Willie Nelson was forced to cancel his San Diego performance at the Harrah's Resort SoCal on Saturday, January 6 after just one song due to breathing issues. The 84-year-old country legend was mid-performance of his opening number "Whiskey River" when he was suddenly struck with a coughing attack. The attack was so severe that Willie was forced to leave the stage to try and catch his breath.

Willie Nelson refuses to slow down for long

Willie Nelson's PR rep spoke with the Union-Tribune revealing that the singer was suffering from a "bad cold or the flu." This makes complete sense considering the news reports that the flu bug of 2018 got an early and vicious start this season and is quickly becoming a widespread problem across the country.

Country icon immune to online death hoax

That being said, health officials are urging those who are showing flu-like symptoms to remain home and get plenty of rest and fluids to keep the virus at bay. As for Willie, he is doing just that according to his rep, who revealed that the singer is now in his Texas home recovering.

Nelson's performance schedule for the next week, which includes two shows, has also been canceled -- one at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas and one in Laughlin Nevada.

According to Willie Nelson's rep, the singer is expected to return to the road for numerous concerts beginning on February 7 in Macon, Georgia. This is not the first time in the past couple of years that Willie's health issues have forced the singer to cancel appearances. In August 2017, Nelson also cut a concert short in Salt Lake City, Utah from altitude related breathing issues.

It has been a rough few years for the aging country legend as far as health-related issues are concerned. Despite the medical ups and downs, Willie Nelson continues to perform on a regular basis.

In fact, Willie's health status has become a social media joke to the singer who has repeatedly logged onto the Internet over the past few years to read the headlines stating that he was on his deathbed.

In May of 2017, news headlines had country music fans mourning his death prematurely, with headlines that read: "Willie Nelson Found Dead." Nelson had such a laugh that he responded by writing the hit song "Still Not Dead." The video can be seen on YouTube, and clearly shows Nelson alive and well, doing two of his favorite things: singing and smoking.

In the meantime, it's good to know that Nelson is alright, and that he will be returning to the stage soon.