Everything about Willie Nelson totally explained
Willie Hugh Nelson (born
April 30,
1933) is a
American singer-songwriter and
actor. He is widely regarded as one of the most beloved and notorious
country music singers. He reached his greatest fame during the so-called "
outlaw country" movement of the
1970s, but remains
iconic, especially in American popular culture. In recent years he's continued to tour, record, and perform, and this, combined with activities in advocacy of
cannabis, as well as a well-publicized
2006 arrest for cannabis possession, have made him the subject of renewed media attention.
Biography
Early life and career
Nelson was born and raised in
Abbott, Texas, the son of Myrtle and Ira D. Nelson, who was a mechanic and pool hall owner. His grandparents William Alfred Nelson and Nancy Elizabeth Smothers gave him
mail-order music lessons starting at age six. He wrote his first song when he was seven and was playing in a local band at age nine. Willie played the
guitar, while his sister Bobbie played the
piano. He met Bud Fletcher, a
fiddler, and two siblings joined his band, Bohemian Fiddlers, while Nelson was in high school.While he was in high school he took part in the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America).
Beginning in high school Nelson worked as a
disc jockey for local radio stations. Nelson had short DJ stints with
KHBR in
Hillsboro, Texas, and later with
KBOP in
Pleasanton, Texas, while singing locally in
honky tonk bars.
Nelson graduated from Abbott High School in 1951. He joined the
Air Force the same year but was discharged after nine months due to back problems. He then studied
agriculture at
Baylor University for one year in
1954.
In
1956, Nelson moved to
Vancouver, Washington, to begin a musical career, recording "Lumberjack," which was written by
Leon Payne. The single sold fairly well, but didn't establish a career. Nelson continued to work as a radio announcer in Vancouver and sing in clubs. He sold a song called "Family Bible" for $50; the song was a hit for
Claude Gray in
1960, has been
covered widely and is often considered a
gospel music classic.
Popular songwriter
Nelson moved to
Nashville in
1960, but was unable to land a record label contract. He did, however, receive a publishing contract at Pamper Music. After
Ray Price recorded Nelson's "
Night Life" (reputedly the most covered country song of all time; a version "Night Life" was even recorded by convicted killer and former cult leader
Charles Manson), Nelson joined Price's touring
band as a bass player. While playing with Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys, many of Nelson's songs became hits for some of country and pop music's biggest stars of the time. These songs include "Funny How Time Slips Away" (
Billy Walker), "
Hello Walls" (
Faron Young), "Pretty Paper" (
Roy Orbison) and most famously, "
Crazy" (
Patsy Cline). Nelson signed with
Liberty Records in
1961 and released several singles, including "Willingly" (sung with his wife, Shirley Collie) and "Touch Me."
He was unable to keep his momentum going, however, and Nelson's career ground to a halt.
Demo recordings from his years as a songwriter for Pamper Music were later discovered and released as
Crazy: The Demo Sessions (
2003).
Austin
In
1965, Nelson moved to
RCA Victor Records and joined the
Grand Ole Opry. He followed this with a series of minor hits and then retired and moved to
Austin, Texas. While in Austin, with its burgeoning "
hippie" music scene (see
Armadillo World Headquarters), Nelson decided to return to music. His popularity in Austin soared, as he played his own brand of country music marked by
rock and roll,
jazz,
western swing, and
folk influences. A lifelong passion for running and a new commitment to his own health also began during this period.
Outlaw country
Nelson signed with
Atlantic Records and released
Shotgun Willie (
1973), which won excellent reviews but didn't sell well.
Phases and Stages (
1974), a
concept album inspired by his divorce, included the hit single "Bloody Mary Morning." Nelson then moved to
Columbia Records, where he was given complete creative control over his work. The result was the critically acclaimed, massively popular concept album,
Red Headed Stranger (
1975). Although Columbia was reluctant to release an album with primarily a guitar and piano for accompaniment, Nelson insisted (with the assistance of
Waylon Jennings) and the album was a huge hit, partially because it included a popular cover of "
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" (written by
Fred Rose in
1945). "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became Nelson's first number one hit as a singer.
