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Wikipedia

Willie Nelson

January 19, 2024

For the American boxer, see Willie Nelson (boxer). For the Scottish rugby player, see Willie Neilson. For other people, see William Nelson (disambiguation).

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country singer, guitarist and songwriter. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.

Willie Nelson
Nelson in 2007
Born
Willie Hugh Nelson

(1933-04-29) April 29, 1933 (age 90)
Abbott, Texas, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
  • actor
  • activist
Years active1956–present
Spouses
  • Martha Matthews
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1952; div. 1962)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1963; div. 1971)​
  • Connie Koepke
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1971; div. 1988)​
  • Annie D'Angelo
    ​
    (m. 1991)​
Children8, including Lukas and Paula
RelativesBobbie Nelson (sister)
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
DiscographyAlbums discography
Singles discography
Labels
Formerly ofThe Highwaymen

Nelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten. During high school, he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player. After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems. After his return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music. He worked as a disc jockey at radio stations in his native Texas, and in several radio stations in the Pacific Northwest, all the while working as a singer and songwriter throughout the late 1950s. During that time, he wrote songs that would become country standards, including "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello Walls", "Pretty Paper", and "Crazy". In 1960 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. In 1962, he recorded his first album, ...And Then I Wrote. Due to this success, Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Nelson grew weary of the corporate Nashville music scene, and in 1972 he moved to Austin, Texas. The ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return to performing, appearing frequently at the Armadillo World Headquarters.

In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson turned to outlaw country, including albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to Columbia Records, where he recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger. The same year, he recorded another outlaw country album, Wanted! The Outlaws, along with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During the mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like "On the Road Again", "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", and "Pancho and Lefty", he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. In 1985, he helped organize the first Farm Aid concert to benefit American farmers; the concerts have been held annually ever since and Nelson has been a fixture, appearing at every one.

In 1990, Nelson's assets were seized by the Internal Revenue Service, which claimed that he owed $32 million. The difficulty of paying his outstanding debt was aggravated by weak investments he had made during the 1980s. In 1992, Nelson released The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?; the profits of the double album—destined to the IRS—and the auction of Nelson's assets cleared his debt. During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson continued touring extensively, and released albums every year. Reviews ranged from positive to mixed. He explored genres such as reggae, blues, jazz, and folk.

Nelson made his first movie appearance in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, followed by other appearances in movies and on television. Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which is in favor of marijuana legalization. On the environmental front, Nelson owns the biodiesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, whose product is made from vegetable oil. Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the state of Texas.

Early life

 
 
Nelson as a junior at Abbott High School (top, pictured in 1949). Nelson's high school football portrait, (bottom, c. 1950)

Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas, on April 29, 1933,[1] the son of Ira Doyle Nelson and Myrle Marie (née Greenhaw).[2] His birthday was incorrectly recorded by Dr. F. D. Sims as April 30.[1] He was named Willie by his cousin Mildred, who also chose Hugh as his middle name, in honor of her recently deceased younger brother.[1] Nelson traces his genealogy to the American Revolutionary War, in which his ancestor John Nelson served as a major.[3] His parents moved to Texas from Arkansas in 1929 to look for work. His grandfather, William, worked as a blacksmith, while his father worked as a mechanic.[4] His mother left soon after he was born,[5] and his father remarried and also moved away, leaving Nelson and his sister Bobbie to be raised by their grandparents, who taught singing back in Arkansas and started their grandchildren in music.[6][7] Nelson's grandfather bought him a guitar when he was six, and taught him a few chords,[4] and Nelson sang gospel songs in the local church alongside Bobbie.[8] He wrote his first song at age seven,[9] and when he was nine, he played guitar for local band Bohemian Polka.[10] During the summer, the family picked cotton alongside other Abbott residents.[11] Nelson disliked picking cotton, so he earned money by singing in dance halls, taverns, and honky tonks from age 13, which he continued through high school.[12] His musical influences were Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Bob Wills, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Django Reinhardt, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong.[13][14][15]

Nelson attended Abbott High School, where he was a halfback on the football team, guard on the basketball team, and shortstop in baseball. He also raised pigs with the Future Farmers of America.[2] While still at school, he sang and played guitar in The Texans, a band formed by his sister's husband, Bud Fletcher.[10] The band played in honky-tonks, and also had a Sunday morning spot at KHBR in Hillsboro, Texas. Meanwhile, Nelson had a short stint as a relief phone operator in Abbott, followed by a job as a tree trimmer for the local electric company, as well as a pawn shop employee.[16] After leaving school in 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force; he served for nine months before being medically discharged because of issues with his back.[17] Upon his return in 1952, he married Martha Matthews, and from 1954 to 1956 studied agriculture at Baylor University, where he joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, until dropping out to pursue a career in music.[18] He worked as a nightclub bouncer, autohouse partsman, saddle maker, and tree trimmer again. He later joined Johnny Bush's band.

Nelson moved with his family to Pleasanton, Texas, where he auditioned for a job as a DJ at KBOP. The owner of the station, Dr. Ben Parker, gave Nelson the job despite his lack of experience working on radio.[16] With the equipment of the station, Nelson made his first two recordings in 1955: "The Storm Has Just Begun" and "When I've Sung My Last Hillbilly Song". He recorded the tracks on used tapes, and sent the demos to the local label SARG Records, which rejected them.[19] He then had stints working for KDNT in Denton, KCUL, and KCNC in Fort Worth, where he hosted The Western Express, taught Sunday school, and played in nightclubs. He then decided to move to San Diego but, when he was unable to find a job there, he hitchhiked to Portland, Oregon, where his mother lived.[16] When nobody picked him up, he ended up sleeping in a ditch[20] before hopping a freight train bound for Eugene. A truck driver drove him to a bus station and loaned him $10 for a ticket to reach Portland.[21]

Music career

Beginnings (1956–1971)

Nelson was hired by KVAN in Vancouver, Washington, and appeared frequently on a television show.[16][22] He made his first record in 1956, "No Place for Me", that included Leon Payne's "Lumberjack" on the B-side.[23] The recording failed.[24] Nelson continued working as a radio announcer and singing in Vancouver clubs.[25] He made several appearances in a Colorado nightclub, later moving to Springfield, Missouri. After failing to land a spot on the Ozark Jubilee, he started to work as a dishwasher. Unhappy with his job, he moved back to Texas. After a short time in Waco, he settled in Fort Worth, and quit the music business for a year.[16] He sold bibles and vacuum cleaners door-to-door,[26] and eventually became a sales manager for the Encyclopedia Americana.[27]

After his son Billy was born in 1958, the family moved to Houston, Texas. On the way, Nelson stopped by the Esquire Ballroom to sell his original songs to house band singer Larry Butler. Butler refused to purchase the song "Mr. Record Man" for $10, instead giving Nelson a $50 loan to rent an apartment and a six-night job singing in the club.[28] Nelson rented the apartment near Houston in Pasadena, Texas, where he also worked at the radio station as the sign-on disc jockey. During this time, he recorded two singles for Pappy Daily on D Records[29] "Man With the Blues"/"The Storm Has Just Begun" and "What a Way to Live"/"Misery Mansion".[30] Nelson then was hired by guitar instructor Paul Buskirk to work as an instructor in his school. He sold "Family Bible" to Buskirk for $50 and "Night Life" for $150.[31] "Family Bible" turned into a hit for Claude Gray in 1960.[32]

 
"Hello Walls"
Written by Willie Nelson, "Hello Walls", was a hit for Faron Young in 1961, and the song that gave Nelson national recognition as a songwriter. He recorded the song for his debut album ... And Then I Wrote.
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Nelson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1960, but was unable to find a label to sign him. During this period he often spent time at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a bar near the Grand Ole Opry frequented by the show's stars and other singers and songwriters.[33] There Nelson met Hank Cochran, a songwriter who worked for the publishing company Pamper Music, owned by Ray Price and Hal Smith. Cochran heard Nelson during a jam session with Buddy Emmons and Jimmy Day. Cochran had just earned a raise of $50 a week, but convinced Smith to pay Nelson the money instead to sign him to Pamper Music. On hearing Nelson sing "Hello Walls" at Tootsie's, Faron Young decided to record it.[34] After Ray Price recorded Nelson's "Night Life", and his previous bassist Johnny Paycheck quit, Nelson joined Price's touring band as a bass player. While playing with Price and the Cherokee Cowboys, his songs became hits for other artists, including "Funny How Time Slips Away" (Billy Walker), "Pretty Paper" (Roy Orbison), and, most famously, "Crazy" by Patsy Cline.[25] Nelson and Cochran also met Cline's husband, Charlie Dick at Tootsie's. Dick liked a song of Nelson's he heard on the bar's jukebox. Nelson played him a demo tape of "Crazy". Later that night Dick played the tape for Cline, who decided to record it.[6] "Crazy" became the biggest jukebox hit of all time.[35]

 
Nelson performing on a Grand Ole Opry package show in 1965

Nelson signed with Liberty Records and was recording by August 1961 at Quonset Hut Studio. His first two successful singles as an artist were released by the next year, including "Willingly" (a duet with his soon-to-be second wife, Shirley Collie, which became his first charting single and first Top Ten at No. 10) and "Touch Me" (his second Top Ten, stalling at No. 7).[36] Nelson's tenure at Liberty yielded his first album entitled ...And Then I Wrote, released in September 1962.[37] In 1963 Collie and Nelson were married in Las Vegas. He then worked on the west coast offices of Pamper Records, in Pico Rivera, California. Since the job did not allow him the time to play music of his own, he left it and bought a ranch in Ridgetop, Tennessee, outside of Nashville.[27] Fred Foster of Monument Records signed Nelson in early 1964, but only one single was released: "I Never Cared For You".[38]

By the fall of 1964, Nelson had moved to RCA Victor at the behest of Chet Atkins, signing a contract for $10,000 per year.[39] Country Willie – His Own Songs became Nelson's first RCA Victor album, recorded in April 1965. That same year he joined the Grand Ole Opry,[40] and he met and became friends with Waylon Jennings after watching one of his shows in Phoenix, Arizona.[41] In 1967, he formed his backing band "The Record Men", featuring Johnny Bush, Jimmy Day, Paul English and David Zettner.[42] During his first few years on RCA Victor, Nelson had no significant hits, but from November 1966 through March 1969, his singles reached the Top 25 in a consistent manner. "One in a Row" (#19, 1966), "The Party's Over" (#24 during a 16-week chart run in 1967), and his cover of Morecambe & Wise's "Bring Me Sunshine" (#13, March 1969) were Nelson's best-selling records during his time with RCA.[24]

By 1970, most of Nelson's songwriting royalties were invested in tours that did not produce significant profits. In addition to the problems in his career, Nelson divorced Shirley Collie in 1970. In December, his ranch in Ridgetop, Tennessee, burned down. He interpreted the incident as a signal for a change. He moved to a ranch near Bandera, Texas, and married Connie Koepke. In early 1971 his single "I'm a Memory" reached the top 30.[43] After he recorded his final RCA single, "Mountain Dew" (backed with "Phases, Stages, Circles, Cycles and Scenes"), in late April 1972, RCA requested that Nelson renew his contract ahead of schedule, with the implication that RCA would not release his latest recordings if he did not.[44] Due to the failure of his albums, and particularly frustrated by the reception of Yesterday's Wine, although his contract was not over, Nelson decided to retire from music.[45]

Outlaw country and success (1972–1989)

Nelson moved to Austin, Texas, where the burgeoning hippie music scene (see Armadillo World Headquarters) rejuvenated the singer. His popularity in Austin soared as he played his own brand of country music marked by country, folk and jazz influences.[46] In March, he performed on the final day of the Dripping Springs Reunion, a three-day country music festival aimed by its producers to be an annual event. Despite the failure to reach the expected attendance, the concept of the festival inspired Nelson to create the Fourth of July Picnic, his own annual event, starting the following year.[47]

Nelson decided to return to the recording business; he signed Neil Reshen as his manager to negotiate with RCA, who got the label to agree to end his contract upon repayment of $14,000.[44] Reshen eventually signed Nelson to Atlantic Records for $25,000 per year, where he became the label's first country artist.[48] He formed his backing band, The Family,[49] and, by February 1973, he was recording his acclaimed Shotgun Willie at Atlantic Studios in New York City.[50]

 
"Shotgun Willie introduction"
Introduction of the song "Shotgun Willie", opening track of the album of the same name that marked a change of style from Nelson's earlier recordings.
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Shotgun Willie, released in May 1973, earned excellent reviews but did not sell well. The album led Nelson to a new style, later stating that Shotgun Willie had "cleared his throat".[51] His next release, Phases and Stages, released in 1974, was a concept album about a couple's divorce, inspired by his own experience. Side one of the record is from the viewpoint of the woman, and side two is from the viewpoint of the man.[52] The album included the hit single "Bloody Mary Morning".[53] The same year, he produced and starred in the pilot episode of PBS' Austin City Limits.[54]

