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The Texas-born singer and songwriter performs in the pilot episode of Austin City Limits shot on October 17, 1974 covering such tracks as  Whiskey River, Stay all Night... and Bloody Mary Morning.

Willie Nelson

Willis Alan Ramsey / Roy Buchanan

Norton Buffalo

Roy Orbison

“B.B. King personified blues music for the whole world...He was larger than life, but a gentle man with a kind soul and big heart. His ACL performance ranks as one of my personal favorites, and I was never more proud than when he somehow slipped ‘Austin City Limits’ into the lyric of his classic rendition of Willie Nelson’s ‘Night Life.’ We’ve lost a giant.” Terry Lickona, ACL Executive Producer

B.B. King

Ray Charles / Lee Greenwood

Jerry Lee Lewis

Freddy Powers with Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard

Gary Morris / Gail Davies

The Whites / New Grass Revival

Jimmy Buffett

Johnny Rodriguez / David Allen Coe

Dottie West / Floyd Cramer

Bonnie Raitt / The LeRoi Brothers with Ray Campi & Sleepy La Beef

John Anderson / Eliza Gilkyson

George Strait / The Kendalls

With Faron Young, Kitty Wells, Sons of the Pioneers, Joe &amp; Rose Maphis, Pee Wee King &amp; Red Stewart, Johnny Wright, &amp; The Collins Sisters

Country Legends

The Texas blues are highlighted on this 1984 episode. Austin's own guitar master, Stevie Ray Vaughn, joins his band to add to his own blues legend. Meanwhile, The Fabulous Thunderbirds are known for their searing rock &amp; roll with roadhouse blues overtones.

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble / The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Neil Young and The International Harvesters

Larry Gatlin / Nanci Griffith

The Allman Brothers Band

Tanya Tucker / Sawyer Brown

1. First we take Manhattan

2. Tower of song

3. Everybody knows

4. Ain't no cure for love

5. The partisan

6. Joan of Arc

7. Jazz police

8. If it be your will

9. Take this waltz

Leonard Cohen

Country music outlaw Waylon Jennings takes the famed "Austin City Limits" stage.  Tracks include "Mamas Don't Let You're Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys," "Good Hearted Woman," "Trouble Man," "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," "Me And Bobby McGee," and more.

Waylon Jennings

Albert Collins/ Danny Gatton

Marc Cohn / Leo Kottke

Combing footage of previous ACL appearances, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble give great blue performances.

Stevie Ray Vaughan: A Retrospective

Alison Krauss & Union Station / Merle Haggard

John Prine / Todd Snider

With Willie Nelson, Tracy Byrd, Wade Hayes, Delbert McClinton, Charlie Daniels

Asleep at the Wheel's 25th Anniversary Celebration

With Willie Nelson. Merle Haggard, Iris DeMent, Freddy Powers

Pam Tillis / Guitar Pull with Willie Nelson and Others

Lee Roy Parnell / A.J. Croce

Lisa Loeb / Jimmy LaFave

Los Lobos / Joe Ely

Faith Hill / Trisha Yearwood

Gatemouth Brown / Keb' Mo'

With Michael Martin Murphey, The Sons of the San Joaquin, Hank Thompson, Robert Mirabal, Herb Jeffries and The Oklahoma City Philharmonic

Sagebrush Symphony

Wynonna

Songwriters Special with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Kimmie Rhodes, Billy Joe Shaver

Songwriters Special Featuring Kris Kristofferson

Classic: Bill Monroe Retrospective with Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Jim and Jesse &amp; Mac Wiseman

A Bluegrass Tribute to Bill Monroe

A Tribute To Walter Hyatt with Lyle Lovett, David Ball, Champ Hood, Willis Alan Ramsey, Marcia Ball, Shawn Colvin, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Junior Brown, David Halley, Allison Moorer

Lyle Lovett and Friends: A Tribute to Walter Hyatt

“Best of Austin” Country Showcase: Libbi Bosworth, Dale Watson, The Derailers, Wayne Hancock, Don Walser &amp; Mary Cutrufello

Best of Austin Country Showcase

Mary Chapin Carpenter / BR5-49

Travis Tritt / Wade Hayes

Guitar-master Eric Johnson and blues player Kenny Wayne Shepherd perform. Songs include "Righteous"; "Born with a Broken Heart"; "S.R.V." (Johnson's tribute to the late Stevie Ray Vaughan); and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)."

Eric Johnson / Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

Son Volt / Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Robert Earl Keen / Jack Ingram

Sheryl Crow

Blues Night with Delbert McClinton and Miss Lavelle White

Celebration of Townes Van Zandt: Willie Nelson / Emmylou Harris / Nanci Griffith / Lyle Lovett

Patty Loveless / Collin Raye

Marcia Ball / Irma Thomas / Tracy Nelson

The Manhattan Transfer

Indigo Girls / Kim Richey

Loretta Lynn

Nanci Griffith & the Crickets

Hal Ketchum / Terry Allen

Boz Scaggs / 8 1/2 Souvenirs

Old 97's / Whiskeytown

Clay Walker / Trace Adkins

Buddy Guy / Storyville

Deana Carter / Matraca Berg

Hootie and the Blowfish / Nanci Griffith

Lionel Hampton / Ruth Brown

Lucinda Williams proves why she is one of America's premiere singer songwriters when she brings her melancholy vocals and achingly sweet lyrics to the stage.

Lucinda Williams

Vince Gill / Martina McBride

Ray Price / Hank Thompson / Junior Brown

Blues guitarists Jonny Lang and Jimmie Vaughan. Included: "Still Rainin'," "Can't Say No," "I Am," "Sweet Soul Vibe," "Lie to Me."

Jonny Lang / Jimmie Vaughan

Mexican Roots Music Celebration: Freddy Fender / David Hidalgo / Cesar Rosas / Tish Hinojosa / Ruben Ramos / Rick Trevino / Joe Ely

Fastball / Mary Cutrufello

Dave Alvin / Loudon Wainwright

Bruce Hornsby / Monte Montgomery

Bobby Blue Bland / Susan Tedeschi

Garth Brooks

Robert Cray / Doyle Bramhall

Clint Black / Eric Johnson / Ray Benson / Lisa Hartman Black

Willie Nelson & Family / Leon Russell

Marty Stuart, Pam Tillis & Earl Scruggs / Susan Ashton

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Texas Tornados: Tribute to Doug Sahm

Kenny Rogers

If they weren't the creators of Southern Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd are certainly the most recognizable ambassadors for the Deep South. In this one hour special, the band plays a range of hits form their long career.

The Mavericks / the Warren Brothers

Wilco / Bela Fleck & Friends

Joe Ely / Indigenous

Lyle Lovett & Friends

ACL invites country diva Emmylou Harris to take the stage. She, in turn, invites her friends for an old fashioned guitar pull where singer/songwriters share songs, guitar secrets, and interesting stories.

Songwriters Special with Emmylou Harris

Trisha Yearwood / Alison Krauss

Jewel

Phish

John Hiatt / Kelly Willis

Shelby Lynne / Toni Price

Townes Van Zandt Tribute: Willie Nelson / Emmylou Harris / Nanci Griffith / Lyle Lovett

Lee Ann Womack / Clay Davidson

Brad Paisley / Eric Heatherly

Joe Cocker

Tom Waits

Widespread Panic

Now the longest-running music series in American television history, ACL showcases popular music legends and innovators from every genre.

All Episodes of Austin City Limits

All Episodes of Austin City Limits

Browse all episodes of Austin City Limits

Season 1

Willie Nelson

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 1/1/1975