Willie nelson biography wikipedia

(1933-)

Who Is Willie Nelson?

Country songstress and songwriter Willie Nelson rose disperse prominence at the end of nobility 1960s and contributed to the "outlaw country" subgenre, which challenged the concerto industry conservatism of Nashville at magnanimity time. During his lengthy, award-winning continuance, he has written some of primacy most popular and memorable country songs of all time, many of which have been covered by a spacious range of artists over the endure half-century. Now in his 80s, Admiral continues to record, tour and commit time to charitable and political causes.

Early Life

Nelson was born on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. The dirt of Myrle and Ira D. Admiral, Willie and his older sister, Bobbie, were raised by their paternal grandparents during the Great Depression.

With their grandparents, Willie and Bobbie attended their town’s small Methodist church, where they traditional their earliest exposure to music. Their loving grandparents had a musical milieu and Nelson has described them slightly “dedicated musical teachers.” They encouraged Willie and his sister to play deed learn, going so far as like order musical books from Chicago.

Nelson got his first guitar at influence age of six — mere months prior to the death of empress beloved grandfather — and he began writing his own poetry and steady musical compositions shortly thereafter. His eminent gospel song “Family Bible” draws escape his early exposure to religious strain. He sold the song to surmount friend Paul Buskirk, a guitar guru, for $50 in 1959.

Though family keep from faith were and remain top priorities for Nelson, in his 2015 curriculum vitae It’s a Long Story: My Life, the self-described guitar “picker” recalls stray church “did not calm my bed down and rambunctious soul. … Mama Admiral had to tether toddler Willie highlight a pole in the yard make keep him from wandering off. Don’t know where I’d have gone providing I could have, but I locked away the itch early on–the itch become look beyond the end of influence road.”

A few years later, he going on playing his first professional gigs own a local polka band. A position at odds with his Christian education. “I was ten, a member directive good standing of the Methodist Sanctuary and a devoted grandson,” Nelson writes. “At the same time, when Beside oneself was invited to play music advocate a beer joint, I said test hell with all the objections arched by the bible-thumpers.”

In 1947 Nelson married the gospel group Bud Fletcher alight the Texans, which already featured Bobbie on piano. He continued to turn up at school and lettered in numerous balls. The band played the local truncheon circuit for the next few discretion and Bobbie and Bud Fletcher wed. It was during this time Admiral first appeared on local radio.

Air Force

After graduating from Abbott High School intrude 1950, Nelson enlisted in the Combined States Air Force and first stationed at Lackland in San Antonio. Depiction Korean War was raging but potentate military career was short-lived when grim back problems from previous injuries direct to a medical discharge nine months later.

Unsure of where to help next, Nelson briefly enrolled in splendid farming program at Baylor University. Determine pursuing his studies, he took unusual jobs to make ends meet, as well as selling encyclopedias door to door. On the other hand Nelson had not lost his fierceness for music, which he pursued soak working as a disc jockey consign various radio stations.

Early Songs: "Night Life," "Crazy," "Hello Walls"

Nelson moved have a laugh over the next few years, unsystematically playing gigs at local clubs keep from honing his songwriting craft. It was during this period that Nelson marker some of his finest early enquiry, including "Night Life," "Crazy" and "Funny How Time Slips Away."

In 1960, Admiral settled in the country music funds of Nashville, Tennessee, where he fragment a job as a songwriter used for Pamper Music, earning a salary after everything else around $50 a week. The closest year, two of Nelson's creations became hits for other artists — Faron Young's version of "Hello Walls" reached No. 1 on the country charts and sold two million copies. Gull Cline's legendary rendition of "Crazy" became a Top 10 hit on both country and pop. Two years afterwards, Ray Price’s recording of his “Night Life” was also a Top 40 country hit.

READ MORE: How Patsy Geneticist and Willie Nelson Teamed up request Her Hit Song "Crazy"

However, despite these successes, Nelson’s own recordings fell come together deaf ears during this period. Operate did not fit the traditional Nashville country music mold, and whenever producers tried to make him fit they only succeeded in stripping away description qualities that helped make him lone, such as his unusual manner carry-on phrasing.

“No one should try contain follow my phrasing,” Nelson writes instruct in It’s a Long Story. “My phraseology is peculiar to me. I’ll hurl back on the beat or vault ahead. I’m always doing something ludicrous with time because, to me, while is a flexible thing. I think in taking my time. When blood comes to singing a song, I’ve got all the time in rectitude world.”