Nelson then moved to Columbia Records, where he signed a contract that gave him complete creative control, made possible by the critical and commercial success of his previous albums.[55] The result was the critically acclaimed and massively popular 1975 concept album Red Headed Stranger. Although Columbia was reluctant to release an album with primarily a guitar and piano for accompaniment, Nelson and Waylon Jennings insisted. The album included a cover of Fred Rose's 1945 song "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", that had been released as a single previous to the album, and became Nelson's first number one hit as a singer.[56] Throughout his 1975 tour, Nelson raised funds for PBS-affiliated stations across the south promoting Austin City Limits. The pilot was aired first on those stations, later being released nationwide. The positive reception of the show prompted PBS to order ten episodes for 1976, formally launching the show.[57]

 
L–R: Kris Kristofferson, Nelson, and Waylon Jennings at the 1972 Dripping Springs Reunion

As Jennings was also achieving success in country music in the early 1970s, the pair were combined into a genre called outlaw country, since it did not conform to Nashville standards.[58] The album Wanted! The Outlaws in 1976 with Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser cemented the pair's outlaw image and became country music's first platinum album.[59] Later that year Nelson released The Sound in Your Mind (certified gold in 1978 and platinum in 2001)[60] and his first gospel album Troublemaker[61] (certified gold in 1986).[62]

In the summer of 1977, Nelson discovered that Reshen had been filing tax extensions and not paying the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) since he took over as his manager.[63] In June, a package containing cocaine was sent from Reshen's office in New York to Jennings in Nashville.[64] The package was followed by the DEA, and Jennings was arrested. The charges were later dropped, since Reshen's assistant, Mark Rothbaum, stepped in and took the charges. Rothbaum was sentenced to serve time in jail. Impressed by his attitude, Nelson fired Reshen and hired Rothbaum as his manager.[63] In 1978, Nelson released two more platinum albums. One, Waylon & Willie, was a collaboration with Jennings that included "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", a hit single written and performed by Ed Bruce.[65] Though observers predicted that Stardust would ruin his career, it went platinum the same year.[66] Nelson continued to top the charts with hit songs during the late 1970s, including "Good Hearted Woman", "Remember Me",[67] "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time", and "Uncloudy Day".[68]

 
"On the Road Again"
From the album Honeysuckle Rose, "On the Road Again" peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1980.
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During the 1980s, Nelson recorded a series of hit singles including "Midnight Rider", a 1980 cover of the Allman Brothers song which Nelson recorded for The Electric Horseman,[69] the soundtrack "On the Road Again" from the movie Honeysuckle Rose, and a duet with Julio Iglesias titled "To All the Girls I've Loved Before".[70]

 
Nelson and guests with President Jimmy Carter in 1978

In 1982, Pancho & Lefty, a duet album with Merle Haggard produced by Chips Moman, was released.[71] During the recording sessions of Pancho and Lefty, Johnny Christopher, a session guitarist and the co-writer of "Always on My Mind", tried to pitch the song to an uninterested Haggard. Nelson, who was unaware of Elvis Presley's version of the song, asked him to record it. Produced by Moman, the single of the song was released, as well as the album of the same name. The single topped Billboard's Hot Country Singles, while it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. The release won three awards during the 25th Annual Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance. The single was certified platinum, while the album was certified quadruple-platinum and later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.[72]

Meanwhile, two collaborations with Waylon Jennings were released: WWII in 1982,[73] and Take it to the Limit in 1983. In the mid-1980s, Nelson, Jennings, Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash formed The Highwaymen, a supergroup who achieved platinum record sales and toured the world.[74] Meanwhile, Nelson became more involved with charity work, such as singing on We are the World in 1984.[75] In 1985, Nelson had another success with Half Nelson, a compilation album of duets with a range of artists such as Ray Charles and Neil Young.[76] In 1980, Nelson performed on the south lawn of the White House. The concert of September 13 featured First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Nelson in a duet of Ray Wylie Hubbard's "Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother". Nelson frequently visited the White House, where, according to the biography by Joe Nick Patoski, Willie Nelson: An Epic Life, he smoked marijuana on the White House roof.[77]

Later career (1990s)

In 1996, Nelson re-recorded the tracks "Hello Walls" with the band the Reverend Horton Heat, and "Bloody Mary Morning" with the Supersuckers, for Twisted Willie, a tribute album featuring rock versions of Nelson's songs performed by artists such as Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Cantrell, Mark Lanegan, L7, the Presidents of the United States of America, and Jello Biafra, among others.[78] Proceeds from the sale of the record went to Nelson's Farm Aid.[79]

 
Nelson with President Bill Clinton in 1993

During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson toured continuously, recording several albums including 1998's critically acclaimed Teatro,[80] and performed and recorded with other acts including Phish,[81] Johnny Cash,[82] and Toby Keith. His duet with Keith, "Beer for My Horses", was released as a single and topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for six consecutive weeks in 2003,[83] while the accompanying video won an award for "Best Video" at the 2004 Academy of Country Music Awards.[84] A USA Network television special celebrated Nelson's 70th birthday,[85] and Nelson released The Essential Willie Nelson as part of the celebration. Nelson also appeared on Ringo Starr's 2003 album, Ringo Rama, as a guest vocal on "Write One for Me".[86]

Nelson was featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals, which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album, and showcased many notable musicians including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Gwen Stefani, and Keith Richards.[87] In the following year of 2005, Nelson released a reggae album entitled Countryman which featured Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals on the song "I'm a Worried Man".[88]

Nelson headlined the 2005 Tsunami Relief Austin to Asia concert to benefit the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which raised an estimated $75,000 for UNICEF.[89] Also in 2005, a live performance of the Johnny Cash song "Busted" with Ray Charles was released on Charles' duets album Genius & Friends. Nelson's 2007 performance with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center, was released as the live album Two Men with the Blues in 2008; reaching number one in Billboard's Top Jazz Albums and number twenty on the Billboard 200.[90] The same year, Nelson recorded his first album with Buddy Cannon as the producer, Moment of Forever. Cannon acquainted Nelson earlier, during the production of his collaboration with Kenny Chesney on the duet "That Lucky Old Sun", for Chesney's album of the same name.[91] In 2009 Nelson and Marsalis joined with Norah Jones in a tribute concert to Ray Charles, which resulted in the Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles album, released in 2011.[92]

2010s

In 2010, Nelson released Country Music, a compilation of standards produced by T-Bone Burnett.[93] The album peaked number four in Billboard's Top Country Albums, and twenty on the Billboard 200.[94] It was nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards.[95] In 2011 Nelson participated in the concert Kokua For Japan, a fund raising event for the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan which raised $1.6 million.[96]

In February 2012, Legacy Recordings signed a deal with Nelson that included the release of new material, as well as past releases that would be selected and complemented with outtakes and other material selected by him.[97] With the new deal, Buddy Cannon returned to produce the recordings of Nelson. After selecting the material and the sound of the tunes with the singer, Cannon's work method consisted in the recording of the tracks with studio musicians, with the takes later completed on a separate session by Nelson with his guitar. Cannon's association to Nelson also extended to songwriting, with singer and producer composing the lyrics by exchanging text messages.[91]

Nelson's first release for the Legacy Recordings was Heroes, that included guest appearances by his sons Lukas and Micah of the band Insects vs Robots, Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson, Billy Joe Shaver and Sheryl Crow. The album reached number four on Billboard's Top Country Albums.[98] His 2013 release To All the Girls..., a collection of duets with all female partners, featured among others Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Mavis Staples, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert.[99] The album entered Billboard's Top Country Albums at number two, marking his highest position on the chart since the release of his 1989 A Horse Called Music, and extending his record to a total of forty-six top ten albums on the country charts. Nelson scored as well his second top ten album on the Billboard 200, with the release entering at number nine.[100]

 
Nelson performing in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 2018

Nelson’s following release was Band of Brothers, in 2014, the first Nelson album to feature the most newly self-penned songs since 1996's Spirit. Upon its release, it topped Billboard's Top Country albums chart, the first time since 1986's The Promiseland, the last Nelson album to top it. The release reached number five on the Billboard 200, Nelson's highest position on the chart since 1982's Always on My Mind.[101] In December 2014, a duet with Rhonda Vincent, "Only Me", topped Bluegrass Unlimited's National Airplay chart.[102] In June 2015, his collaboration with Haggard Django and Jimmie topped Billboard's Top Country albums chart and reached number seven on the Billboard 200.

In 2017, Nelson released God's Problem Child. The release, consisting mostly of Nelson originals co-written with Cannon, entered the Top country albums at number one, while it reached number ten on the Billboard 200.[103]

In 2018, Nelson sang a song written by Daniel Lanois called "Cruel World" for the soundtrack of Rockstar Games's action-adventure video game Red Dead Redemption 2.[104] Lanois wrote the song especially for Nelson. When a hurricane prevented Nelson from recording the song, the production team sent the track to Josh Homme in the hopes that he could record it in time for the game's release. Nelson was ultimately able to record the song in time in Los Angeles;[105] the team considered combining the two versions into a duet, but ultimately included both versions in the game.[106] Also in 2018, Nelson was one of several artists on Restoration, a cover album containing various country renditions of songs originally by Elton John, on which he performed "Border Song".[107] His 2019 release Ride Me Back Home charted at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.[108] For the title-track, Nelson received the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance.[109]

2020s

Following the U.S. coronavirus pandemic lockdowns that began in March 2020, Nelson livestreamed a series of benefit concerts. The first two raised $700,000 for people who had suffered financial loss due to effects on the U.S. economy.[110] The third, which was held on April 20, 2020, was a variety show titled Come and Toke It.[111] Some of the content was cannabis-themed, and some of the proceeds will be used to support The Last Prisoner Project, a restorative justice program relating to persons convicted of cannabis related crimes.[112][113][114] The same year, Nelson was approached by Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs to collaborate. They chose to do a cover of David Bowie and Queen's Under Pressure.[115]

For his releases of The Willie Nelson Family (2021) and A Beautiful Time (2022), Nelson received four nominations for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards winning in two categories: Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Album.[116][117] In December 2022, Mark Rothbaum announced the release of a five-part documentary entitled Willie Nelson and Family released at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.[116] In 2023, Nelson performed at two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl celebrating his 90th birthday[118] and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[119]

Other ventures

Nelson's acting debut was in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, followed by appearances in Honeysuckle Rose, Thief, and Barbarosa. He played the role of Red Loon in Coming Out of the Ice in 1982 and starred in Songwriter two years later. He portrayed the lead role in the 1986 film version of his album Red Headed Stranger.[120] Other movies that Nelson acted in include Wag the Dog, Gone Fishin' (as Billy 'Catch' Pooler), the 1986 television movie Stagecoach (with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson), Half Baked, Beerfest, The Dukes of Hazzard, Surfer, Dude and Swing Vote. He has also made guest appearances on Miami Vice (1986's "El Viejo" episode); Delta; Nash Bridges; The Simpsons; Monk; Adventures in Wonderland; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; King of the Hill; The Colbert Report; Swing Vote; and Space Ghost Coast to Coast.[121]

 
In 2008, Nelson reopened the truck stop Willie's Place near Hillsboro, Texas

In 1988 his first book, Willie: An Autobiography, was published.[122] The Facts of Life: And Other Dirty Jokes, a personal recollection of tour and musical stories from his career, combined with song lyrics, followed in 2002. In 2005 he co-authored Farm Aid: A Song for America, a commemorative book about the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of Farm Aid.[123] His third book, co-authored with long-time friend Turk Pipkin, The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart, was published in 2006.[124] In 2007 a book advocating the use of bio-diesel and the reduction of gas emissions, On The Clean Road Again: Biodiesel and The Future of the Family Farm, was published.[4] His next book, A Tale Out of Luck, published in 2008 and co-authored by Mike Blakely, was Nelson's first fictional book.[125] In 2012, it was announced the release of a new autobiography by Nelson, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings from the Road. Released on November 13, it was named after the song from his album Heroes. The book contained further biographical details, as well as family pictures and stories about Nelson's political views, as well as his advocation for marijuana. The artwork of the book was designed by Nelson's son, Micah, and the foreword written by Kinky Friedman.[126] In 2015, the publication of a second Nelson autobiography entitled It's a Long Story: My Life co-authored with David Ritz, the book was published on May 5, 2015.[127] Pretty Paper, another collaboration with Ritz was published the following year.[128]

