Orville Peck Dedicates Hollywood Bowl Performance to Gay Cowboys, Honors Willie Nelson

Orville Peck made his highly anticipated headlining debut at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night, marking a significant milestone for the openly gay country artist. Although the legendary amphitheater has hosted him before—most notably during Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday celebration in 2023—this performance carried special weight given Peck’s recent collaboration with the country icon.

About a year after his 2023 appearance, Peck and Nelson recorded a duet cover of “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other.” Originally written by Latin country musician Ned Sublette in 1981, the song explores themes of same-sex desire within the cowboy subculture. The track was released as part of Peck’s 2024 duets album, Stampede, and a music video for the song was shot on Nelson’s Luke Ranch in Spicewood, Texas.

During the Friday concert, Peck addressed the audience with a message of visibility and pride. “It’s a song that’s very pertinent to my interests,” he said to cheers and applause. “It’s about gay cowboys. I don’t know if you notice, but I’m a gay cowboy. We exist. We walk among you. There’s probably some here. I think I see a bunch.”

Peck then raised his arm and dedicated the performance to Nelson. “Let’s dedicate this one to the incredible, incredible Mr. Willie Nelson. I’m sure he’s enjoying an edible somewhere. This is for all the gay cowboys.” The lyrics, which feature Nelson crooning about the hidden femininity in men and the ambiguity of male bonding in the West, include lines such as, “But the ones who brag loudest are the ones that are most likely queer.”

The concert also featured a surprise duet with Noah Cyrus on “Atchafalaya.” The two have previously collaborated on the music video for “How Far Will We Take It?,” which starred François Arnaud in a love-triangle storyline prior to his role in Heated Rivalry.

Friday’s show coincided with the release of Peck’s fourth studio album, Mule. The record chronicles his struggle with addiction and his journey to sobriety in 2023. “These are very deep wounds,” Peck explained in a Wednesday interview. “What better therapy is there than getting up and being able to express these songs? Then there are people listening and relating, and they’re sharing their pain. It’s a spiritual experience.”

Among the new tracks is “Ring the Bell,” which references kissing an unidentified professional football player for the Raiders. Peck revealed that he obtained permission from the athlete to include the lyric. “I did receive permission to sing that lyric from the subject in question, and he was very thrilled,” Peck said. He noted that while the player would have been honored to have his name used, Peck chose to keep it ambiguous. “I would never have done it if it were somebody who was hiding or fearful of it coming out.”

Peck closed the evening with an encore cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” The night opened with performances by Lucius and Deloyd Elze.