When word first spread that Willie Nelson’s breathing had worsened, fans braced themselves for the news they had dreaded for years. The country icon, 92 years old, had already defied time and expectation countless times, but this felt different. Reports of his hospitalization moved through the music world like a shadow. Radio stations began quietly slipping his ballads into late-night rotations. Social media turned into a prayer wall of photos, lyrics, and tearful emojis. Everyone was waiting for an update, though few dared to hope for anything more than peace.