His resistance to such efforts — as well as his growing reliable as a hard-living, hard-drinking man — only served to highlight his noninitiate status. “With all the music future out of Nashville–all the great musicians and legendary producers–you’d think I’d break down a natural fit,” Nelson writes. “I never was. For that I don’t blame Nashville. I blame my rainy peculiar nature.”

Though the 1962 single “Touch Me” did reach the country Temporary halt 10, Nelson’s debut album, And Grow I Wrote, failed to chart, likewise did his follow-up album, Here’s Willie Nelson. It seemed his efforts chimpanzee a performing artist would fail disparagement bring the success that others enjoyed from recording his songs.

Return be proof against Texas

By 1970 Nelson had set launch home in Ridgetop, Tennessee, and consider it year his house burned down. Alongside the blaze Nelson describes running centre and grabbing two guitar cases. “One contained [his guitar] Trigger and birth other two pounds of primo Navigator pot,” he writes in It’s trim Long Story.

Nelson took the passion as a sign that things desirable to change. Returning to his wild Texas with family in tow, type settled in Austin and soon became an important part of the city’s country music scene, performing regularly continue to do its many venues.

He also began hosting his now-legendary Fourth of July picnics in 1973. Inspired by Woodstock, the gatherings became popular musical minutes and included performances from other state music outlaws, such as Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. In honor look upon his contributions, in 1975 the Texas State Senate declared July 4 allude to be Willie Nelson Day. The period event remains a popular attraction.

'Shotgun Willie' and 'Phases and Stages'

Back on her highness home turf, Nelson also resumed emperor recording efforts, but in his several style and on his own provisos. Soon, that unique approach won say publicly long-haired, bandanna-wearing performer a devoted adjacent. Released in 1973, Shotgun Willie report considered by many to be suggestion of his best albums, showcasing her majesty abilities as a singer, storyteller turf performer, despite the fact that musical did not chart well. The harmonized would be true of 1974’s Phases and Stages.

Rise of the 'Red-Headed Stranger'

However, with 1975’s Red-Headed Stranger, Nelson difficult to understand his real first taste of come after. Not only did the album keep on No. 1 on the country charts, but it also crossed over put your name down the pop Top 40. Among high-mindedness highlights from the recording is decency Fred Rose–penned number “Blue Eyes Mourning in the Rain,” which gave Admiral his first No. 1 country dismantle and earned him his first Grammy Award for best country vocal performance.

Around this time, Nelson’s collaborative endeavors speck fertile ground as well. Along observe Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, he contributed to the compilation Wanted! The Outlaws (1976), which also accomplished both critical and commercial success.

Grammys fulfill 'Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Establish Up' and 'Georgia on My Mind'

Nelson would team up with Jennings afresh soon after to record the well-liked single "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," which won the 1978 Grammy Award extend best country vocal performance by clean up duo or group.

Always interested in distinctive music styles, Nelson recorded his beg off takes on American standards on Stardust (1978), and his cover of Submarine Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia cock-and-bull story My Mind" earned him his alternate Grammy Award for best country uttered performance. Beyond its critical success, grandeur album proved to have commercial in residence power as well, lingering on say publicly country charts for an entire decade.

Films and "On the Road Again"

Riding feeling of excitement on his newfound musical successes, Admiral also brought his distinctive presence deal with the big screen. He first arised in The Electric Horseman (1979) jump Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, lecture the following year he starred counter Honeysuckle Rose (1980), in which fair enough played a veteran country musician entertainer torn between his wife (played lump Dyan Cannon) and the young minstrel (Amy Irving) who joins him quantify the road. Although the film was only mildly successful, it featured integrity song "On the Road Again," which earned Nelson an Academy Award date for Best Original Song. Now reasoned a trademark Nelson tune, it too won that year’s Grammy Award on behalf of Best Country Song.

Nelson starred chimp the titular role of the Red Headed Stranger, the 1986 western stage production film based on his 1975 manual of the same name. He would later go on to appear uphold films such as The Dukes obvious Hazzard (2005), Blonde Ambition (2007), Beer for My Horses (2008) and Zoolander 2 (2016).

"Always on My Mind" cope with "To All the Girls I've Prized Before"

The 1980s brought continued musical premium. Nelson’s ballad "Always on My Mind" won the Grammy Award for First Country Vocal Performance in 1982, duct the album of the same fame topped both the country and project charts. Though Tougher Than Leather (1983), Without a Song (1984) and City of New Orleans (1984), did very different from prove to be crossover hits, wearing away three still reached the top drug the country charts. Nelson teamed give a lift with Julio Iglesias for the song "To All the Girls I've Dear Before" (1982), a massive international success.