In 2002, Nelson became the official spokesman of the Texas Roadhouse, a chain of steakhouses. Nelson heavily promoted the chain and appeared on a special on Food Network. The chain installed Willie's Corner, a section dedicated to him and decked out with Willie memorabilia, at several locations.[129] 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 and the eponym for Carl's Corner). In 2005, Nelson and several other business partners formed Willie Nelson Biodiesel ("Bio-Willie"), a company that was marketing bio-diesel bio-fuel to truck stops.[130] The fuel was made from vegetable oil (mainly soybean oil), and can be burned without modification in diesel engines.[131] Nelson registered his company with Earth Biofuels and he became a board member. In 2007, Nelson forfeited six million shares of the company as he left the board.[132] By 2008, he reopened Willie's Place, a truck stop in Carl's Corner, Texas. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court allowed Nelson to invest in it. The establishment had about 80 employees,[133] and was used as a concert hall with a bar and a 1,000 square feet (93 m2) dance floor.[134] Willie's Place also featured BioWillie pumps. At the time, the government of the United States offered a one dollar tax credit to producers of biodiesel. As the competition grew, the tax credit was discontinued while the prices of fossil fuels continued to drop. Nelson and his partners defaulted the $4,75 million loan they took for the construction of Willie's Place. Nelson then paid $35,000 back, while a judge later rejected the request of his creditors to receive more money from him. TravelCenters of America bought Willie's Place during its foreclosure in 2011. The BioWillie plant was then put on the market for sale. Nelson kept the trademark for BioWillie, which is sold in the islands of Maui and Hawaii. Meanwhile, Nelson owns shares of Big Island Biodiesel in Hawaii and SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel in Oregon.[132]

In 2010, Nelson founded with the collaboration of producers and filmmakers Luck Films, a company dedicated to produce feature films, documentaries and concerts.[135] The next year, he created the Willie's Roadhouse show which aired on channel 56 of SiriusXM radio. The channel was a result of the merger of his two other channels The Roadhouse and Willie's Place.[136] In November 2014, it was announced that Nelson would be the host of the television series Inside Arlyn, shot at Arlyn Studio in Austin, Texas. The thirteen-episode first season would feature artists being interviewed by Nelson and Dan Rather, followed by a performance. The series concept received attention from cable channels that requested to see the pilot episode.[137] Following the legalization of marijuana in different states, Nelson announced in 2015 through spokesman Michael Bowman the establishment of his own marijuana brand, Willie's Reserve. Plans to open chain stores in the states where marijuana was legalized were announced, to be expanded state-to-state if marijuana legalization is further expanded. Bowman called the brand "a culmination of (Nelson's) vision, and his whole life".[138]

In 2017, Nelson appeared as himself in Woody Harrelson's live film, Lost in London.[139] In June 2017, he appeared alongside Merle Haggard in the documentary The American Epic Sessions directed by Bernard MacMahon. They performed a song Haggard had composed for the film, "The Only Man Wilder Than Me",[140][141] and Bob Wills's classic "Old Fashioned Love",[141] which they recorded live direct to disc on the first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s.[142] It was the last filmed performance of the pair. Rolling Stone commented that "in the final performance of Sessions, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard perform the duet 'The Only Man Wilder Than Me.' Haggard has a look of complete joy on his face throughout the session in the old-timey recording setup once used by his musical heroes."[143]

Music style

Nelson uses a variety of music styles to create his own distinctive blend of country music, a hybrid of jazz, pop, blues, rock and folk.[144] His "unique sound", which uses a "relaxed, behind-the-beat singing style and gut-string guitar"[145] and his "nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing",[144] has been responsible for his wide appeal, and has made him a "vital icon in country music", influencing the "new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the 1980s and 1990s".[144]

Guitars

Main article: Trigger (guitar)
 
Nelson's guitar, Trigger, has been signed by several of Nelson's friends

In 1969, the Baldwin company gave Nelson an amplifier and guitar with their "Prismatone" pickup. During a show in Helotes, Texas, Nelson left the guitar on the floor of the stage, and it was later stepped on by a drunk man.[146] He sent it to be repaired in Nashville by Shot Jackson, who told Nelson that the damage was too great. Jackson offered him a Martin N-20 Classical guitar, and, at Nelson's request, moved the pickup to the Martin. Nelson purchased the guitar unseen for $750 and named it after Roy Rogers' horse "Trigger".[147] The next year Nelson rescued the guitar from his burning ranch.[148][149]

Constant strumming with a guitar pick over the decades has worn a large sweeping hole into the guitar's body near the sound hole—the N-20 has no pick-guard since classical guitars are meant to be played fingerstyle instead of with picks.[35] Its soundboard has been signed by over a hundred of Nelson's friends and associates, ranging from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches.[147] The first signature on the guitar was Leon Russell's, who asked Nelson initially to sign his guitar. When Nelson was about to sign it with a marker, Russell requested him to scratch it instead, explaining that the guitar would be more valuable in the future. Interested in the concept, Nelson requested Russell to also sign his guitar.[146] In 1991, during his process with the IRS, Nelson was worried that Trigger could be auctioned off, stating: "When Trigger goes, I'll quit". He asked his daughter, Lana, to take the guitar from the studio before any IRS agent arrived there, and then deliver it to him in Maui.[149] Nelson then concealed the guitar in his manager's house until his debt was paid off in 1993.[147]

Activism

Nelson is active in a number of issues. Along with Neil Young and John Mellencamp, he set up Farm Aid in 1985 to assist and increase awareness of the importance of family farms, after Bob Dylan's comments during the Live Aid concert that he hoped some of the money would help American farmers in danger of losing their farms through mortgage debt.[150] The first concert included Dylan, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Roy Orbison, and Neil Young among many others, and raised over $9 million for America's family farmers.[151] Besides organizing and performing in the annual concerts, Nelson is the president of the board of Farm Aid.[152]

Nelson is a co-chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) advisory board.[153] He has worked with NORML for years, promoting marijuana legalization. In 2005 Nelson and his family hosted the first annual "Willie Nelson & NORML Benefit Golf Tournament", leading to a cover appearance and inside interview in the January 2008 issue of High Times magazine.[154] After his arrest for possession of marijuana in 2010, Nelson created the TeaPot party under the motto "Tax it, regulate it and legalize it!"[155]

In 2001, following the September 11 attacks, Nelson participated in the benefit telethon America: A Tribute to Heroes, leading the rest of the celebrities singing the song "America the Beautiful".[156] In 2010, during an interview with Larry King, Nelson expressed his doubts with regards to the attacks and the official story. Nelson explained that he could not believe that the buildings could collapse due to the planes, attributing instead the result to an implosion.[157]

 
Nelson, and his guitar "Trigger", performing in 2012

Nelson supported Dennis Kucinich's campaign in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries. He raised money, appeared at events, and composed the song "Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth?", criticizing the war in Iraq.[158] He recorded a radio advertisement asking for support to put musician/author Kinky Friedman on the ballot as an independent candidate for the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election.[159] Friedman promised Nelson a job in Austin as the head of a new Texas Energy Commission due to his support of bio-fuels.[160] In January 2008, Nelson filed a suit against the Texas Democratic Party, alleging that the party violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution by refusing to allow co-plaintiff Kucinich to appear on the primary ballot because he had scratched out part of the loyalty oath on his application.[161]

Nelson is an advocate for better treatment for horses and has been campaigning for the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) alongside the Animal Welfare Institute.[162] He is on its board of directors and has adopted a number of horses from Habitat for Horses.[163] In 2008, Nelson signed on to warn consumers about the cruel and illegal living conditions for calves raised to produce milk for dairy products. He wrote letters to Land O'Lakes and Challenge Dairy, two of the major corporations that use milk from calves raised at California's Mendes Calf Ranch, which employs an intensive confinement practice that was the subject of a lawsuit and campaign brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.[125] Nelson is seen in the film The Garden supporting the impoverished community South Central Farm in Southern Los Angeles.[164]

A supporter of the LGBT movement, Nelson published in 2006 through iTunes a version of Ned Sublette's "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other", that met instant success.[165] During an interview with Texas Monthly in 2013, regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and same-sex marriage in the United States, Nelson responded to a comparison the interviewer made with the civil rights movement, stating: "We'll look back and say it was crazy that we ever even argued about this". He also presented two logos with the pink equal sign, symbol of the LGBT movement. The first one, featured the sign represented with two long braids; while the second one, featured the sign represented with two marijuana cigarettes. The use of the logos became popular quickly in social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.[166]

In June 2018, Nelson deplored the Trump administration family separation policy.[167] During his Fourth of July Picnic, he performed a song with Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate for the Senate election in Texas. Nelson endorsed O'Rourke, and received negative reactions from the conservative part of his followers.[168] On September 29, 2018, Nelson offered a free concert in Austin supporting the candidate's run. The last number he performed was "Vote 'Em Out", a new track that was subsequently released as a single.[167]

Personal life

Nelson has been married four times and has eight children.[169] His first marriage was to Martha Matthews from 1952 to 1962. The couple had three children: Lana, Susie, and Willie "Billy" Hugh Jr. The latter died by suicide in 1991.[170] The marriage was marked by violence, with Matthews assaulting Nelson several times,[171] including one incident when she sewed him up in bedsheets and beat him with a broomstick.[172] Nelson's next marriage was to Shirley Collie in 1963. The couple divorced in 1971, after Collie found a bill from the maternity ward of a Houston hospital charged to Nelson and Connie Koepke for the birth of Paula Carlene Nelson.[171] Nelson married Koepke the same year, and they had another daughter, Amy Lee Nelson. Following a divorce in 1988, he married his current wife, Annie D'Angelo, in 1991. They have two sons, Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah.[173] In 2012, Nelson learned that he fathered a daughter with his friend Mary Haney. Born on January 22, 1953, Rene Butts (born Lynda Renee Barley) met Nelson and she shared a picture of both of them on Father's Day in 2016. Butts died in 2017.[174]

Nelson owns "Luck, Texas", a ranch in Spicewood,[175][176] and also lives in Maui, Hawaii[177] with several celebrity neighbors.[178] While swimming in Hawaii in 1981, Nelson's lung collapsed. He was taken to the Maui Memorial Hospital and his scheduled concerts were canceled.[179] Nelson temporarily stopped smoking cigarettes each time his lungs became congested, and resumed when the congestion ended.[180] He was then smoking between two and three packs per day. After suffering from pneumonia several times, he decided to quit either marijuana or tobacco. He chose to quit tobacco.[181] In 2008, he started to smoke marijuana with a carbon-free system to avoid the effects of smoke.[182] In 2004, Nelson underwent surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, as he had damaged his wrists by continuously playing the guitar.[183] On the recommendation of his doctor, he canceled his scheduled concerts and only wrote songs during his recovery.[184] In 2012, he canceled a fund-raising appearance in the Denver area. He suffered from breathing problems due to high altitude and emphysema and was taken to a local hospital. His publicist Elaine Schock confirmed soon after that Nelson's health was good and that he was heading to his next scheduled concert in Dallas, Texas.[185] After repeated instances of pneumonia and emphysema through the years, Nelson underwent stem-cell therapy in 2015 to improve the state of his lungs.[186]

During his childhood, Nelson grew interested in martial arts. He ordered self-defense manuals on jujitsu and judo that he saw advertised in Batman and Superman comic books. Nelson started to formally practice kung fu after he moved to Nashville, in the 1960s.[187] During the 1980s, Nelson began training in taekwondo and now holds a second-degree black belt in that discipline.[188] During the 1990s, Nelson started to practice the Korean martial art GongKwon Yusul.[189] In 2014, after 20 years in the discipline, his Grand Master Sam Um presented him with a fifth-degree black belt in a ceremony held in Austin, Texas.[190] A 2014 Tae Kwon Do Times magazine interview revealed that Nelson had developed an unorthodox manner of training during the lengthy periods of time he was on tour. Nelson would conduct his martial arts training on his tour bus "The Honeysuckle Rose" and send videos to his supervising Master for review and critique.[191]

In March 2021, "I'll Be Seeing You", a new original by Nelson, was used on a public service announcement by the Ad Council to encourage COVID-19 vaccination in the United States.[192] Earlier in January 2021, Nelson and his sister received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.[193] In May 2022, Nelson postponed several shows after he contracted COVID-19. Nelson's wife detailed that he was severely affected by the illness, and that he received a treatment including Paxlovid, monoclonal antibodies, and steroids. Nelson resumed his tour in September 2022.[194]

