of the cruise as more than a paycheck. Maybe it’s part of how we move forward.

“Music has always had a transcendent function,” he says. “And that’s one of the things that are brought on this boat. I’m going to let go and I want to let go of this divide that I see because somewhere we’ve got to find some unity.”

Country music world hit hard by another death in tragic year

• Published: Jun. 24, 2024, 5:00 a.m.

The list of country music stars and contributors who have died this year continues to grow. Getty Images

• Brian Linder | [email protected]

It has been a heartbreaking year for the country music world as the list of legendary performers and key contributors who have died seems to grow each week.

• WANT MORE COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS? CLICK HERE.

Tragically, this past week was no different after news broke that Nashville hitmaker Joe Scaife, a man credited with helping put together albums that sold more than 80 million copies, has died.

• Alan Jackson is retiring. Here’s the list of country music legends saying farewell this year
• Country music star ‘lucky to be alive’ after his heart stopped following show
• Popular Nashville singer, songwriter who went missing has been found dead
• Country music star files for emergency restraining order against estranged wife

The following is a look at the list of those lost so far in 2024:

Norah Lee Allen

It has been an emotional year for The Oak Ridge Boys, and things took a particularly heartbreaking turn on Easter.

According to Taste of Country, Norah Lee Allen, the wife of lead singer Duane Allen, died Sunday morning after battling an illness for “an extended period of time.” The site reported that she had been at Vanderbilt Hospital when she died.

Allen reportedly shared the news on social media Sunday.

“This morning, my wife of 54 years and 8 months took her last breath of air on planet Earth,” he wrote. “Norah Lee went to be with Jesus at 7:28 am, Easter morning. She had not been feeling well for some time. Her family all spent the night with her last night at Vanderbilt Hospital. We took time singing with and to her, telling her stories, and loving her every second that God let us share her here on this Earth.”

The Grand Ole Opry took time to remember Allen, too.

“During (Wednesday’s show), we paused to remember a beloved member of our Opry family we lost earlier this week, Norah Lee Allen,” a post on the Opry’s X page, formerly Twitter, read. “For decades, Norah Lee added her voice to Opry performances as one of our background vocalists, our Opry Singers.

“She was also a member of our family as the wife of Duane Allen of Opry group The Oak Ridge Boys,” the post continued. “She will be lovingly remembered by all who knew her and all who knew her voice here at the Grand Ole Opry.”

Fran Boyd, a country music groundbreaker and champion of the genre, died earlier this month.

She was 84.

Billboard wrote that she died on March 9. The site said that Boyd “played a key role in shaping and advancing the (Academy of Country Music) from its early years in California in the late 1960s, through the start of the millennium.”

Boyd was reportedly the first paid employee of the ACM, coming onboard in 1968 as executive secretary. She worked her way all the way up to executive director. Per Billboard, she “oversaw nearly every aspect of the annual (ACM) awards” show.

She worked for the ACM for more than three decades before retiring in 2002.

The Academy of Country Music posted on X, formerly Twitter, regarding Boyd’s death.

You can see that post, here.

“Fran Boyd played an essential part in the Academy’s history, stretching way back to the 1960s and steering the ship through decades of change, innovation, and growth, all while fostering an incredible passion for country music,” Gayle Holcomb, ACM Board Sergeant-At-Arms told Billboard. “Fran will always be remembered as a champion for our industry, its artists, and this organization. On behalf of the ACM Officers and Board of Directors, I send our gratitude, prayers and condolences to the Boyd family.”

Singer, hit songwriter, producer and author Buzz Cason died in June.

He was 84. No cause of death was reported.

“Buzz Cason never concerned himself too much with musical boundaries,” Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young said. “He just lived and breathed music. As a singer, songwriter, producer, and publisher, he helped shape and expand the sound of Nashville in countless ways across seven decades.”

Cason’s career in music began in the 1960s when he helped found The Casuals, known as Nashville’s first rock band. He then pursued a solo career and went on to sing backup vocals for the likes of Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, John Denver and Roy Orbison, according to Taste of Country.

