Country Stars Jamey Johnson and Raul Malo Collaborate on Willie Nelson Classic

The pandemic gave the artists time to finally record a duet they had planned for years.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Country singers Jamey Johnson and Raul Malo have released a new cover of Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias's hit song "To All The Girls I've Loved Before." The collaboration marks the culmination of a decade-long plan to work together, with the artists crediting the pandemic's slowdown of touring schedules for finally allowing them to coordinate the recording session.

Why it matters

The project underscores how the pandemic has given artists more flexibility to explore cross-genre partnerships that were previously difficult to schedule. By bringing together Johnson's gritty country sound with Malo's Latin-influenced style, the cover song highlights how the music industry is rethinking collaboration in the post-COVID era.

The details

In a video posted to social media, Malo recalled how he and Johnson first crossed paths about 10 years ago at the Key West Songwriters Festival, but their busy touring schedules had prevented them from following through on plans to record together until the pandemic slowdown. The pair chose to put their own spin on the classic "To All The Girls I've Loved Before," originally recorded by Nelson and Iglesias.

  • Malo and Johnson first met at the Key West Songwriters Festival roughly 10 years ago.
  • The artists recorded their cover version of "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" during the pandemic.

The players

Jamey Johnson

A country singer-songwriter known for his gritty, traditional country sound.

Raul Malo

A country singer-songwriter with a Latin-influenced style, best known as the lead vocalist of the band The Mavericks.

Willie Nelson

A legendary country music singer-songwriter, who co-wrote the original version of "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" with Julio Iglesias.

Julio Iglesias

A renowned Spanish singer who collaborated with Willie Nelson on the original recording of "To All The Girls I've Loved Before."

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What they’re saying

“The pandemic gave us loads of time to finally get together and do this.”

— Raul Malo (Facebook)

What’s next

The recording could be released as a standalone single or appear on a forthcoming album from either Johnson or Malo. If the track gains traction, it may open the door for additional collaborations between country, folk, and Latin-influenced musicians who have been waiting for the right moment to align their schedules.

The takeaway

The Malo-Johnson collaboration illustrates how the pandemic has reshaped partnership dynamics in the music industry, giving artists more flexibility to explore cross-genre projects that were previously difficult to coordinate due to hectic touring schedules.