Austin: Willie Nelson statue

Unveiled on April 20, 2012, this 8-foot-tall bronze statue honors Willie Nelson’s significant impact on Austin’s music scene. Situated outside the ACL Live at the Moody Theater, the statue commemorates Nelson’s contributions to the city’s cultural identity and his role in popularizing the “Austin sound.”

At the Willie Nelson statue unveiling event, Nelson performed his classic “On the Road Again” and introduced his then-new song “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die,” which was released as a single that same day.

Nelson remarked, “I’ll be stoned one thousand years,” a lighthearted nod to both the statue’s permanence and the cultural significance of the date and time.

The Willie Nelson statue in downtown Austin was created by Philadelphia-based sculptor Clete Shields. It was commissioned by the nonprofit Capital Area Statues. It depicts Nelson seated in a relaxed pose, holding his iconic guitar, Trigger, and is located outside the Moody Theater on Willie Nelson Boulevard.

Shields aimed to capture Nelson’s “humor and humility” in the sculpture. Nelson himself expressed his approval at the dedication ceremony, stating that Shields “did a pretty darn good job.”

The statue has since become a beloved landmark and a popular spot for selfies.