Willie Nelson may perform in Grass Valley this summer

American music icon Willie Nelson may perform in Grass Valley this summer, Sierra FoodWineArt magazine (SierraCulture.com) has learned.

It would be Nelson’s first appearance in the Sierra Foothills, an up-and-coming venue for big-time country music talent.

“I should have details soon for public release,” said a member of Nelson’s staff, declining to elaborate.

Nelson would be a natural for a performance sponsored by The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley this summer, such as the annual benefit concert for the Bear Yuba Land Trust. The Nevada County Fairgrounds would be a good venue.

The Center has been booking big-name talent such as Kris Kristofferson (who has a home in Truckee and is a personal friend of Nelson’s).

Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson and “The Promise of the Real,” is coming to The Center for the Arts on June 7.

Nelson performs in California now and then. He has a show at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, in Santa Clara County, on Sept. 13 — a repeat venue.

Nelson is widely recognized as an American icon. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.

We’re big fans of Willie Nelson. We’ve seen him perform in Saratoga, at the Mountain Winery, as well as San Rafael.

Sierra FoodWineArt is a free quarterly magazine distributed throughout the Sierra, the foothills, Sacramento, Reno, Butte, Sutter and Yuba counties.

The magazine’s website is promoted on SacBee.com and some of its articles are republished in the Bee’s print edition.