As a songwriter and producer he combined with the likes of Dolly Parton, the Oak Ridge Boys, Martina McBride, Mel Tillis and Jimmy Buffett. His biggest hit song, “Everlasting Love,” was co-written with Mac Gayden. Taste of Country said that song is one of the few to make the Billboard Hot 100 in four consecutive decades.

Larry Collins

Larry Collins, a former country music child star turned legendary guitarist and song writer, died on Jan. 5.

He was 79. Per reports, Collins died of natural causes.

He first made his splash in country music alongside his older sister, Lorrie, when they formed the “The Collins Kids” duo when Larry was just 9 years old. They recorded a series of hits — “Hop, Skip and Kump,” “Hoy Hoy,” and “Beetle Bug Bop” — with music catering to children. The became regulars on “Town Hall Party” in 1954 and they performed together into the 60s.

Per reports, Lorrie had her first child in 1961 and stepped away from music to focus on family. The duo did reunite years later in the 90s.

While Lorrie, who died in 2018, focused on building her family, Larry moved on to a solo career where he made, perhaps, his biggest mark as a songwriter. He is credited as the co-writer for “Delta Dawn,” which became Tanya Tucker’s first hit song among other songs.

Allison Cornell

Allison Cornell died in February.

She was a part of Shania Twain’s band for years.

“Allison Cornell was such a talented and wonderful person,” Twain wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “It was a privilege, as an artist, to have her on stage with me through a lot of my touring career. Feeling very sad. Allison’s memory will live on but sadly another beautiful human has gone too soon. Rest in Peace (heart emoji).”

A post on Cornell’s artist management page also addressed her death.

“It is with great sadness that we say farewell to Allison Shropshire Cornell,” the post began. “Rest in Peace. Heaven has opened up its gates to an incredible talent!”

Gene Elders

Gene Elders, a longtime fiddle player in Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait’s legendary Ace in the Hole Band, has died.

No cause of death has been reported.

It was the second heartbreaking death to rock Strait in a day’s time after his manager, Erv Woolsey, also passed away.

“Hard to believe we lost two of our music family members on the same day,” Strait posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Our Ace in the Hole treasured band member Gene Elders passed away yesterday afternoon shortly after we lost Erv. All of our prayers go out to both families. We loved him so much.”

Elders’ website said he played in Strait’s band since 1984. It said he also played in Lyle Lovett’s Large Band for 11 years, and also played on recordings for Joan Baez, Lucinda Williams and Dan Fogelberg.

Fans took to social media following the news to remember Elders.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to watch Gene Elders play that haunting fiddle outro on ‘Amarillo By Morning’ live several times,” one person wrote. “The arena goes dark except for a long spotlight on Gene, it sends chills every time. RIP Gene Elders.”

“Today was a devastating day for the Strait camp,” another person wrote. “Our hearts are hurting. Rest in Peace Gene Elders. Rest in Peace Erv Woolsey. We will miss you both.”

George Strait revealed in may that a member of his operation had died for the third time this year.

The latest death was Tom Foote, a former drummer for Strait’s Ace in the Hole band and the singer’s longtime road manager.

The singer announced the death on Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

“We lost another one of our good friends and a huge part of our musical journey yesterday,” Strait wrote. “Tom Foote, our one-time drummer and long-time road manager for around 48 years, suddenly passed away at his home after our rehearsal. The band and I were with him most of the afternoon, and he was great. Just doing what he loved to do which was making sure we were taken care of. 2024 is taking its toll on the Ace in the Hole group. We’re all heartbroken to say the least. Rest in peace brother Tom. You will be hugely missed. I’ll see you down the road amigo.”

Foote was reportedly the drummer for a band that hired Strait to be its new singer back in 1975. That band eventually became the Ace in hte Hole Band. He reportedly stayed on as drummer through 1983 when he moved into his role as road manager.