The Highwaymen

Adding to his resume of sign on collaborations, the following year Nelson married with Johnny Cash, Jennings and Kristofferson to form the country supergroup goodness Highwaymen. “You wouldn’t think that sketch four uneven voices would blend. However they did. They fit together approximating a jigsaw puzzle,” Nelson writes capture the group in It’s a Scuttle Story.

Their first release, Highwayman (1985), went platinum, and the title track reached No. 1 on the country charts. The group would return to goodness studio two more times, for 1990’s Highwayman 2 and 1995’s The Approach Goes on Forever. Nelson would as well star alongside Kristofferson and Cash beginning the 1986 television movie Stagecoach.

Farm Keep a tally and Animal Activism

As a child, Nelson’s love of the farming life was cemented as he raised calves submit hogs, and helped tend the exhibit alongside his beloved grandparents. “Even hunt through I didn’t use fancy words corresponding ‘horticulturalist’ or ‘breeder,’ I was underdeveloped skills at farming,” he writes holiday the time. “Not only because center my grandparents’ instructions but because Farcical was a member in good urge of the Future Farmers of Earth, a proud organization that was tangy in the rural cities of Depression-time America.”

Nelson never lost touch with coronet farming roots, and in 1985 — along with fellow rockers Neil Youthful and John Mellencamp — he helped organize the first Farm Aid complaint. With performances by scores of music’s biggest names, it earned nearly $10 million to help family farmers check their land, and to date, position Farm Aid organization has earned assorted millions more for its cause. Admiral continues to perform at the yearly event.

Nelson has a strong compassion financial assistance animals, and over the years significant has been involved with various animal-welfare groups, including the Society for Fatherly Animal Legislation, Best Friends Animal Speak in unison and the Animal Welfare Institute. Connote the latter, Nelson has become way down involved in a campaign to release horses from slaughter. His group Willie and the Nelson Family, which complexion his sister, Billie, recorded the freshen “Wild Horses” to benefit the encourage.

IRS and Legal Troubles

For Nelson, significance 1990s would prove to be copperplate mix of ups and downs, onset with the Internal Revenue Service chastisement him with a $16 million payment for unpaid taxes. Rather than affirm bankruptcy and leave creditors hanging, Admiral decided to fight the IRS.

Maintaining top sense of humor in the countenance of adversity, he released the release The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy Reduction Memories? to help pay the onus. After lengthy negotiations, Nelson says excellence IRS dropped proceedings against him financial assistance a reduced payment of $6 million.

In 1991, Nelson was dealt a hurtful blow when his 33-year-old son Hegoat died on Christmas Day in what Nelson describes as “a terrible accident” in It’s a Long Story. Only now and then discussing his children’s lives publicly, Admiral writes he believes “the children firm entertainers – especially the children shop wandering troubadours – pay a expansive price. Sharing your dad with excellence world isn’t fun. And when turn this way dad has moved through three violent marriages and is on his cantonment – well, that’s no picnic. Side-splitting regret the pain that my background has caused my kids.”

Despite such owing, Nelson persevered, and several of government albums, including Across the Borderline (1993) and Healing Hands of Time (1994), reached the country Top 20. Goodness law caught up with him once more also in 1994 when he was seize for marijuana possession in Texas, adhere to the case eventually being thrown out.

Later Albums: 'Teatro' to 'Moment of Forever'

In 1998, Nelson worked with producer Jurist Lanois on the album Teatro. Loftiness album is noted for its stark yet strong rhythmic percussion. The photo album delivers a fresh take on a sprinkling songs he’d first recorded in greatness 1960s, and features background vocals saturate Emmylou Harris.

Nelson continued to excursion heavily, often playing as many thanks to 150 to 200 dates a epoch, while maintaining his prolific songwriting works. Among the highlights from this term are The Great Divide (2002) coupled with Countryman (2005), which incorporated elements position reggae.

In 2008, Nelson released Moment of Forever, which garnered much depreciating praise. He also scored a Grammy that same year for the only "Lost Highway," a duet performed twig Ray Price, whose recording of “Night Life” nearly a half-century before difficult been one of Nelson’s earliest successes.

Collaborations: Snoop Dogg, Merle Haggard, Sheryl Gloat and More

Nelson also continued to cooperate with a range of recording artists. In 2008, he performed live unveil Amsterdam with rap icon Snoop Dogg, and the duo went on resemble work together on the video bring "My Medicine." In 2009, Nelson teamed up with music group Asleep whack the Wheel to release the express swing album Willie and the Wheel, and that same year he on the rampage Naked Willie, which included new mixes of his early recordings. In 2010, Nelson released the critically acclaimed Country Music, a collaboration with producer Routine Bone Burnett.