Along with Nelson,
Waylon Jennings was also achieving success in country music in the early
1970s, and the pair were soon combined into a genre called
outlaw country ("outlaw" because it didn't conform to Nashville standards). Nelson's outlaw image was cemented with the release of the album
Wanted! The Outlaws (
1976, with Waylon Jennings,
Jessi Colter and
Tompall Glaser), country music's first
platinum album. Nelson continued to top the
charts with hit songs during the late 1970s, including "Good Hearted Woman" (a duet with Jennings), "Remember Me", "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time", "Uncloudy Day", "I Love You a Thousand Ways", and "Something to Brag About" (a duet with
Mary Kay Place).
In
1978, Nelson released two more platinum albums,
Waylon and Willie (a collaboration with Jennings that included "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," which was written and originally recorded as a hit single by
Ed Bruce a couple of years earlier), and
Stardust, an unusual, string-based album of popular standards. It was produced by
Booker T. Jones. Though most observers predicted that
Stardust would ruin his career, it ended up being one of his most successful recordings.
Acting career
Nelson began acting, appearing in
The Electric Horseman (
1979),
Honeysuckle Rose (1980),
Thief (1981), and
Barbarosa (1982). Also in 1982 he played "Red Loon," in
Coming Out of the Ice with John Savage. In 1984 he starred in the movie
Songwriter with
Kris Kristoferson guest starring. He then had the lead role in
Red Headed Stranger (1986, with
Morgan Fairchild),
Wag the Dog (1997),
Gone Fishin (1997) as Billy 'Catch' Pooler, the 1986 TV movie
Stagecoach (with
Johnny Cash), and
Dukes of Hazard (2006) with
Waylon Jennings and
Kris Kristofferson, whom along with Cash would form a band with Nelson called
The Highwaymen).
He has continued acting since his early successes, but usually in smaller roles and cameos, some of which involve his status as a
cannabis activist and icon. One of his more popular recent cameos was a performance in
Half Baked as an
elderly "Historian Smoker" who, while smoking
marijuana, would reminisce about how things used to be in his younger years. Nelson also appeared as himself in the 2006 movie
Beerfest, looking for teammates to join him in a mythical world-championship cannabis-smoking contest held in
Amsterdam.
He has made guest appearances on
Miami Vice,
Delta,
Nash Bridges,
The Simpsons,
Monk,
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,
King of the Hill, and
The Colbert Report. He played
Uncle Jesse in
The Dukes of Hazzard, the 2005 cinematic treatment of the
television series, and was the only member of the big screen cast to reprise the role in the TV/DVD movie
prequel (2007) (
V). He also briefly appeared in .
Hits, excesses, and Farm Aid
The Eighties saw a series of hit singles: "
Always on My Mind" (originally made popular by
Elvis Presley), "
On the Road Again" from the movie
Honeysuckle Rose and "
To All the Girls I've Loved Before" (a rather incongruous duet with
Julio Iglesias). There were also more popular albums, including
Pancho & Lefty (1982, with
Merle Haggard),
WWII (1982, with
Waylon Jennings) and
Take it to the Limit (1983, with
Waylon Jennings).
In the mid-
1980s, Nelson,
Waylon Jennings,
Kris Kristofferson, and
Johnny Cash formed a group called
The Highwaymen. They achieved unexpectedly massive success, including platinum record sales and worldwide touring. Meanwhile, he became more and more involved in charity work, such as establishing the
Farm Aid concerts in
1985.
In
1990, the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) handed Nelson a bill for $16.7 million in back taxes and seized most of his assets to help pay the charges. He released as a double album, with all profits going straight to the IRS. Many of his assets were auctioned and purchased by friends, who gave his possessions back to him or rented them at a nominal fee. He sued accounting firm
Price Waterhouse, contending that they put him into
tax shelters that were later disallowed. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.