“So sorry to hear this,” one person responded to Strait. “Prayers for peace and comfort!”

“My prayers for his family and yours,” another wrote.

“I’m so sorry about your (loss),” another wrote. “This year has really been a trying year for you and your group king George. My prayers are with you all. Hold on … keeping playing that true country music. Your long time fans love it. Prayers going up.”

And there were plenty more responses like that. You can see them here.

Foote’s death comes after Gene Elders, a longtime fiddle player in Strait’s Ace in the Hole Band, and Erv Woolsey, his manager, both died within a day of one another back in March.

Wayland Holyfield

Wayland Holyfield might not be a name that most country music fans know, but that probably should not be the case.

Because the guy was an icon.

Holyfield died on Monday, according to multiple reports. He was 82.

So, what made Holyfield so iconic in the country music world?

Well, the guy was one of the greatest songwriters the genre has ever seen. Holyfield helped write 14 No. 1 hits and had more than 40 songs reach the Top 10 during his time, according to Taste of Country.

The site said Holyfield wrote songs for some of country music’s most legendary performers including George Strait, George Jones, the Judds, Brooks & Dunn, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty “and many more.”

“Wayland Holyfield — who died May 6 — wrote sons of unflagging devotion, including the Don Williams hit “You’re My Best Friend” and Anne Murray’s “Could I Have this Dance,” the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum said in a post on X, formerly Twitter . “Holyfield was devoted to his wife, to the craft of songwriting, and to advocating for the rights of his peers.”

Mark James, a legendary songwriter and hitmaker, died on June 8.

James, who was a Houston native, died on June 8 at his home in Nashville.

James won a pair of Grammys in 1983 for his “Always on My Mind,” which was performed by Willie Nelson. He also wrote the hits, “Hooked on a Feeling,” and “Suspicious Minds.” He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

“Mark’s legacy and zest for life will live on in the hearts of those who loved him; and through his timeless lyrics and melodies that have been the soundtrack of lovers for generations,” his family said according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Along with being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, he was also named by BMI as one of the Songwriters of the Century for 2000. He is also a member of the Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame, the New York Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, according to the Hollywood Observer.

Along with Nelson, James wrote hits for the likes of Elvis Presley, B.J. Thomas and Brenda Lee.

Toby Keith died on Feb. 5 following a battle with stomach cancer.

It was tragic news, especially, for a man who battled so bravely such a horrible disease, but if there’s any solace to be found for his fans, it could be in some of his final words. Because, in his final days, Keith sat down with News 9 in Oklahoma to talk about his journey.

He was noticeably thinner as he talked about battling cancer, gave his thoughts on dying and, yes, even talked about death.

He called cancer a “long dark hallway,” but he also approached the subject in a way that only a man at complete peace could. And that is something he pinned on faith.

“You take it for granted on the days that things are good, and you lean on it when days are bad,” he said. “It has taught me to lean on it a little more every day.”

And that is when Keith talked about thinking about, at times, the possibility that he might die.

“I was going through all the chemo, radiation, surgery, and I got to the point where I was comfortable with whatever happened,” he said. “I had my brain wrapped around it, and I was in a good spot either way.”

That, he said, was a point that people with faith are not able to so easily get to.

So, if there is any comfort in news like this, perhaps it is that Keith had faith. And, mentally, he was prepared and comforted by his faith.

The headline in Rolling Stone called Mojo Nixon an “unabashed outlaw cult hero,” and if you dig into the story you quickly find out that’s just about a perfect way to sum the guy up.

Nixon was one heckuva interesting guy.

He died on Feb. 7 at the age of 66, and even how he went was out of the ordinary. He was a host aboard the Outlaw Country Cruise and his family said he suffered a “cardiac event,” that took his life.

“How you should live is how you should die,” the family told Rolling Stone. “ Mojo Nixon was full-tilt, wide-open rock hard, root hog, corner on two wheels + on fire. Passing after a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar, taking no prisoners + a good breakfast with bandmates and friends.