Legal issues

Nelson has been arrested several times for marijuana possession. The first occasion was in 1974 in Dallas, Texas.[195] In 1977, after a tour with Hank Cochran, Nelson traveled to The Bahamas. Nelson and Cochran arrived late to the airport and boarded the flight without luggage.[196] The bags were later sent to them. As Nelson and Cochran claimed their luggage in the Bahamas, a customs officer questioned Nelson after marijuana was found in a pair of his jeans. Nelson was arrested and jailed. As Cochran made arrangements to pay the bail, he took Nelson a six-pack of beer to his cell.[197] Nelson was released a few hours later. Inebriated, he fell after he jumped celebrating and was taken to the emergency room. He then appeared before the judge, who dropped the charges but ordered Nelson to never return to the country.[198]

In 1994, Texas Highway patrolmen found marijuana in his car near Waco, Texas. His requirement to appear in court prevented his attending the Grammy awards that year.[182] While traveling to Ann W. Richards' funeral in 2006, Nelson, along with his manager and his sister, Bobbie, were arrested in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, and charged with possession of marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms.[199] Nelson received six months probation.[200]

On November 26, 2010, Nelson was arrested in Sierra Blanca, Texas, for possession of six ounces of marijuana found in his tour bus while traveling from Los Angeles back to Texas. He was released after paying bail of $2,500.[201] Prosecutor Kit Bramblett supported not sentencing Nelson to jail due to the small amount of marijuana involved, but suggested instead a $100 fine and told Nelson that he would have him sing "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" for the court. Judge Becky Dean-Walker said that Nelson would have to pay the fine but not to perform the song, explaining that the prosecutor was joking.[202] Nelson's lawyer Joe Turner reached an agreement with the prosecutor. Nelson was set to pay a $500 fine to avoid a two-year jail sentence with a 30-day review period, which in case of another incident would end the agreement.[203] The judge later rejected the agreement, claiming that Nelson was receiving preferential treatment for his celebrity status; the offense normally carried a one-year jail sentence.[204] Bramblett declared that the case would remain open until it was either dismissed or the judge changed her opinion.[205]

Issues with the Internal Revenue Service

In 1990, the IRS seized most of Nelson's assets, claiming that he owed $32 million. In addition to the unpaid taxes, Nelson's situation was worsened by the weak investments he had made during the early 1980s.[206] In 1978, after he fired his manager Neil Reshen, Nelson was introduced by Dallas lawyer Terry Bray to the accounting firm Price Waterhouse. To repay the debt Reshen had created with the IRS, Nelson was recommended to invest in tax shelters that ultimately flopped.[207] While the IRS disallowed his deductions for 1980, 1981 and 1982 (at a time that Nelson's income multiplied),[207] due to penalties and interests, the debt increased by the end of the decade.[208]

His lawyer, Jay Goldberg, negotiated the sum to be lowered to $16 million. Later, Nelson's attorney renegotiated a settlement with the IRS in which he paid $6 million, although Nelson did not comply with the agreement.[206] Nelson released The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? as a double album, with all profits destined for the IRS. Many of his assets were auctioned and purchased by friends, who donated or rented his possessions to him for a nominal fee. He sued Price Waterhouse, contending that they put his money in illegal tax shelters.[209] The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount and Nelson cleared his debts by 1993.[210]

Legacy

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Willie Nelson
 
Willie Nelson boulevard in Austin, Texas

Nelson is widely recognized as an American icon.[211][159] He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993,[212] and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998.[213] In 2011, Nelson was inducted to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, for his labor in Farm Aid and other fund raisers to benefit farmers.[214] In 2015 Nelson won the Gershwin Prize, the lifetime award of the Library of Congress.[215] In 2018, The Texas Institute of Letters inducted him among its members for his songwriting.[216] He was included by Rolling Stone on its 100 Greatest Singers and 100 Greatest Guitarists lists.[217][218]

In 2003, Texas Governor Perry signed bill No. 2582, introduced by State Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones and Senator Jeff Wentworth, which funded the Texas Music Project, the state's official music charity. Nelson was named honorary chairman of the advisory board of the project.[219] In 2005, Democratic Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos introduced a bill to name 49 miles (79 km) of the Travis County section of State Highway 130 after Nelson, and at one point 23 of the 31 state senators were co-sponsors of the bill.[220] The legislation was dropped after two Republican senators, Florence Shapiro and Wentworth, objected, citing Nelson's lack of connection to the highway, his fund raisers for Democrats, his drinking, and his marijuana advocacy.[221]

An important collection of Willie Nelson materials (1975–1994) became part of the Wittliff collections of Southwestern Writers, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. The collection contains lyrics, screenplays, letters, concert programs, tour itineraries, posters, articles, clippings, personal effects, promotional items, souvenirs, and documents. It documents Nelson's IRS troubles and how Farm Aid contributions were used. Most of the material was collected by Nelson's friend Bill Wittliff, who wrote or co-wrote Honeysuckle Rose, Barbarosa and Red Headed Stranger.[222] In 2014, Nelson donated his personal collection to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. The items include photographs, correspondence, song manuscripts, posters, certificate records, awards, signed books, screenplays, personal items and gifts and tributes from Nelson's fans.[223]

In April 2010, Nelson received the "Feed the Peace" award from The Nobelity Project for his extensive work with Farm Aid and overall contributions to world peace. On June 23, 2010, he was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry.[224] Nelson is an honorary trustee of the Dayton International Peace Museum.[225] In 2010, Austin, Texas renamed Second Street to Willie Nelson Boulevard. The city also unveiled a life-size statue to honor him, placed at the entrance of Austin City Limits' new studio.[226] The non-profit organization Capital Area Statues commissioned sculptor Clete Shields to execute the project.[227] The statue was unveiled on April 20, 2012.[228] The date selected by the city of Austin unintentionally coincided with the number 4/20, associated with cannabis culture. In spite of the coincidence and Nelson's advocacy for the legalization of marijuana, the ceremony was scheduled also for 4:20 pm. During the ceremony, Nelson performed the song "Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die".[229] The same year, Nelson was honored during the 46th Annual Country Music Association Awards as the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was also named after him.[230] In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.[231] The following year, he was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. Also included among the first inductees was his friend Darrell Royal, whose jamming parties that Nelson participated in were the source of inspiration for the show.[232]

For many years, Nelson's image was marked by his red hair, often divided into two long braids partially concealed under a bandanna. In the April 2007 issue of Stuff Magazine Nelson was interviewed about his long locks.[233] "I started braiding my hair when it started getting too long, and that was, I don't know, probably in the 70's." On May 26, 2010, the Associated Press reported that Nelson had cut his hair,[234] and Nashville music journalist Jimmy Carter published a photograph of the pigtail-free Nelson on his website. Nelson wanted a more maintainable hairstyle, as well helping him stay cool more easily at his Maui home.[235] In October 2014, the braids of Nelson were sold for $37,000 at an auction of the Waylon Jennings estate. In 1983, Nelson cut his braids and gave them to Jennings as a gift during a party celebrating Jennings' sobriety.[236]

Nelson's touring and recording group, the Family, is full of longstanding members. The original lineup included his sister Bobbie Nelson, drummer Paul English, harmonicist Mickey Raphael, bassist Bee Spears, drummer/percussionist Billy English (Paul's younger brother), and guitarist Jody Payne.[237] The current lineup only includes Nelson himself, Raphael, and Billy English from the classic lineup, as Jody Payne retired (before dying in 2013), Bee Spears died in 2011, Paul English died in 2020, and Willie's sister Bobbie Nelson died in 2022.[238] Willie & Family tours North America in the bio-diesel bus Honeysuckle Rose, which is fueled by Bio-Willie.[239] Nelson's tour buses were customized by Florida Coach since 1979. The company built the Honeysuckle Rose I in 1983, which was replaced after a collision in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1990. The interior was salvaged and reused for the second version of the bus the same year. Nelson changed his tour bus in 1996, 2005 and 2013, currently touring on the Honeysuckle Rose V.[240]

Discography

Further information: Willie Nelson albums discography, Willie Nelson singles discography, and List of songs written by Willie Nelson
Solo studio albums

Filmography

Further information: Willie Nelson filmography

Bibliography

  • Willie: An Autobiography, Simon & Schuster, 1988, with Bud Shrake
  • The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes, Random House, 2002
  • Farm Aid: A Song for America, Rodale Books, foreword by Willie Nelson, 2005
  • The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart, Gotham, 2006, with Turk Pipkin
  • On the Clean Road Again: Biodiesel and the Future of the Family Farm, Fulcrum Publishing, 2007
  • A Tale Out of Luck (a novel), Center Street, 2008, with Mike Blakely
  • Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings From the Road, William Morrow, foreword by Kinky Friedman, 2012
  • It's a Long Story: My Life, Little, Brown and Company, 2015 with David Ritz
  • Pretty Paper, Penguin Random House, 2016 with David Ritz
  • Willie Nelson's Letters to America, HarperCollins, 2021 with Turk Pipkin
  • Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band, Penguin Random House, 2021 with Bobbie Nelson and David Ritz
  • Sister, Brother, Family: An American Childhood in Music, Penguin Random House, 2021 with Bobbie Nelson and Chris Barton
  • Me And Paul: Untold Stories of a Fabled Friendship, HarperCollins, 2022 with David Ritz
  • Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs, HarperCollins, 2023 with Mickey Raphael and David Ritz

See also

References

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  • Thomson, Gayle (November 29, 2010). "Wille Nelson Creates 'Teapot Party' for Marijuana Legalization". The Boot. AOL. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  • Thomson, Graeme (2012). Willie Nelson: The Outlaw. Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1184-8.
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Further reading

  • The Encyclopedia of Country Music, ed. Paul Kingsbury, pp. 374–76 "Willie Nelson", Bob Allen, New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
  • Nelson, Susie (1987). Hear Worn Memories: a Daughter's Personal Biography of Willie Nelson. First ed. Eakin Press. ISBN 0-89015-608-5.

