Orville Peck and Willie Nelson Collaborate on Updated Rendition of 'Cowboys Are Often Secretly Fond of Each Other'

Orville Peck and Willie Nelson believe some cowboys may be gay. They recently collaborated on a cover of Ned Sublette's 1981 song "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" for Peck's Stampede project. Nelson, 90, first recorded the tongue-in-cheek queer country anthem in 2006, while Peck, 36, covered it at the Red Headed Stranger's 90th birthday party in Los Angeles last April. 

Peck sings on the new version of Sublette's original: "There's many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas / Many a young boy who In a Rolling Stone interview, Peck revealed that Nelson conceived the cover idea, inspired by the growing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation in the US. The 'No Glory in the West' singer stated that Willie emphasized the song's relevance in current times. 

"He wanted a fresh start for the two of us," Peck expressed, highlighting the significance of Nelson's validation in their artistic collaboration. As an artist who occasionally felt excluded from country music, once Willie Nelson wants to collaborate, the country world has nothing more to say. He explained that the new cover of ‘‘Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other‘‘ released with a music video filmed at Nelson's Luck Ranch in Texas. The clip features musicians playing guitars, singing, and queer couples dancing in a saloon.