“A cardiac event on the Outlaw Country Cruise is about right… & that’s just how he did it, Mojo has left the building,” they added. “Since Elvis is everywhere, we know he was waiting for him in the alley out back. Heaven help us all.”

Rolling Stone wrote that Nixon “enjoyed a supremely weird yet singular career.”

His big break came in 1987 with his hit novelty song “Elvis is Everywhere,” that became a regular on MTV.

He put out six albums alongside Skid Roper, and five more solo projects. He also served as a DJ for SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country for years, too.

Legendary country music hitmaker Joe Scaife died in June, according to The Tennessean.

He was 68. No cause of death was given.

According to Taste of Country , Scaife produced such hits as “Redneck Woman” by Gretchen Wilson, and Billy Ray Cyrus’ mega-hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.” The site said he also helped K.T. Oslin, Montgomery Gentry, Shania Twain and Toby Keith, among others, deliver hits.

The Tennessean said he helped deliver records that sold more than 80 million copies.

“You were the coolest hang there ever was,” his daughter, Jaela Scaife Harris, wrote on Facebook. “Anyone who knows me know that there is no one in the world I love more than Joe Scaife. Words will never do him justice. He was the absolute coolest, most down to earth, incredible dad I could have ever asked for. I don’t know how I am going to make it without him, but I know he is going wide open on his boat in heaven. I love you so much daddy and I can’t wait to see you again. Happy first Father’s Day in Heaven.”

You can see her post here.

In a separate post she thanked everyone “who has helped us through this difficult time.”

“There will be a celebration of life at a later date on Music Row,” she added.

Margo Smith

Margo Smith might not be a name that most young country music fans know, but if you Google her you will see “legend” right there next to her name.

Sadly, the headlines will also mention that she has died at the age of 84. According to multiple reports, Smith actually passed away on Tuesday, Jan. 23. A cause of death has not been reported.

Smith was reportedly a kindergarten teacher in Ohio for around a decade before her career took off.

Known as “The Tennessee Yodeler,” she then churned out 18 studio albums between 1971 and 2005.

Smith was named ASACP Country Artist of the Year in 1979 and won the CCMA Living Legend Award in 2001.

The Academy of Country Music tweeted Monday about her death.

“Please join the Academy in mourning the passing of Country star Margo Smith,” it said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “Nominated for ACM Most Promising Female Vocalist in 1976, she had two #1 hits in the 1970s: “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and “It Only Hurts for a Little While.” Boasting a show-stopping talent for yodeling, she was known as “The Tennessee Yodeler.” We send our love and healing to her family, friends and fans.”

Jo-El Sonnier

Jo-El Sonnier might not be a name that most fans of modern country music would know well but read up and it doesn’t take long to realize the guy was a legend.

Check out the videos of performances and it becomes obvious, too, that seeing him perform in person was a high-energy affair.

He put his heart and soul into a show, and apparently, he did that right up until the end. Sonnier died back on Jan. 13, and now new details are being reported and it turns out he actually died after a performance.

Louisiana Music Hall of Fame Executive Director Mike Shepard told WWL Radio New Orleans that the 77-year-old Sonnier “died doing what he loved.”

“Jo-EL’s death on stage after a successful encore is actually the only way a musician should go out,” he said.

The station reported that Sonnier, a singer/songwriter who played the accordion, had a long list of accolades that included a Grammy in 2015 and an ACM Male Vocalist of the Year nomination. He was reportedly inducted into seven different Music Hall of Fames and worked as a studio musician for a long list of stars including Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.

“He loved the idea of being honored for his music,” Shepard told WWL, “being honored for what he loved to do, pure as his heart.”

Roni Stoneman

Country music legend Roni Stoneman died on Feb. 22.

She was 85. No cause of death was given.

While her name may not be familiar to modern-day country music fans, Stoneman was known as the “first lady of the banjo,” and was a popular performer on the hit TV show, “Hee Haw.”