External links

January 19, 2024
willie, nelson, american, boxer, boxer, scottish, rugby, player, willie, neilson, other, people, william, nelson, disambiguation, willie, hugh, nelson, born, april, 1933, american, country, singer, guitarist, songwriter, main, figures, outlaw, country, subgenr. For the American boxer see Willie Nelson boxer For the Scottish rugby player see Willie Neilson For other people see William Nelson disambiguation Willie Hugh Nelson born April 29 1933 is an American country singer guitarist and songwriter He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie 1973 combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger 1975 and Stardust 1978 made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music Nelson has acted in over 30 films co authored several books and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana Willie NelsonNelson in 2007BornWillie Hugh Nelson 1933 04 29 April 29 1933 age 90 Abbott Texas U S OccupationsSingermusiciansongwriteractoractivistYears active1956 presentSpousesMartha Matthews m 1952 div 1962 wbr Shirley Collie m 1963 div 1971 wbr Connie Koepke m 1971 div 1988 wbr Annie D Angelo m 1991 wbr Children8 including Lukas and PaulaRelativesBobbie Nelson sister Musical careerGenresCountrybluesjazzgospelInstrument s VocalsguitarDiscographyAlbums discographySingles discographyLabelsLibertyRCA VictorAtlanticColumbiaIslandJustice RecordsLost HighwayLegacy RecordingsFormerly ofThe HighwaymenNelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten During high school he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player After graduating from high school in 1950 he joined the U S Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems After his return Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music He worked as a disc jockey at radio stations in his native Texas and in several radio stations in the Pacific Northwest all the while working as a singer and songwriter throughout the late 1950s During that time he wrote songs that would become country standards including Funny How Time Slips Away Hello Walls Pretty Paper and Crazy In 1960 he moved to Nashville Tennessee and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price s band as a bassist In 1962 he recorded his first album And Then I Wrote Due to this success Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year After mid chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s Nelson grew weary of the corporate Nashville music scene and in 1972 he moved to Austin Texas The ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return to performing appearing frequently at the Armadillo World Headquarters In 1973 after signing with Atlantic Records Nelson turned to outlaw country including albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages In 1975 he switched to Columbia Records where he recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger The same year he recorded another outlaw country album Wanted The Outlaws along with Waylon Jennings Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser During the mid 1980s while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like On the Road Again To All the Girls I ve Loved Before and Pancho and Lefty he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen along with fellow singers Johnny Cash Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson In 1985 he helped organize the first Farm Aid concert to benefit American farmers the concerts have been held annually ever since and Nelson has been a fixture appearing at every one In 1990 Nelson s assets were seized by the Internal Revenue Service which claimed that he owed 32 million The difficulty of paying his outstanding debt was aggravated by weak investments he had made during the 1980s In 1992 Nelson released The IRS Tapes Who ll Buy My Memories the profits of the double album destined to the IRS and the auction of Nelson s assets cleared his debt During the 1990s and 2000s Nelson continued touring extensively and released albums every year Reviews ranged from positive to mixed He explored genres such as reggae blues jazz and folk Nelson made his first movie appearance in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman followed by other appearances in movies and on television Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws NORML which is in favor of marijuana legalization On the environmental front Nelson owns the biodiesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel whose product is made from vegetable oil Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project the official music charity of the state of Texas Contents 1 Early life 2 Music career 2 1 Beginnings 1956 1971 2 2 Outlaw country and success 1972 1989 2 3 Later career 1990s 2 4 2010s 2 5 2020s 3 Other ventures 4 Music style 4 1 Guitars 5 Activism 6 Personal life 6 1 Legal issues 6 2 Issues with the Internal Revenue Service 7 Legacy 8 Discography 9 Filmography 10 Bibliography 11 See also 12 References 12 1 Sources 13 Further reading 14 External linksEarly life nbsp nbsp Nelson as a junior at Abbott High School top pictured in 1949 Nelson s high school football portrait bottom c 1950 Nelson was born in Abbott Texas on April 29 1933 1 the son of Ira Doyle Nelson and Myrle Marie nee Greenhaw 2 His birthday was incorrectly recorded by Dr F D Sims as April 30 1 He was named Willie by his cousin Mildred who also chose Hugh as his middle name in honor of her recently deceased younger brother 1 Nelson traces his genealogy to the American Revolutionary War in which his ancestor John Nelson served as a major 3 His parents moved to Texas from Arkansas in 1929 to look for work His grandfather William worked as a blacksmith while his father worked as a mechanic 4 His mother left soon after he was born 5 and his father remarried and also moved away leaving Nelson and his sister Bobbie to be raised by their grandparents who taught singing back in Arkansas and started their grandchildren in music 6 7 Nelson s grandfather bought him a guitar when he was six and taught him a few chords 4 and Nelson sang gospel songs in the local church alongside Bobbie 8 He wrote his first song at age seven 9 and when he was nine he played guitar for local band Bohemian Polka 10 During the summer the family picked cotton alongside other Abbott residents 11 Nelson disliked picking cotton so he earned money by singing in dance halls taverns and honky tonks from age 13 which he continued through high school 12 His musical influences were Jimmie Rodgers Hank Williams Bob Wills Lefty Frizzell Ray Price Ernest Tubb Hank Snow Django Reinhardt Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong 13 14 15 Nelson attended Abbott High School where he was a halfback on the football team guard on the basketball team and shortstop in baseball He also raised pigs with the Future Farmers of America 2 While still at school he sang and played guitar in The Texans a band formed by his sister s husband Bud Fletcher 10 The band played in honky tonks and also had a Sunday morning spot at KHBR in Hillsboro Texas Meanwhile Nelson had a short stint as a relief phone operator in Abbott followed by a job as a tree trimmer for the local electric company as well as a pawn shop employee 16 After leaving school in 1950 he joined the U S Air Force he served for nine months before being medically discharged because of issues with his back 17 Upon his return in 1952 he married Martha Matthews and from 1954 to 1956 studied agriculture at Baylor University where he joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity until dropping out to pursue a career in music 18 He worked as a nightclub bouncer autohouse partsman saddle maker and tree trimmer again He later joined Johnny Bush s band Nelson moved with his family to Pleasanton Texas where he auditioned for a job as a DJ at KBOP The owner of the station Dr Ben Parker gave Nelson the job despite his lack of experience working on radio 16 With the equipment of the station Nelson made his first two recordings in 1955 The Storm Has Just Begun and When I ve Sung My Last Hillbilly Song He recorded the tracks on used tapes and sent the demos to the local label SARG Records which rejected them 19 He then had stints working for KDNT in Denton KCUL and KCNC in Fort Worth where he hosted The Western Express taught Sunday school and played in nightclubs He then decided to move to San Diego but when he was unable to find a job there he hitchhiked to Portland Oregon where his mother lived 16 When nobody picked him up he ended up sleeping in a ditch 20 before hopping a freight train bound for Eugene A truck driver drove him to a bus station and loaned him 10 for a ticket to reach Portland 21 Music careerBeginnings 1956 1971 Nelson was hired by KVAN in Vancouver Washington and appeared frequently on a television show 16 22 He made his first record in 1956 No Place for Me that included Leon Payne s Lumberjack on the B side 23 The recording failed 24 Nelson continued working as a radio announcer and singing in Vancouver clubs 25 He made several appearances in a Colorado nightclub later moving to Springfield Missouri After failing to land a spot on the Ozark Jubilee he started to work as a dishwasher Unhappy with his job he moved back to Texas After a short time in Waco he settled in Fort Worth and quit the music business for a year 16 He sold bibles and vacuum cleaners door to door 26 and eventually became a sales manager for the Encyclopedia Americana 27 After his son Billy was born in 1958 the family moved to Houston Texas On the way Nelson stopped by the Esquire Ballroom to sell his original songs to house band singer Larry Butler Butler refused to purchase the song Mr Record Man for 10 instead giving Nelson a 50 loan to rent an apartment and a six night job singing in the club 28 Nelson rented the apartment near Houston in Pasadena Texas where he also worked at the radio station as the sign on disc jockey During this time he recorded two singles for Pappy Daily on D Records 29 Man With the Blues The Storm Has Just Begun and What a Way to Live Misery Mansion 30 Nelson then was hired by guitar instructor Paul Buskirk to work as an instructor in his school He sold Family Bible to Buskirk for 50 and Night Life for 150 31 Family Bible turned into a hit for Claude Gray in 1960 32 nbsp Hello Walls source source track Written by Willie Nelson Hello Walls was a hit for Faron Young in 1961 and the song that gave Nelson national recognition as a songwriter He recorded the song for his debut album And Then I Wrote Problems playing this file See media help Nelson moved to Nashville Tennessee in 1960 but was unable to find a label to sign him During this period he often spent time at Tootsie s Orchid Lounge a bar near the Grand Ole Opry frequented by the show s stars and other singers and songwriters 33 There Nelson met Hank Cochran a songwriter who worked for the publishing company Pamper Music owned by Ray Price and Hal Smith Cochran heard Nelson during a jam session with Buddy Emmons and Jimmy Day Cochran had just earned a raise of 50 a week but convinced Smith to pay Nelson the money instead to sign him to Pamper Music On hearing Nelson sing Hello Walls at Tootsie s Faron Young decided to record it 34 After Ray Price recorded Nelson s Night Life and his previous bassist Johnny Paycheck quit Nelson joined Price s touring band as a bass player While playing with Price and the Cherokee Cowboys his songs became hits for other artists including Funny How Time Slips Away Billy Walker Pretty Paper Roy Orbison and most famously Crazy by Patsy Cline 25 Nelson and Cochran also met Cline s husband Charlie Dick at Tootsie s Dick liked a song of Nelson s he heard on the bar s jukebox Nelson played him a demo tape of Crazy Later that night Dick played the tape for Cline who decided to record it 6 Crazy became the biggest jukebox hit of all time 35 nbsp Nelson performing on a Grand Ole Opry package show in 1965Nelson signed with Liberty Records and was recording by August 1961 at Quonset Hut Studio His first two successful singles as an artist were released by the next year including Willingly a duet with his soon to be second wife Shirley Collie which became his first charting single and first Top Ten at No 10 and Touch Me his second Top Ten stalling at No 7 36 Nelson s tenure at Liberty yielded his first album entitled And Then I Wrote released in September 1962 37 In 1963 Collie and Nelson were married in Las Vegas He then worked on the west coast offices of Pamper Records in Pico Rivera California Since the job did not allow him the time to play music of his own he left it and bought a ranch in Ridgetop Tennessee outside of Nashville 27 Fred Foster of Monument Records signed Nelson in early 1964 but only one single was released I Never Cared For You 38 By the fall of 1964 Nelson had moved to RCA Victor at the behest of Chet Atkins signing a contract for 10 000 per year 39 Country Willie His Own Songs became Nelson s first RCA Victor album recorded in April 1965 That same year he joined the Grand Ole Opry 40 and he met and became friends with Waylon Jennings after watching one of his shows in Phoenix Arizona 41 In 1967 he formed his backing band The Record Men featuring Johnny Bush Jimmy Day Paul English and David Zettner 42 During his first few years on RCA Victor Nelson had no significant hits but from November 1966 through March 1969 his singles reached the Top 25 in a consistent manner One in a Row 19 1966 The Party s Over 24 during a 16 week chart run in 1967 and his cover of Morecambe amp Wise s Bring Me Sunshine 13 March 1969 were Nelson s best selling records during his time with RCA 24 By 1970 most of Nelson s songwriting royalties were invested in tours that did not produce significant profits In addition to the problems in his career Nelson divorced Shirley Collie in 1970 In December his ranch in Ridgetop Tennessee burned down He interpreted the incident as a signal for a change He moved to a ranch near Bandera Texas and married Connie Koepke In early 1971 his single I m a Memory reached the top 30 43 After he recorded his final RCA single Mountain Dew backed with Phases Stages Circles Cycles and Scenes in late April 1972 RCA requested that Nelson renew his contract ahead of schedule with the implication that RCA would not release his latest recordings if he did not 44 Due to the failure of his albums and particularly frustrated by the reception of Yesterday s Wine although his contract was not over Nelson decided to retire from music 45 Outlaw country and success 1972 1989 Nelson moved to Austin Texas where the burgeoning hippie music scene see Armadillo World Headquarters rejuvenated the singer His popularity in Austin soared as he played his own brand of country music marked by country folk and jazz influences 46 In March he performed on the final day of the Dripping Springs Reunion a three day country music festival aimed by its producers to be an annual event Despite the failure to reach the expected attendance the concept of the festival inspired Nelson to create the Fourth of July Picnic his own annual event starting the following year 47 Nelson decided to return to the recording business he signed Neil Reshen as his manager to negotiate with RCA who got the label to agree to end his contract upon repayment of 14 000 44 Reshen eventually signed Nelson to Atlantic Records for 25 000 per year where he became the label s first country artist 48 He formed his backing band The Family 49 and by February 1973 he was recording his acclaimed Shotgun Willie at Atlantic Studios in New York City 50 nbsp Shotgun Willie introduction source source track Introduction of the song Shotgun