Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard Debut at No. 1 With New Duets Album

Beloved country icons Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard are back on top this week with the release of their new duets album, Django and Jimmie, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No. 7 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart.

The album, which contains 14 newly recorded tracks, is not the first No. 1 record the two pioneers of outlaw country have made together. Their classic album Pancho & Lefty also hit No. 1 in January 1983.

“The title track is about [jazz guitarist] Django Reinhardt and [singer/songwriter] Jimmie Rodgers. Both of those guys were very influential in both of our careers," Nelson explained prior to its release on June 2, 2015. “It’s good music, I got a good feeling about it.”

There are "new songs, a couple of classics and Willie sang like he was a teenager,” Haggard added.

Django and Jimmie also includes a tribute to the Man in Black himself, "Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash," featuring guest vocals from Bobby Bare, and "Unfair Weather Friend," written by Marla Cannon-Goodman (producer Buddy Cannon’s daughter) and Ward Davis.

Nelson recently released his definitive autobiography, It’s a Long Story, co-written by David Ritz, which has been described as "the unvarnished, complete story of Willie Nelson's life, told in his distinct voice and leaving no moment or experience unturned.”

Haggard has been busy as well, including a standout performance at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014 of his hit "Okie from Muskogee" with Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Blake Shelton.

The duo released an accompanying video to the new album, allowing fans to go behind the scenes of the making of Django and Jimmie at Arlyn Studios. Click here to view the video.

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