His debts were paid by
1993.
In
1996, Willie Nelson was featured on the
Beach Boys' now out-of-print album
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 singing a cover of their 1964 song "The Warmth of the Sun" with the Beach Boys themselves providing the harmonies and backing vocals. He also starred in Baywatch as an old man in boxer shorts.
Hard-Drivin' American troubadour
He released
Across the Borderline in 1993, with guests
Bob Dylan,
Sinéad O'Connor,
David Crosby,
Bonnie Raitt,
Kris Kristofferson and
Paul Simon.
During the
1990s and
2000s, Nelson has toured continuously and released albums that generally received mixed reviews, with the exception of 1998's critically acclaimed
Teatro (which was produced by
Daniel Lanois—more commonly known for his work with
U2—and featured supporting vocals by
Emmylou Harris). Later that year, he joined rock band
Phish onstage for several songs as part of the annual Farm Aid festival. He also performed a duet concert with fellow Highwayman
Johnny Cash, recorded for the
VH1 Storytellers series.
Nelson received
Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. A star-studded
television special celebrating his 70th birthday aired in 2003. In 2004, he released
Outlaws & Angels, featuring guests
Toby Keith,
Joe Walsh,
Merle Haggard,
Kid Rock,
Al Green,
Shelby Lynne,
Carole King,
Toots Hibbert,
Ben Harper,
Lee Ann Womack, The Holmes Brothers,
Los Lonely Boys,
Lucinda Williams,
Keith Richards,
Jerry Lee Lewis and
Rickie Lee Jones.
Willie Nelson: An Epic Life by Joe Nick Patoski will be released in April, 2008. Mr. Patoski did over 100 interviews with Willie, his family, his band, the people he grew up with in Abbott, and many others. This is part biography, part memoir, part history, from the depression to Willie as he celebrates his 75th birthday.
Activism
In 2004, Nelson and his wife Annie became partners with Bob and Kelly King in the building of two Pacific
Bio-diesel plants, one in
Salem, Oregon, and the other at
Carl's Corner, Texas, (the Texas plant was founded by Carl Cornelius, a longtime Nelson friend). In 2005, Nelson and several other business partners formed
Willie Nelson Bio-diesel ("Bio-Willie"), a company that's marketing
bio-diesel bio-fuel to
truck stops. The fuel is made from
vegetable oil (mainly
soybean oil), and can be burned without modification in
diesel engines.
Nelson is a co-chair of the
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) advisory board. He has worked with NORML for years for
marijuana decriminalization and has produced commercials for NORML that have appeared on
Pot TV programs. In 2005, Nelson and his family hosted the first annual "Willie Nelson & NORML
Benefit Golf Tournament," which appeared on the cover of
High Times magazine.
On January 9, 2005, Nelson headlined an all-star concert at
Austin Music Hall to benefit the victims of the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Tsunami Relief Austin to Asia raised an estimated $120,000 for
UNICEF and two other organizations.
Nelson was a supporter of
Kinky Friedman's campaign in the
2006 Texas gubernatorial election. In 2005, he recorded a radio advertisement asking for support to put Friedman on the ballot as an
independent candidate. Friedman promised Willie a job in Austin as the head of a new Texas Energy Commission due to Nelson's support of
bio-fuels. (Friedman was on the ballot but came in fourth with 12.43 percent, losing to Republican Rick Perry.
Nelson supported
Dennis Kucinich's campaign in the
2004 Democratic presidential primaries. He raised money, appeared at events, composed a song ("Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth?"), and contributing a quote for the front cover of Kucinich's book for the campaign.
Nelson is an honorary trustee of the
Dayton International Peace Museum.
Nelson is an advocate for horses and their treatment. He has been campaigning for passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) with the
Animal Welfare Institute. He is on the Board of Directors and has adopted a number of horses from Habitat for Horses.