Willie opening track of the album of the same name that marked a change of style from Nelson s earlier recordings Problems playing this file See media help Shotgun Willie released in May 1973 earned excellent reviews but did not sell well The album led Nelson to a new style later stating that Shotgun Willie had cleared his throat 51 His next release Phases and Stages released in 1974 was a concept album about a couple s divorce inspired by his own experience Side one of the record is from the viewpoint of the woman and side two is from the viewpoint of the man 52 The album included the hit single Bloody Mary Morning 53 The same year he produced and starred in the pilot episode of PBS Austin City Limits 54 Nelson then moved to Columbia Records where he signed a contract that gave him complete creative control made possible by the critical and commercial success of his previous albums 55 The result was the critically acclaimed and massively popular 1975 concept album Red Headed Stranger Although Columbia was reluctant to release an album with primarily a guitar and piano for accompaniment Nelson and Waylon Jennings insisted The album included a cover of Fred Rose s 1945 song Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain that had been released as a single previous to the album and became Nelson s first number one hit as a singer 56 Throughout his 1975 tour Nelson raised funds for PBS affiliated stations across the south promoting Austin City Limits The pilot was aired first on those stations later being released nationwide The positive reception of the show prompted PBS to order ten episodes for 1976 formally launching the show 57 nbsp L R Kris Kristofferson Nelson and Waylon Jennings at the 1972 Dripping Springs ReunionAs Jennings was also achieving success in country music in the early 1970s the pair were combined into a genre called outlaw country since it did not conform to Nashville standards 58 The album Wanted The Outlaws in 1976 with Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser cemented the pair s outlaw image and became country music s first platinum album 59 Later that year Nelson released The Sound in Your Mind certified gold in 1978 and platinum in 2001 60 and his first gospel album Troublemaker 61 certified gold in 1986 62 In the summer of 1977 Nelson discovered that Reshen had been filing tax extensions and not paying the Internal Revenue Service IRS since he took over as his manager 63 In June a package containing cocaine was sent from Reshen s office in New York to Jennings in Nashville 64 The package was followed by the DEA and Jennings was arrested The charges were later dropped since Reshen s assistant Mark Rothbaum stepped in and took the charges Rothbaum was sentenced to serve time in jail Impressed by his attitude Nelson fired Reshen and hired Rothbaum as his manager 63 In 1978 Nelson released two more platinum albums One Waylon amp Willie was a collaboration with Jennings that included Mammas Don t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys a hit single written and performed by Ed Bruce 65 Though observers predicted that Stardust would ruin his career it went platinum the same year 66 Nelson continued to top the charts with hit songs during the late 1970s including Good Hearted Woman Remember Me 67 If You ve Got the Money I ve Got the Time and Uncloudy Day 68 nbsp On the Road Again source source track From the album Honeysuckle Rose On the Road Again peaked at number one on the Hot Country Songs chart in 1980 Problems playing this file See media help During the 1980s Nelson recorded a series of hit singles including Midnight Rider a 1980 cover of the Allman Brothers song which Nelson recorded for The Electric Horseman 69 the soundtrack On the Road Again from the movie Honeysuckle Rose and a duet with Julio Iglesias titled To All the Girls I ve Loved Before 70 nbsp Nelson and guests with President Jimmy Carter in 1978In 1982 Pancho amp Lefty a duet album with Merle Haggard produced by Chips Moman was released 71 During the recording sessions of Pancho and Lefty Johnny Christopher a session guitarist and the co writer of Always on My Mind tried to pitch the song to an uninterested Haggard Nelson who was unaware of Elvis Presley s version of the song asked him to record it Produced by Moman the single of the song was released as well as the album of the same name The single topped Billboard s Hot Country Singles while it reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 The release won three awards during the 25th Annual Grammy Awards Song of the Year Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance The single was certified platinum while the album was certified quadruple platinum and later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008 72 Meanwhile two collaborations with Waylon Jennings were released WWII in 1982 73 and Take it to the Limit in 1983 In the mid 1980s Nelson Jennings Kristofferson and Johnny Cash formed The Highwaymen a supergroup who achieved platinum record sales and toured the world 74 Meanwhile Nelson became more involved with charity work such as singing on We are the World in 1984 75 In 1985 Nelson had another success with Half Nelson a compilation album of duets with a range of artists such as Ray Charles and Neil Young 76 In 1980 Nelson performed on the south lawn of the White House The concert of September 13 featured First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Nelson in a duet of Ray Wylie Hubbard s Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother Nelson frequently visited the White House where according to the biography by Joe Nick Patoski Willie Nelson An Epic Life he smoked marijuana on the White House roof 77 Later career 1990s In 1996 Nelson re recorded the tracks Hello Walls with the band the Reverend Horton Heat and Bloody Mary Morning with the Supersuckers for Twisted Willie a tribute album featuring rock versions of Nelson s songs performed by artists such as Johnny Cash Kris Kristofferson Jerry Cantrell Mark Lanegan L7 the Presidents of the United States of America and Jello Biafra among others 78 Proceeds from the sale of the record went to Nelson s Farm Aid 79 nbsp Nelson with President Bill Clinton in 1993During the 1990s and 2000s Nelson toured continuously recording several albums including 1998 s critically acclaimed Teatro 80 and performed and recorded with other acts including Phish 81 Johnny Cash 82 and Toby Keith His duet with Keith Beer for My Horses was released as a single and topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for six consecutive weeks in 2003 83 while the accompanying video won an award for Best Video at the 2004 Academy of Country Music Awards 84 A USA Network television special celebrated Nelson s 70th birthday 85 and Nelson released The Essential Willie Nelson as part of the celebration Nelson also appeared on Ringo Starr s 2003 album Ringo Rama as a guest vocal on Write One for Me 86 Nelson was featured on the album True Love by Toots and the Maytals which won the Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Reggae Album and showcased many notable musicians including Eric Clapton Jeff Beck Trey Anastasio Gwen Stefani and Keith Richards 87 In the following year of 2005 Nelson released a reggae album entitled Countryman which featured Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals on the song I m a Worried Man 88 Nelson headlined the 2005 Tsunami Relief Austin to Asia concert to benefit the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake which raised an estimated 75 000 for UNICEF 89 Also in 2005 a live performance of the Johnny Cash song Busted with Ray Charles was released on Charles duets album Genius amp Friends Nelson s 2007 performance with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center was released as the live album Two Men with the Blues in 2008 reaching number one in Billboard s Top Jazz Albums and number twenty on the Billboard 200 90 The same year Nelson recorded his first album with Buddy Cannon as the producer Moment of Forever Cannon acquainted Nelson earlier during the production of his collaboration with Kenny Chesney on the duet That Lucky Old Sun for Chesney s album of the same name 91 In 2009 Nelson and Marsalis joined with Norah Jones in a tribute concert to Ray Charles which resulted in the Here We Go Again Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles album released in 2011 92 2010s In 2010 Nelson released Country Music a compilation of standards produced by T Bone Burnett 93 The album peaked number four in Billboard s Top Country Albums and twenty on the Billboard 200 94 It was nominated for Best Americana Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards 95 In 2011 Nelson participated in the concert Kokua For Japan a fund raising event for the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan which raised 1 6 million 96 In February 2012 Legacy Recordings signed a deal with Nelson that included the release of new material as well as past releases that would be selected and complemented with outtakes and other material selected by him 97 With the new deal Buddy Cannon returned to produce the recordings of Nelson After selecting the material and the sound of the tunes with the singer Cannon s work method consisted in the recording of the tracks with studio musicians with the takes later completed on a separate session by Nelson with his guitar Cannon s association to Nelson also extended to songwriting with singer and producer composing the lyrics by exchanging text messages 91 Nelson s first release for the Legacy Recordings was Heroes that included guest appearances by his sons Lukas and Micah of the band Insects vs Robots Ray Price Merle Haggard Snoop Dogg Kris Kristofferson Jamey Johnson Billy Joe Shaver and Sheryl Crow The album reached number four on Billboard s Top Country Albums 98 His 2013 release To All the Girls a collection of duets with all female partners featured among others Dolly Parton Loretta Lynn Rosanne Cash Sheryl Crow Mavis Staples Norah Jones Emmylou Harris Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert 99 The album entered Billboard s Top Country Albums at number two marking his highest position on the chart since the release of his 1989 A Horse Called Music and extending his record to a total of forty six top ten albums on the country charts Nelson scored as well his second top ten album on the Billboard 200 with the release entering at number nine 100 nbsp Nelson performing in Fort Wayne Indiana in 2018Nelson s following release was Band of Brothers in 2014 the first Nelson album to feature the most newly self penned songs since 1996 s Spirit Upon its release it topped Billboard s Top Country albums chart the first time since 1986 s The Promiseland the last Nelson album to top it The release reached number five on the Billboard 200 Nelson s highest position on the chart since 1982 s Always on My Mind 101 In December 2014 a duet with Rhonda Vincent Only Me topped Bluegrass Unlimited s National Airplay chart 102 In June 2015 his collaboration with Haggard Django and Jimmie topped Billboard s Top Country albums chart and reached number seven on the Billboard 200 In 2017 Nelson released God s Problem Child The release consisting mostly of Nelson originals co written with Cannon entered the Top country albums at number one while it reached number ten on the Billboard 200 103 In 2018 Nelson sang a song written by Daniel Lanois called Cruel World for the soundtrack of Rockstar Games s action adventure video game Red Dead Redemption 2 104 Lanois wrote the song especially for Nelson When a hurricane prevented Nelson from recording the song the production team sent the track to Josh Homme in the hopes that he could record it in time for the game s release Nelson was ultimately able to record the song in time in Los Angeles 105 the team considered combining the two versions into a duet but ultimately included both versions in the game 106 Also in 2018 Nelson was one of several artists on Restoration a cover album containing various country renditions of songs originally by Elton John on which he performed Border Song 107 His 2019 release Ride Me Back Home charted at number two on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart 108 For the title track Nelson received the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance 109 2020s Following the U S coronavirus pandemic lockdowns that began in March 2020 Nelson livestreamed a series of benefit concerts The first two raised 700 000 for people who had suffered financial loss due to effects on the U S economy 110 The third which was held on April 20 2020 was a variety show titled Come and Toke It 111 Some of the content was cannabis themed and some of the proceeds will be used to support The Last Prisoner Project a restorative justice program relating to persons convicted of cannabis related crimes 112 113 114 The same year Nelson was approached by Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs to collaborate They chose to do a cover of David Bowie and Queen s Under Pressure 115 For his releases of The Willie Nelson Family 2021 and A Beautiful Time 2022 Nelson received four nominations for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards winning in two categories Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Album 116 117 In December 2022 Mark Rothbaum announced the release of a five part documentary entitled Willie Nelson and Family released at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival 116 In 2023 Nelson performed at two concerts at the Hollywood Bowl celebrating his 90th birthday 118 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 119 Other venturesNelson s acting debut was in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman followed by appearances in Honeysuckle Rose Thief and Barbarosa He played the role of Red Loon in Coming Out of the Ice in 1982 and starred in Songwriter two years later He portrayed the lead role in the 1986 film version of his album Red Headed Stranger 120 Other movies that Nelson acted in include Wag the Dog Gone Fishin as Billy Catch Pooler the 1986 television movie Stagecoach with Johnny Cash Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson Half Baked Beerfest The Dukes of Hazzard Surfer Dude and Swing Vote He has also made guest appearances on Miami Vice 1986 s El Viejo episode Delta Nash Bridges The Simpsons Monk Adventures in Wonderland Dr Quinn Medicine Woman King of the Hill The Colbert Report Swing Vote and Space Ghost Coast to Coast 121 nbsp In 2008 Nelson reopened the truck stop Willie s Place near Hillsboro TexasIn 1988 his first book Willie An Autobiography was published 122 The Facts of Life And Other Dirty Jokes a personal recollection of tour and musical stories from his career combined with song lyrics followed in 2002 In 2005 he co authored Farm Aid A Song for America a commemorative book about the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of Farm Aid 123 His third book co authored with long time friend Turk Pipkin The Tao of Willie A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart was published in 2006 124 In 2007 a book advocating the use of bio diesel and the reduction of gas emissions On The Clean Road Again Biodiesel and The Future of the Family Farm was published 4 His next book A Tale Out of Luck published in 2008 and co authored by Mike Blakely was Nelson s first fictional book 125 In 2012 it was announced the release of a new autobiography by Nelson Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die Musings from the Road Released on November 13 it was named after the song from his album Heroes The book contained further