Tour dates postponed after bus slips on icy Texas highway

At 80 years old, Willie Nelson plays more than 150 dates a year, and there are dangers on the road. On Friday night, a tour bus carrying Nelson’s band got into an accident on icy Interstate 30 outside Sulpher Springs, Texas after a show in Thackerville, Oklahoma. Nelson was not on the bus, but three band members were injured and hospitalised.

Rolling Stone has learned from Nelson’s publicist that the injuries are not serious. Those who were hurt in the accident include 81-year-old drummer Paul English, who broke his ankle, and his brother, multi-instrumentalist Billy English, who suffered a bruised hip. Nelson’s guitar tech, Tom Hawkins, has a cracked or bruised rib. They all either have been released from the hospital or will be heading home soon.

Nelson is postponing four dates before starting the tour again on December 10th in Las Vegas, said his publicist, Elaine Schock. “They’ll take a few dates off and then they’ll be on the road again.”