In
March 2007,
Ben & Jerry's released a new flavor, "Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler Ice Cream". Nelson's proceeds will be donated to
Farm Aid. The flavor has been re-released and is now available, after Ben & Jerry's voluntary recall of 250,000 pints of the new flavor on
March 19 2007, as
wheat was incorrectly excluded from the list of ingredients.
Willie Nelson founded the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute in April 2007. Nelson and his daughter Amy Nelson wrote a song called "A Peaceful Solution", which they released into the public domain, and encouraged artists to render their own version of the song, which he'd feature on the Institute's web site.
Nelson questions the official story of what happened on September 11th. On February 4th, 2008, Nelson appeared on
Alex Jones's radio show and talked about the
attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, stating his belief that the
Twin Towers were imploded: "I saw one fall and it was just so symmetrical, I said wait a minute I just saw that last week at the casino in Las Vegas and you see these implosions all the time and the next one fell and I said hell there's another one - and they're trying to tell me that an airplane did it and I can't go along with that."
Personal life
Willie Nelson has been married four times and fathered seven children.
- Martha Matthews from 1952-1962. Children are Lana, Susie, and Billy (who died in 1991).
- Shirley Collie from 1963-1971.
- Connie Koepke from 1971-1988. Children are Paula Carlene and Amy Lee.
- Annie D'Angelo from 1991-present. Children are Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah.
Nelson can trace his
genealogy back to the
American Revolutionary War, in which his ancestor John Nelson served as a
major.
Nelson is a member of
Tau Kappa Epsilon international
fraternity
Popular image
Willie Nelson is widely recognized as an
American icon. His distinctive music and other social and political activities sometimes take a backseat to his pop-culture public image (firmly grounded in the acknowledged reality of his life) - that of an elderly, lifelong
marijuana-smoking, tax-evading, biodiesel-burning, old-school
cowboy-
hippie troubadour. His image is marked by his red hair, often divided into two long
braids partially concealed under a bandana. He has been featured in recent advertisements for a variety of products and companies, including a 2002 spot directed by
Peter Lindbergh for
Gap where he performs
Hank Williams' "
Move It On Over" alongside
Ryan Adams.
During the controversial mid-decade
2003 Texas redistricting attempt by
Republicans in the
Texas Legislature, Nelson supported the
quorum-busting "
Killer Ds,"
Democrats who left the state and briefly stayed at a
Holiday Inn in
Ardmore, Oklahoma to prevent the
Texas House of Representatives from considering the legislation.
Nelson sent the legislators a case of red
bandanas,
T-shirts, and a case of
whiskey with a note that read "Stand your ground."According to
Time, "The Dems then broke into a
campfire-style
sing-along of
Merle Haggard's '
Okie from Muskogee' from a second-floor balcony...At a
press briefing that evening, legislator Jim McReynolds said, "We have not heard from
Governor (Rick) Perry or
Speaker (Tom) Craddick, but we've heard from the most powerful Texan of all, Willie Nelson."
In 2005, Democratic Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos introduced a bill to name 49 miles of the
Travis County section of
Texas State Highway 130, after Nelson. At one point, Barrientos had 23 of the 31 state Senators as co-sponsors. The legislation was dropped after two Republican senators, Florence Shapiro and Jeff Wentworth, pulled the bill from the Senate's "Local and Uncontested Calendar" and Barrientos decided not to put it on the regular calendar. Republicans' objections were based on Nelson's lack of connection to the highway, his fundraisers for Democrats, his drinking and his marijuana advocacy.
Nelson also volunteered to narrate "The Austin Disaster, 1911", a little-known documentary about a flood in Potter County, Pennsylvania (see
Floods in the United States). Before the tragedy, an unrelated William "Willie" Nelson repeatedly warned residents of possible dam failure.
In 2002 Willie released the album, "The Great Divide." A few songs on the album were written by
Rob Thomas of
Matchbox 20 and
Bernie Taupin. Rob Thomas contributed background vocals and made an appearance in the video for, "Maria (Shut Up and Kiss Me)."