biographical details as well as family pictures and stories about Nelson s political views as well as his advocation for marijuana The artwork of the book was designed by Nelson s son Micah and the foreword written by Kinky Friedman 126 In 2015 the publication of a second Nelson autobiography entitled It s a Long Story My Life co authored with David Ritz the book was published on May 5 2015 127 Pretty Paper another collaboration with Ritz was published the following year 128 In 2002 Nelson became the official spokesman of the Texas Roadhouse a chain of steakhouses Nelson heavily promoted the chain and appeared on a special on Food Network The chain installed Willie s Corner a section dedicated to him and decked out with Willie memorabilia at several locations 129 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 and the eponym for Carl s Corner In 2005 Nelson and several other business partners formed Willie Nelson Biodiesel Bio Willie a company that was marketing bio diesel bio fuel to truck stops 130 The fuel was made from vegetable oil mainly soybean oil and can be burned without modification in diesel engines 131 Nelson registered his company with Earth Biofuels and he became a board member In 2007 Nelson forfeited six million shares of the company as he left the board 132 By 2008 he reopened Willie s Place a truck stop in Carl s Corner Texas The U S Bankruptcy Court allowed Nelson to invest in it The establishment had about 80 employees 133 and was used as a concert hall with a bar and a 1 000 square feet 93 m2 dance floor 134 Willie s Place also featured BioWillie pumps At the time the government of the United States offered a one dollar tax credit to producers of biodiesel As the competition grew the tax credit was discontinued while the prices of fossil fuels continued to drop Nelson and his partners defaulted the 4 75 million loan they took for the construction of Willie s Place Nelson then paid 35 000 back while a judge later rejected the request of his creditors to receive more money from him TravelCenters of America bought Willie s Place during its foreclosure in 2011 The BioWillie plant was then put on the market for sale Nelson kept the trademark for BioWillie which is sold in the islands of Maui and Hawaii Meanwhile Nelson owns shares of Big Island Biodiesel in Hawaii and SeQuential Pacific Biodiesel in Oregon 132 In 2010 Nelson founded with the collaboration of producers and filmmakers Luck Films a company dedicated to produce feature films documentaries and concerts 135 The next year he created the Willie s Roadhouse show which aired on channel 56 of SiriusXM radio The channel was a result of the merger of his two other channels The Roadhouse and Willie s Place 136 In November 2014 it was announced that Nelson would be the host of the television series Inside Arlyn shot at Arlyn Studio in Austin Texas The thirteen episode first season would feature artists being interviewed by Nelson and Dan Rather followed by a performance The series concept received attention from cable channels that requested to see the pilot episode 137 Following the legalization of marijuana in different states Nelson announced in 2015 through spokesman Michael Bowman the establishment of his own marijuana brand Willie s Reserve Plans to open chain stores in the states where marijuana was legalized were announced to be expanded state to state if marijuana legalization is further expanded Bowman called the brand a culmination of Nelson s vision and his whole life 138 In 2017 Nelson appeared as himself in Woody Harrelson s live film Lost in London 139 In June 2017 he appeared alongside Merle Haggard in the documentary The American Epic Sessions directed by Bernard MacMahon They performed a song Haggard had composed for the film The Only Man Wilder Than Me 140 141 and Bob Wills s classic Old Fashioned Love 141 which they recorded live direct to disc on the first electrical sound recording system from the 1920s 142 It was the last filmed performance of the pair Rolling Stone commented that in the final performance of Sessions Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard perform the duet The Only Man Wilder Than Me Haggard has a look of complete joy on his face throughout the session in the old timey recording setup once used by his musical heroes 143 Music styleNelson uses a variety of music styles to create his own distinctive blend of country music a hybrid of jazz pop blues rock and folk 144 His unique sound which uses a relaxed behind the beat singing style and gut string guitar 145 and his nasal voice and jazzy off center phrasing 144 has been responsible for his wide appeal and has made him a vital icon in country music influencing the new country new traditionalist and alternative country movements of the 1980s and 1990s 144 Guitars Main article Trigger guitar nbsp Nelson s guitar Trigger has been signed by several of Nelson s friendsIn 1969 the Baldwin company gave Nelson an amplifier and guitar with their Prismatone pickup During a show in Helotes Texas Nelson left the guitar on the floor of the stage and it was later stepped on by a drunk man 146 He sent it to be repaired in Nashville by Shot Jackson who told Nelson that the damage was too great Jackson offered him a Martin N 20 Classical guitar and at Nelson s request moved the pickup to the Martin Nelson purchased the guitar unseen for 750 and named it after Roy Rogers horse Trigger 147 The next year Nelson rescued the guitar from his burning ranch 148 149 Constant strumming with a guitar pick over the decades has worn a large sweeping hole into the guitar s body near the sound hole the N 20 has no pick guard since classical guitars are meant to be played fingerstyle instead of with picks 35 Its soundboard has been signed by over a hundred of Nelson s friends and associates ranging from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches 147 The first signature on the guitar was Leon Russell s who asked Nelson initially to sign his guitar When Nelson was about to sign it with a marker Russell requested him to scratch it instead explaining that the guitar would be more valuable in the future Interested in the concept Nelson requested Russell to also sign his guitar 146 In 1991 during his process with the IRS Nelson was worried that Trigger could be auctioned off stating When Trigger goes I ll quit He asked his daughter Lana to take the guitar from the studio before any IRS agent arrived there and then deliver it to him in Maui 149 Nelson then concealed the guitar in his manager s house until his debt was paid off in 1993 147 ActivismNelson is active in a number of issues Along with Neil Young and John Mellencamp he set up Farm Aid in 1985 to assist and increase awareness of the importance of family farms after Bob Dylan s comments during the Live Aid concert that he hoped some of the money would help American farmers in danger of losing their farms through mortgage debt 150 The first concert included Dylan Billy Joel B B King Roy Orbison and Neil Young among many others and raised over 9 million for America s family farmers 151 Besides organizing and performing in the annual concerts Nelson is the president of the board of Farm Aid 152 Nelson is a co chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws NORML advisory board 153 He has worked with NORML for years promoting marijuana legalization In 2005 Nelson and his family hosted the first annual Willie Nelson amp NORML Benefit Golf Tournament leading to a cover appearance and inside interview in the January 2008 issue of High Times magazine 154 After his arrest for possession of marijuana in 2010 Nelson created the TeaPot party under the motto Tax it regulate it and legalize it 155 In 2001 following the September 11 attacks Nelson participated in the benefit telethon America A Tribute to Heroes leading the rest of the celebrities singing the song America the Beautiful 156 In 2010 during an interview with Larry King Nelson expressed his doubts with regards to the attacks and the official story Nelson explained that he could not believe that the buildings could collapse due to the planes attributing instead the result to an implosion 157 nbsp Nelson and his guitar Trigger performing in 2012Nelson supported Dennis Kucinich s campaign in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries He raised money appeared at events and composed the song Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth criticizing the war in Iraq 158 He recorded a radio advertisement asking for support to put musician author Kinky Friedman on the ballot as an independent candidate for the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election 159 Friedman promised Nelson a job in Austin as the head of a new Texas Energy Commission due to his support of bio fuels 160 In January 2008 Nelson filed a suit against the Texas Democratic Party alleging that the party violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution by refusing to allow co plaintiff Kucinich to appear on the primary ballot because he had scratched out part of the loyalty oath on his application 161 Nelson is an advocate for better treatment for horses and has been campaigning for the passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act H R 503 S 311 alongside the Animal Welfare Institute 162 He is on its board of directors and has adopted a number of horses from Habitat for Horses 163 In 2008 Nelson signed on to warn consumers about the cruel and illegal living conditions for calves raised to produce milk for dairy products He wrote letters to Land O Lakes and Challenge Dairy two of the major corporations that use milk from calves raised at California s Mendes Calf Ranch which employs an intensive confinement practice that was the subject of a lawsuit and campaign brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund 125 Nelson is seen in the film The Garden supporting the impoverished community South Central Farm in Southern Los Angeles 164 A supporter of the LGBT movement Nelson published in 2006 through iTunes a version of Ned Sublette s Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other that met instant success 165 During an interview with Texas Monthly in 2013 regarding the Defense of Marriage Act and same sex marriage in the United States Nelson responded to a comparison the interviewer made with the civil rights movement stating We ll look back and say it was crazy that we ever even argued about this He also presented two logos with the pink equal sign symbol of the LGBT movement The first one featured the sign represented with two long braids while the second one featured the sign represented with two marijuana cigarettes The use of the logos became popular quickly in social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook 166 In June 2018 Nelson deplored the Trump administration family separation policy 167 During his Fourth of July Picnic he performed a song with Beto O Rourke the Democratic candidate for the Senate election in Texas Nelson endorsed O Rourke and received negative reactions from the conservative part of his followers 168 On September 29 2018 Nelson offered a free concert in Austin supporting the candidate s run The last number he performed was Vote Em Out a new track that was subsequently released as a single 167 Personal lifeNelson has been married four times and has eight children 169 His first marriage was to Martha Matthews from 1952 to 1962 The couple had three children Lana Susie and Willie Billy Hugh Jr The latter died by suicide in 1991 170 The marriage was marked by violence with Matthews assaulting Nelson several times 171 including one incident when she sewed him up in bedsheets and beat him with a broomstick 172 Nelson s next marriage was to Shirley Collie in 1963 The couple divorced in 1971 after Collie found a bill from the maternity ward of a Houston hospital charged to Nelson and Connie Koepke for the birth of Paula Carlene Nelson 171 Nelson married Koepke the same year and they had another daughter Amy Lee Nelson Following a divorce in 1988 he married his current wife Annie D Angelo in 1991 They have two sons Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah 173 In 2012 Nelson learned that he fathered a daughter with his friend Mary Haney Born on January 22 1953 Rene Butts born Lynda Renee Barley met Nelson and she shared a picture of both of them on Father s Day in 2016 Butts died in 2017 174 Nelson owns Luck Texas a ranch in Spicewood 175 176 and also lives in Maui Hawaii 177 with several celebrity neighbors 178 While swimming in Hawaii in 1981 Nelson s lung collapsed He was taken to the Maui Memorial Hospital and his scheduled concerts were canceled 179 Nelson temporarily stopped smoking cigarettes each time his lungs became congested and resumed when the congestion ended 180 He was then smoking between two and three packs per day After suffering from pneumonia several times he decided to quit either marijuana or tobacco He chose to quit tobacco 181 In 2008 he started to smoke marijuana with a carbon free system to avoid the effects of smoke 182 In 2004 Nelson underwent surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome as he had damaged his wrists by continuously playing the guitar 183 On the recommendation of his doctor he canceled his scheduled concerts and only wrote songs during his recovery 184 In 2012 he canceled a fund raising appearance in the Denver area He suffered from breathing problems due to high altitude and emphysema and was taken to a local hospital His publicist Elaine Schock confirmed soon after that Nelson s health was good and that he was heading to his next scheduled concert in Dallas Texas 185 After repeated instances of pneumonia and emphysema through the years Nelson underwent stem cell therapy in 2015 to improve the state of his lungs 186 During his childhood Nelson grew interested in martial arts He ordered self defense manuals on jujitsu and judo that he saw advertised in Batman and Superman comic books Nelson started to formally practice kung fu after he moved to Nashville in the 1960s 187 During the 1980s Nelson began training in taekwondo and now holds a second degree black belt in that discipline 188 During the 1990s Nelson started to practice the Korean martial art GongKwon Yusul 189 In 2014 after 20 years in the discipline his Grand Master Sam Um presented him with a fifth degree black belt in a ceremony held in Austin Texas 190 A 2014 Tae Kwon Do Times magazine interview revealed that Nelson had developed an unorthodox manner of training during the lengthy periods of time he was on tour Nelson would conduct his martial arts training on his tour bus The Honeysuckle Rose and send videos to his supervising Master for review and critique 191 In March 2021 I ll Be Seeing You a new original by Nelson was used on a public service announcement by the Ad Council to encourage COVID 19 vaccination in the United States 192 Earlier in January 2021 Nelson and his sister received the Moderna COVID 19 vaccine 193 In May 2022 Nelson postponed several shows after he contracted COVID 19 Nelson s wife detailed that he was severely affected by the illness and that he received a treatment including Paxlovid monoclonal antibodies and steroids Nelson resumed his tour in September 2022 194 Legal issues Nelson has been arrested several times for marijuana possession The first occasion was in 1974 in Dallas Texas 195 In 1977 after a tour with Hank Cochran Nelson traveled to The Bahamas Nelson and Cochran arrived late to the airport and boarded the flight without luggage 196 The bags were later sent to them As Nelson and Cochran claimed their luggage in the Bahamas a customs officer questioned Nelson after marijuana