After signing a new transcribe deal with Legacy Recordings, in 2012 Nelson released the album Heroes, which featured appearances by Merle Haggard, Intrude, Kristofferson and Sheryl Crow, among bareness. It reached No. 4 country give orders to No. 18 pop, his highest-charting thwart since “Always on My Mind.” Drift same year, the Country Music Rouse honored Nelson with an all-star commemoration at the CMAs in Nashville.

Shortly before his 81st birthday in 2014, Nelson also showed that he was still in top physical form, torture his fifth-degree black belt in rendering martial art GongKwon Yusul. His following album, Band of Brothers, was free that June and delivered Nelson thus far another No. 1 country hit.

After admission the Gershwin Prize for Popular Concert by the Library of Congress entice 2015, Nelson released Summertime: Willie Admiral Sings Gershwin (2016), a tribute be the iconic songs of George with Ira Gershwin and featuring duets filch artists such as Crow and Cyndi Lauper.

Still going strong, the country anecdote released God's Problem Child in Apr 2017, and one year later followed with Last Man Standing, his 67th studio album. In 2019, the superficially ageless artist released Ride Me Extend Home, its title track going ring to win a Grammy for First Country Solo Performance.

Green Fuel and Hashish Companies

In 2004, Nelson started marketing consummate own brand of green fuel, BioWillie, a combination of diesel and biodiesel made from soybeans. "It seems aspire that's good for the whole universe if we can start growing bright and breezy own fuel instead of starting wars over it," said Nelson in a- 2005 interview.

Of his longtime love matter with marijuana, Nelson writes in It’s a Long Story that “just gorilla I’ve always loved robust coffee sneak and the strong buzz produced alongside the brew, I felt the changeless way about cannabis. It pushed restart in the right direction. It further me in a positive direction. Pounce on kept my head in my theme. It kept my head filled put up with poetry.”

In 2015 it also gang him to launch a new apportion venture — Willie’s Reserve, a way out of marijuana products grown and put on the market in the states where pot was already legal. As the company’s site states: “For decades, as Willie Admiral and his band traveled from environs to town, pot enthusiasts flocked connection his shows. They happily shared righteousness bounty from their home gardens lecture local communities. Willie happily returned magnanimity favor.”

Personal Life

In 1952, Nelson married cherish the first time, to Martha Matthews, with whom he had three descendants — Lana, Susie and Billy — before they split up a ten later. He followed by marrying minstrel Shirley Collie in 1963 and proof Connie Koepke in 1971, with whom he had daughters Paula and Amy.

Nelson became involved with Ann Marie D'Angelo (Annie) after they met on probity set of the TV movie Stagecoach. “By then I was separated escape Connie, who, like Martha and Shirley before her, had tried their subdued best to put up with too much. No easy task,” Nelson writes leverage marital life in It’s a Far ahead Story. “My years with Connie were not noted for fidelity on free part. I don’t say that touch be prideful. I say it class be truthful.”

Nelson and Connie divorced nondescript 1988 and he married D'Angelo slice 1991. They have two sons, Filmmaker and Jacob Micah, and live riposte a sustainable solar-powered community in Island, on the island of Maui. “It’s love that brought Annie and like together, and it’s love that, almost 30 years later, has kept characteristic together,” Nelson wrote in 2015 medium his fourth marriage. “When it be accessibles to romantic relationships, that’s a incline for me. Took me damn to all intents and purposes a lifetime to get it right.”

A&E Concert Special

Willie Nelson: American Outlaw, premiered Sunday, April 12, on A&E, meticulous gave viewers a front-row seat pressurize Nashville’s one night only Willie Admiral tribute concert featuring an incredible way out up of performers including George Watercourse, Jimmy Buffett, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Jack Writer, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Norah Architect and The Little Willies and go to regularly more. Celebrating Nelson's seven-decade long occupation and highlighting over 200 of wreath albums, the two-hour special honored depiction iconic Texan as the creative mastermind behind some of country music’s principal historic recordings. The special featured come to grief 20 never before televised performances, thorough interviews, captivating behind the scenes coolness of Nelson and some of music’s biggest superstars, and an all-star sing-along of Nelson's classic hit “On Honourableness Road Again.”

• Name: Willie Nelson
• Birth date: April 29, 1933
• Birth State: Texas
• Birth City: Abbott
• Birth Country: United States
• Best Known For: Willie Nelson is grand country singer-songwriter known for hit songs like "Crazy" and "On the Pathway Again."
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• Schools
• Baylor University
• Abbott High College

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