A Grammy-winning country music favorite recently told fans he’s planning another break from touring in the near future.
Videos by Suggest
Sturgill Simpson (aka Johnny Blue Skies), who picked up a Grammy for Best Country Album for his 2016 album A Sailor’s Guide To Earth, recently told fans about plans to pump the brakes on new music and touring for a hot minute.
During an Austin, Texas, “Mutiny for the Masses Tour” stop earlier this month, the 48-year-old got chatty with fans, revealing his planned upcoming break.
“This is our third year in a row that we’ve done a big ol’ lap around the United States,” the “Long White Line” singer told the crowd in fan footage. “We’re gonna go ahead and warn you now: we are gonna take a little break after this one and recharge the batteries and starve your asses. Y’all chose wisely.”
Sturgill Simpson (aka Johnny Blue Skies) Revealed a Rock Legend Kept Him Touring
Just a few days later, at a Sept. 15 tour date in the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, Simpson opened up a bit more about his feelings on touring, and how a legendary musician helped keep him performing live.
It seems the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir, who passed away earlier this year, convinced the country music star to keep touring.
“Bob pulled me out of it. He didn’t know this. I never really got to tell him fully,” Simpson admitted onstage, per PEOPLE.
“I didn’t know if I would ever tour again,” Simpson added. “In ‘23-24, I went to Mexico and sat in with him for about three hours, two nights, and came home and called my agent. I said, ‘I want to go on tour.’”
“That was three years ago, and this has been the best three years of my life and my career playing with these guys. And I owe a lot of that to Bob Weir.”
Meanwhile, Simpson (as Johnny Blue Skies) dropped his latest album, Mutiny After Midnight, back in June. He’ll be on the road in support of it through October.