Willie Nelson, Gay Cowboy Anthem, and the Sartorial Splendor of Orville Peck

Oh, bless his heart! Orville Peck, the rising country star who's as woke as he is talented, took to the stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival on Sunday and dropped a bombshell on Zilker Park. “So not only did Willie Nelson want to do a song with me,” he gushed, “He wanted to do a song about gay cowboys.”

Record scratch Freeze frame Yes, you heard it right, folks! Willie Nelson, the 91-year-old legend, is out here championing LGBTQ+ cowboys, and we are here for it.

Peck, who was dressed in a red-and-yellow, sparkly vest that screamed "I'm a fabulous gay cowboy and I'm proud," dedicated the song “Cowboys Are Secretly Fond of Each Other” to “all the little, gay Texan cowboys and cowgirls.” Can we get an amen?

Now, Willie Nelson might not have been there in person, but his spirit was alive and well. A shirtless dude between songs at the Honda stage even remarked, “He almost sounds like Johnny Cash. He’s got it down.” And he's not wrong—Peck’s golden baritone could make even the toughest cowboy shed a tear.

Speaking of tears, Peck laid down the law: “If at any point you feel like crying, you have to cry.” And with lyrics like, “What’s a boy to do? Hit the road with a dollar or two? Haunted by what he knows he can’t do?” from his song “No Glory In the West,” who wouldn't need a good cry?

But let's not forget the backstory. Peck is an openly gay Dior model from South Africa who wears a Lone Ranger-style mask in public. It’s a bold fashion statement that screams, “I’m fabulous, and I don’t care what you think.” And he’s not just about looks; he freely spoke about his battle with depression and the tour he had to cancel, which inspired his song “Hexi Mountains.”

Backed by a killer five-piece band that, quite frankly, looked understated next to Peck’s sartorial splendor, he belted out, “Maybe you’ll learn to live with what’s inside your head.”

So there you have it, folks. Orville Peck—gay cowboy extraordinaire, sartorial icon, and all-around badass—brought us to tears and left us wanting more.

And if you need a break from all the feels, go ahead and Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.