Stoneman was a native of Washington, D.C.

She was the daughter of Ernest “Pop” Stoneman, who was reportedly one of the first performers to make a career of recording country music.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and CEO Kyle Young said country music was “a birthright and her life’s work.”

“The second youngest of 23 children born to Hattie and Ernest ‘Pop” stoneman, Roni was an integral part of a bedrock country music family, who were longtime fixtures in the country music scene of Washington D.C.” Young said. “For 18 years on ‘Hee Haw,’ she stole scenes as both a skillful banjo player and as a comical, gap-toothed country character. She was a great talent and a strong woman.”

Banjo News said Stoneman said she glued picks to her fingers so she could play the banjo faster.

Jeremy Tepper

Jeremy Tepper, a legend in the country music world, has died on June 14.

Tepper reportedly suffered a heart attack. Variety reported that his wife, singer Laura Cantrell, announced that he died on social media.

Tepper occupied multiple roles across his years, working as a musician, journalist, executive and finally the program director of SiriusXM’s “Outlaw Country,” according to Variety.

“Jeremy Tepper, a beloved member of SiriusXM, profoundly influenced us with his unwavering dedication to music and innovative spirit,” SiriusXM said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. “His contributions, in shaping Outlaw Country and Willie’s Roadhouse, are beyond measure. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this time.”

Stevie Van Zandt also posted on X following Tepper’s death.

“Lost my good friend Jeremy Tepper last night,” he wrote. “ An incredibly tragic loss so young. He ran my Outlaw Country station on SiriusXM brilliantly. It is actually quite a complicated format and he made it look easy. Our deepest condolences to Laura and his family and friends.”

Variety referred to Tepper as a “music lifer.” According to the site, that trek began when he was the frontman for the band World Famous Blue Jays and then co-founded the record label, Diesel Only, in 1990. He also served as the country music critic for Pulse! Magazine and was the editor of the Journal of Country Music, per Variety.

The site said he had been the format manager for SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel since 2004. It noted that he also worked with the “Willie’s Roadhouse” and “Road Dog Trucking” channels.

Erv Woolsey

Legendary country music figure Eugene Ervine “Erv” Woolsey has died.

Woolsey reportedly died Wednesday from complications following surgery, according to multiple reports.

While Woolsey may not be known to country music fans as an artist, he was one of the genre’s most influential managers. Most notably, he was the long-time manager of Country Music Hall of Famer George Strait, as well as stars Lee Ann Womack, Dierks Bentley, Ronnie Milsap and Clay Walker.

Strait posted about Woolsey on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

“My manager for around 45 years and most importantly my friend for even longer, Erv Woolsey, passed away this morning,” he wrote. “He had complications from surgery and just couldn’t overcome it. He was a very tough man, and fought hard, but sadly it was just too much. We will miss him so very much and will never forget all the time we had together. Won’t ever be the same without him.”

According to a Billboard repor t, Woolsey worked for several labels before moving to Nashville in 1973 and become the head of promotions for ABC Records. The site said that Woolsey helped guide the careers of several top artists there, but it was during his time as the owner of The Prairie Rose, a club in Texas, that he first met Strait and began to book him for regular shows at there.

Billboard said Woolsey worked for MCA in the 1980s and helped artists such as Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty and the Oak Ridge Boys find radio success. And, then in 1981, he reportedly got MCA records to sign Strait.

He wasn’t just a manager, though.

Per Billboard, Woolsey did write “I Too Deep” for Strait and also had a hot country chart topper that he wrote, “I Can Still Make Cheyenne.”

Arch Yancey

Arch Yancey, a Country Radio Hall of Famer, died in March.

He was 88. No cause of death was reported.

Country Air Check reported that Yancey died on Monday.

The site said that Yancey got his first break way back in 1955 when he beat out Johnny Cash for a job at WBIP in Boonesville, Mississippi. The site reported that just three years later, Yancey was at Top 40 KNUZ-AM in Houston.