Lee Ann Womack appeared on the song, "
Mendocino County Line" which was also released as a single (Mendocino County is an actual county located in California. Mendocino county voters approved Measure G, which calls for the decriminalization of marijuana when used and cultivated for personal use). Other guests on "The Great Divide" include
Kid Rock,
Bonnie Raitt,
Sheryl Crow, and
Alison Krauss. Willie also covered Cyndi Lauper's, "
Time After Time."
Willie Nelson performed a duet on "Beer for my Horses" with
Toby Keith on Keith's
Unleashed album released in
2002. This song was released as a single in 2003 and Nelson shot a video with Keith in
2003. It won an award for "Best Video" at the Academy of Country Music Awards held on
May 26,
2004.
In
2002, Nelson signed a deal to become the official spokesman of the
Texas Roadhouse, a fast-growing chain of steakhouses in the U.S. Since then, Nelson has heavily promoted the chain (including a special on
Food Network). Meanwhile the Texas Roadhouse itself installed "Willie's Corner" at several locations, which is a section dedicated to Nelson and decked out with memorabilia of him.
No stranger to controversy, he released the Tex-Mex style "
Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other," a song about gay cowboys, as a digital single through the
iTunes Music Store on Valentine's Day
2006, shortly after the release of the film
Brokeback Mountain (which also featured Nelson on the
soundtrack). He deadpans his way through the song, with such phrases as "What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?" and "Inside every cowboy there's a lady who'd love to slip out." The song was written and first recorded more than twenty years previously by musicologist/songwriter
Ned Sublette and had also been covered, prior to Nelson's version, by
queercore band
Pansy Division.
In
2006,
Julio Iglesias recorded Willie's hit "Always on My Mind" for Iglesias' upcoming
Romantic Classics album, due out
September 19,
2006. This song was recorded 20 years after Julio and Willie teamed up for "To All the Girls I've Loved Before."
In the
April 2007 issue of Stuff Magazine Nelson was interviewed about his long locks. "I started braiding my hair when it started getting too long, and that was, I don't know, probably in the 70's."
On January 29, 2008 Nelson released his latest album entitled
Moment of Forever. The album includes covers of classics, originals written by Nelson, and
Worry B. Gone, a duet with
Kenny Chesney (who co-produced the album with Buddy Cannon).
The January 2008 issue of the
High Times magazine has Willie Nelson on the cover with an interview.
In May 2008, Nelson appeared on a duet with
Norwegian pop star and former
World Idol winner
Kurt Nilsen on the country classic "Lost Highway". The single topped the
Norwegian charts and was released on Nilsen's album
Rise To The Occasion. Subsequent reports have stated that Nelson is eager to expand the collaboration further.
The Willie Nelson family
Nelson's touring and recording group is a collection of a number of longstanding members, including his sister Bobbie Nelson, longtime drummer
Paul English, harmonicist
Mickey Raphael, Bee Spears, Billy English (Paul's younger brother), and Jody Payne. Willie tours North America in his bio-diesel (aka "Bio-Willie" -
Willie Nelson Bio-diesel) bus, the "Honeysuckle Rose IV."
Nelson's principal guitar is a
Martin N-20
nylon-string acoustic, which he's named "Trigger", after
Roy Rogers' horse. Constant strumming over the decades has worn a large sweeping hole into the guitar's body near the sound hole. Its soundboard has been signed over the years by over a hundred of Nelson's friends and associates, from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches.
Discography
Filmography
Books
Willie Nelson: An Epic Life 2008 Joe Nick Patoski ISBN-10: 0316017787
| Willie: Autobiography |
1988 |
Bud Shrake |
ISBN 0-8154-1080-8 |
| The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes |
2002 |
|
ISBN 0-375-50731-0 |
| The Tao of Willie |
2006 |
Turk Pipkin |
ISBN 1-59240-197-X |
Awards
Further Information
Get more info on 'Willie Nelson'.
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