Willie Nelson has successful surgery to relieve carpal tunnel syndrome:

Attempts at rest, splinting and medication to relieve symptoms of carpal tunnel earlier this month were not as effective as hoped, and last week Willie Nelson had an endoscopic carpal tunnel release operation to his left wrist. Norman P. Zemel, M.D., the orthopaedic hand surgeon at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles says, "the operation was successful and he no longer has numbness and tingling in the fingers of his left hand."

Taking some time off from touring to fully recover, Willie will be on the road again resuming dates starting on July 3rd in Roswell, NM. The next day the music legend will host his annual 4th of July Picnic concert event at The Stockyards in Ft. Worth, TX.

And don't miss Willie's TV special on USA Networks on Memorial Day at 9:00PM ET. The lineup of famous "friends" includes Jerry Lee Lewis, Kid Rock, Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, Carole King, Merle Haggard, Toby Keith, Shelby Lynne, Lucinda Williams, Ben Harper, Rickie Lee Jones and many others - the host of the show is James Caan.

Rumor has it that Al Green's performance smokes fiercely - I am deeply gratified by the very Al Green-ness of his latest album, I Can't Stop, which returns him to secular soul and reunites him with producer Willie Mitchell.