He reportedly spent 31 years on the air before retiring in 1989.

Country Air Check reported that , among his awards, he won Gavin Country Personality of the Year in 1971 and was ACM Personality of the Year in 1982.

It said he was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2006.

“It was one big blur of good times,” Yancey said back in 2005 of his career. “It was pretty wild.”

More country music news

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• Alan Jackson’s ‘Last Call: One More for the Road’ farewell tour: Where to buy tickets
• 19 country music legends who have died in 2024

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Country icon cancels Outlaw Music Festival tour appearances

• Updated: Jun. 24, 2024, 10:03 a.m. |
• Published: Jun. 24, 2024, 9:30 a.m.

Country music legend Willie Nelson was forced to miss the opening shows of the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival, which began Friday in Georgia, due to "not feeling well," he announced on X. Nelson, 91, is expected to rejoin the festival tour this week. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP, File) AP

• Zach Mentz, cleveland.com

Country music legend Willie Nelson missed the opening shows of the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival , which began Friday in Georgia, due to “not feeling well,” he announced on social media.

Nelson, 91, did not perform at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, Georgia, on Friday, and was also forced to miss shows on Saturday at PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Sunday at Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“We regret to inform you that Willie Nelson is not feeling well and, per doctor’s orders, has been advised to rest for the next four days,” read a statement posted on Nelson’s X Friday. “He is expected to make a full recovery and join the Outlaw Music Festival tour next week.”

Ailing country legend announces farewell tour

Country music singer undergoes emergency heart surgery, cancels tour dates

After missing the first three shows of the 2024 Outlaw Music Festival, a representative for Nelson shared a promising update on his health and return to the tour.

“Willie will be fine,” Nelson’s representative told Today.com . “I live in Los Angeles and will fly next week to see the performances on the east coast. I can’t wait.”

The Outlaw Music Festival continues Wednesday at Veteran United Home Loans Amphitheater in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Friday at Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater in Syracuse, New York; Saturday at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York; and Sunday at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

Where to get tickets now: SeatGeek , VividSeats , StubHub , Viagogo , TicketCity and Ticketmaster

In addition to Nelson, this year’s Outlaw Music Festival lineup is headlined by Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and Celisse. Nelson’s son, Lukas, and the Nelson Family Band also performed in Willie’s absence.

The 2024 Outlaw Music Festival was announced in February and includes tour stops across the U.S., including Cleveland, through September. The festival will hold its Cleveland show at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on Sept. 12.

Stories by Zach Mentz

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• Country icon, novelist, former Texas governor candidate dies at 79

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What's Included?

6 night cruise.

6 night round trip cruise from Port of Miami to Nassau, Bahamas and St. Thomas, USVI

All Performances

All shows have general admission seating, so you’re welcome to come and go as you wish!

There is gourmet fare in the dining rooms, a full buffet, and casual restaurants open for meals all day and night

Basic Beverages

Stay hydrated with filtered water, non-pressed juices, teas, or even drip coffee if you need a pick-me-up

Pool and Hot Tubs

Use of the ship's beautiful pool and hot tubs all with plenty of deck space to enjoy a cocktail and some great music*

Norwegian Gem's Amenities

Such as: health and fitness center, full-size sports court, access to the casino, and more

Youth Program

Norwegian's Youth Program facilities and activities if you're bringing children**

* Due to stage placement and weather conditions, some pools and hot tubs may be closed for safety during the cruise. **From time to time, adjustments are made to children’s program hours and locations as required by our scheduled activities.

Not included

• Service Charges (vary per person, per day based on stateroom selection as shown here )
• Alcoholic beverages
• Soft drinks & bottled water
• While many restaurants on board are FREE, some specialty restaurants are à la carte. Pricing for each can be found here
• 24-hour Room Service (available for a $9.95 USD convenience fee plus 20% service charge)
• Any tours, events or meals in the ports of call
• Ground transportation
• Travel Protection available through Sixthman