Willie Nelson: "Haircut Heard Around The World" (Picture)

NEW YORK (CBS) Country music icon Willie Nelson has a new do! After sporting his trademark long tresses for more than a quarter of a century, the 77-year-old "On The Road Again" singer is embracing a remarkably shorter new look.

The "waist-deep, reddish pigtails" that the Associated Press described as one of the singer-songwriter's "signature features" have, indeed, been snipped.

Wllie Nelson described his new do on his website as the "haircut heard around the world."

But, why now?

Spokeswoman Elaine Schock also tells the AP that Nelson got his hair cut in the past couple of weeks. She said he didn't make a big fuss about the makeover, but she thought he might have grown tired of dealing with long locks.

"There's a lot of maintenance," she said.

Willie Nelson's birthday was April 30. Maybe he wanted a personal, transformative birthday present?

After all, more than a quarter of a century is way too long to even think of having another bad hair day.