was found in a pair of his jeans Nelson was arrested and jailed As Cochran made arrangements to pay the bail he took Nelson a six pack of beer to his cell 197 Nelson was released a few hours later Inebriated he fell after he jumped celebrating and was taken to the emergency room He then appeared before the judge who dropped the charges but ordered Nelson to never return to the country 198 In 1994 Texas Highway patrolmen found marijuana in his car near Waco Texas His requirement to appear in court prevented his attending the Grammy awards that year 182 While traveling to Ann W Richards funeral in 2006 Nelson along with his manager and his sister Bobbie were arrested in St Martin Parish Louisiana and charged with possession of marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms 199 Nelson received six months probation 200 On November 26 2010 Nelson was arrested in Sierra Blanca Texas for possession of six ounces of marijuana found in his tour bus while traveling from Los Angeles back to Texas He was released after paying bail of 2 500 201 Prosecutor Kit Bramblett supported not sentencing Nelson to jail due to the small amount of marijuana involved but suggested instead a 100 fine and told Nelson that he would have him sing Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain for the court Judge Becky Dean Walker said that Nelson would have to pay the fine but not to perform the song explaining that the prosecutor was joking 202 Nelson s lawyer Joe Turner reached an agreement with the prosecutor Nelson was set to pay a 500 fine to avoid a two year jail sentence with a 30 day review period which in case of another incident would end the agreement 203 The judge later rejected the agreement claiming that Nelson was receiving preferential treatment for his celebrity status the offense normally carried a one year jail sentence 204 Bramblett declared that the case would remain open until it was either dismissed or the judge changed her opinion 205 Issues with the Internal Revenue Service In 1990 the IRS seized most of Nelson s assets claiming that he owed 32 million In addition to the unpaid taxes Nelson s situation was worsened by the weak investments he had made during the early 1980s 206 In 1978 after he fired his manager Neil Reshen Nelson was introduced by Dallas lawyer Terry Bray to the accounting firm Price Waterhouse To repay the debt Reshen had created with the IRS Nelson was recommended to invest in tax shelters that ultimately flopped 207 While the IRS disallowed his deductions for 1980 1981 and 1982 at a time that Nelson s income multiplied 207 due to penalties and interests the debt increased by the end of the decade 208 His lawyer Jay Goldberg negotiated the sum to be lowered to 16 million Later Nelson s attorney renegotiated a settlement with the IRS in which he paid 6 million although Nelson did not comply with the agreement 206 Nelson released The IRS Tapes Who ll Buy My Memories as a double album with all profits destined for the IRS Many of his assets were auctioned and purchased by friends who donated or rented his possessions to him for a nominal fee He sued Price Waterhouse contending that they put his money in illegal tax shelters 209 The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount and Nelson cleared his debts by 1993 210 LegacySee also List of awards and nominations received by Willie Nelson nbsp Willie Nelson boulevard in Austin TexasNelson is widely recognized as an American icon 211 159 He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 212 and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998 213 In 2011 Nelson was inducted to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame for his labor in Farm Aid and other fund raisers to benefit farmers 214 In 2015 Nelson won the Gershwin Prize the lifetime award of the Library of Congress 215 In 2018 The Texas Institute of Letters inducted him among its members for his songwriting 216 He was included by Rolling Stone on its 100 Greatest Singers and 100 Greatest Guitarists lists 217 218 In 2003 Texas Governor Perry signed bill No 2582 introduced by State Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones and Senator Jeff Wentworth which funded the Texas Music Project the state s official music charity Nelson was named honorary chairman of the advisory board of the project 219 In 2005 Democratic Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos introduced a bill to name 49 miles 79 km of the Travis County section of State Highway 130 after Nelson and at one point 23 of the 31 state senators were co sponsors of the bill 220 The legislation was dropped after two Republican senators Florence Shapiro and Wentworth objected citing Nelson s lack of connection to the highway his fund raisers for Democrats his drinking and his marijuana advocacy 221 An important collection of Willie Nelson materials 1975 1994 became part of the Wittliff collections of Southwestern Writers Texas State University San Marcos Texas The collection contains lyrics screenplays letters concert programs tour itineraries posters articles clippings personal effects promotional items souvenirs and documents It documents Nelson s IRS troubles and how Farm Aid contributions were used Most of the material was collected by Nelson s friend Bill Wittliff who wrote or co wrote Honeysuckle Rose Barbarosa and Red Headed Stranger 222 In 2014 Nelson donated his personal collection to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History The items include photographs correspondence song manuscripts posters certificate records awards signed books screenplays personal items and gifts and tributes from Nelson s fans 223 In April 2010 Nelson received the Feed the Peace award from The Nobelity Project for his extensive work with Farm Aid and overall contributions to world peace On June 23 2010 he was inducted into the Library of Congress s National Recording Registry 224 Nelson is an honorary trustee of the Dayton International Peace Museum 225 In 2010 Austin Texas renamed Second Street to Willie Nelson Boulevard The city also unveiled a life size statue to honor him placed at the entrance of Austin City Limits new studio 226 The non profit organization Capital Area Statues commissioned sculptor Clete Shields to execute the project 227 The statue was unveiled on April 20 2012 228 The date selected by the city of Austin unintentionally coincided with the number 4 20 associated with cannabis culture In spite of the coincidence and Nelson s advocacy for the legalization of marijuana the ceremony was scheduled also for 4 20 pm During the ceremony Nelson performed the song Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die 229 The same year Nelson was honored during the 46th Annual Country Music Association Awards as the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award which was also named after him 230 In 2013 he received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music 231 The following year he was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Also included among the first inductees was his friend Darrell Royal whose jamming parties that Nelson participated in were the source of inspiration for the show 232 For many years Nelson s image was marked by his red hair often divided into two long braids partially concealed under a bandanna In the April 2007 issue of Stuff Magazine Nelson was interviewed about his long locks 233 I started braiding my hair when it started getting too long and that was I don t know probably in the 70 s On May 26 2010 the Associated Press reported that Nelson had cut his hair 234 and Nashville music journalist Jimmy Carter published a photograph of the pigtail free Nelson on his website Nelson wanted a more maintainable hairstyle as well helping him stay cool more easily at his Maui home 235 In October 2014 the braids of Nelson were sold for 37 000 at an auction of the Waylon Jennings estate In 1983 Nelson cut his braids and gave them to Jennings as a gift during a party celebrating Jennings sobriety 236 Nelson s touring and recording group the Family is full of longstanding members The original lineup included his sister Bobbie Nelson drummer Paul English harmonicist Mickey Raphael bassist Bee Spears drummer percussionist Billy English Paul s younger brother and guitarist Jody Payne 237 The current lineup only includes Nelson himself Raphael and Billy English from the classic lineup as Jody Payne retired before dying in 2013 Bee Spears died in 2011 Paul English died in 2020 and Willie s sister Bobbie Nelson died in 2022 238 Willie amp Family tours North America in the bio diesel bus Honeysuckle Rose which is fueled by Bio Willie 239 Nelson s tour buses were customized by Florida Coach since 1979 The company built the Honeysuckle Rose I in 1983 which was replaced after a collision in Nova Scotia Canada in 1990 The interior was salvaged and reused for the second version of the bus the same year Nelson changed his tour bus in 1996 2005 and 2013 currently touring on the Honeysuckle Rose V 240 DiscographyFurther information Willie Nelson albums discography Willie Nelson singles discography and List of songs written by Willie Nelson Solo studio albums And Then I Wrote 1962 Here s Willie Nelson 1963 Country Willie His Own Songs 1965 Country Favorites Willie Nelson Style 1966 Make Way for Willie Nelson 1967 The Party s Over 1967 Texas in My Soul 1968 Good Times 1968 My Own Peculiar Way 1969 Both Sides Now 1970 Laying My Burdens Down 1970 Willie Nelson amp Family 1971 Yesterday s Wine 1971 The Words Don t Fit the Picture 1972 The Willie Way 1972 Shotgun Willie 1973 Country Winners 1973 Phases and Stages 1974 Red Headed Stranger 1975 The Sound in Your Mind 1976 The Troublemaker 1976 To Lefty from Willie 1977 Stardust 1978 Willie Nelson Sings Kristofferson 1979 Pretty Paper 1979 Family Bible 1980 Somewhere Over the Rainbow 1981 Always on My Mind 1982 Tougher Than Leather 1983 Without a Song 1983 City of New Orleans 1984 Angel Eyes 1984 Me amp Paul 1985 Partners 1986 The Promiseland 1986 Island in the Sea 1987 What a Wonderful World 1988 A Horse Called Music 1989 Born for Trouble 1990 The IRS Tapes Who ll Buy My Memories 1992 Across the Borderline 1993 Moonlight Becomes You 1994 Healing Hands of Time 1994 Just One Love 1994 Spirit 1996 Teatro 1998 Night and Day 1999 Me and the Drummer 2000 Milk Cow Blues 2000 Rainbow Connection 2001 The Great Divide 2002 Nacogdoches 2004 It Always Will Be 2004 Countryman 2005 You Don t Know Me The Songs of Cindy Walker 2006 Songbird 2006 Moment of Forever 2008 American Classic 2009 Country Music 2010 Remember Me Vol 1 2011 Heroes 2012 Let s Face the Music and Dance 2013 To All the Girls 2013 Band of Brothers 2014 Summertime Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin 2016 For the Good Times A Tribute to Ray Price 2016 God s Problem Child 2017 Last Man Standing 2018 My Way 2018 Ride Me Back Home 2019 First Rose of Spring 2020 That s Life 2021 The Willie Nelson Family 2021 A Beautiful Time 2022 I Don t Know a Thing About Love 2023 Bluegrass 2023 FilmographyFurther information Willie Nelson filmographyBibliographyWillie An Autobiography Simon amp Schuster 1988 with Bud Shrake The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes Random House 2002 Farm Aid A Song for America Rodale Books foreword by Willie Nelson 2005 The Tao of Willie A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart Gotham 2006 with Turk Pipkin On the Clean Road Again Biodiesel and the Future of the Family Farm Fulcrum Publishing 2007 A Tale Out of Luck a novel Center Street 2008 with Mike Blakely Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die Musings From the Road William Morrow foreword by Kinky Friedman 2012 It s a Long Story My Life Little Brown and Company 2015 with David Ritz Pretty Paper Penguin Random House 2016 with David Ritz Willie Nelson s Letters to America HarperCollins 2021 with Turk Pipkin Me and Sister Bobbie True Tales of the Family Band Penguin Random House 2021 with Bobbie Nelson and David Ritz Sister Brother Family An American Childhood in Music Penguin Random House 2021 with Bobbie Nelson and Chris Barton Me And Paul Untold Stories of a Fabled Friendship HarperCollins 2022 with David Ritz Energy Follows Thought The Stories Behind My Songs HarperCollins 2023 with Mickey Raphael and David RitzSee alsoList of Country Music Hall of Fame inductees List of country music performers Music of Austin TexasReferences a b c Patoski 2008 p 13 a b Scobey 1982 p 58 Hunt 2009 a b c Nelson 2007a p 29 Laufenberg 2005 p 473 a b Patoski 2008 p 6 Reid 2004 p 218 Malone 2002 p 303 Patoski 2008 a b Kienzle 2003 p 236 Richmond 2000 pp 7 8 23 Scobey 1982 p 47 1 Richmond 2000 p 17 Hann 2012 a b c d e Myers 1969 p 4 Chapman 2010 p 392 Richmond 2000 p 24 Thomson 2012 p 24 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 92 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 93 Patoski 2008 pp 74 76 Evans 2006 p 70 a b Dicair 2007 p 246 a b Erlewine 1997 p 324 Dingus 1992 p 77 a b Myers 1969 p 5 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 p 116 117 Smith 2013 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 p 117 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 p 118 Patoski 2008 p 102 Richmond 2000 p 36 Kosser 2006 p 73 a b NPR staff 1996 Edwards amp Callahan 2001 Bush amp Mitchell 2007 p 79 Scobey 1982 p 190 Reid 2004 p 224 Patoski 2008 p Nashville 1960 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 p 158 Bush amp Mitchell 2007 pp 137 138 Kienzle 2003 p 248 a b Reid 2004 p 223 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 p 167 Reid amp Sahm 2010 p 79 Thomas 2012 Reid 2004 p 2 Milner 1998 p 183 184 Harden et al 1996 p 169 Tichi 1998 p 341 Erlewine 2007 Dicair 2007 p 247 Richmond 2000 p 75 Dicair 2007 p 247 Wolff amp Duane 2000 p 367 Richmond 2000 p 76 Hartman 2008 p 174 Hartman amp 2008 p 175 RIAA staff 2010 Erlewine 2008 RIAA staff 2 2010 a b Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 263 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 262 Jennings amp Kaye 1996 p 10 RIAA staff 3 2010 Billboard 1976 Tribe 2006 p 188 Harrison Thomas 2011 p 96 Jurek 2008 Monkman 2008 Poe 2012 p 147 Erlewine 2005 Patoski 2008 p 383 Edwards 2015 Patoski 2008 p 368 Patoski 2008 p 342 Hochman 1996 Liner notes Twisted Willie Justice Records 1996 Patoski 2008 p 430 Farm Aid Staff 2011 Erlewine 2000 BMI staff 2003 Biography staff 2011 Pareles 2003 Entertainment One staff 2003 Toots and the Maytals 2016 Deusner 2005 BBC News staff 2005 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 360 a b Cooper 2014 Willie Nelson com staff 2011 Evans Price 2010 Erlewine 2010 CBS Music staff 2011 Sugimoto 2011 Willie Nelson com staff 2012 Billboard staff 2012 Vinson 2013 Jessen 2013 Leahey 2014 Holden 2014 Asker 2017 Daly 2018 Shanley 2019 Lanois 2019 Brickey 2018 Asker 2019 Kroll 2020 Margolis 2020 France 2020 Rosenthal 2020 Willman 2020 Kreps 2020 Hear Karen O and Willie Nelson s Transformative Cover of Queen and David Bowie s Under Pressure Rolling Stone October 28 2020 Archived from the original on May 31 2023 a b Cummings Tommy 2022 Farias Robbie 2023 Willie Nelson s 90th Birthday Concert Weed Well Wishes and Tons of Songs Rolling Stone April 30 2023 RockHall 2023 Allmovie staff 2011 Yahoo Movies staff 2011 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 George Warren amp Hoekstra 2005 NPR staff 2010 a b Nelson 2008 Whitaker 2012 Hachette staff 2015 Nelson amp Ritz 2016 Carey 2003 SmithTaylor 2008 p 173 Associated Press staff 2005 a b Brick Michael 2014 Dunn 2011 Willie s Place staff 2010 Chagollan 2010 Opry com staff 2011 Swiatecki 2014 Guardian Music staff 2015 Lodderhose 2016 Solomon 2017 a b Hautzinger 2017 Locke 2017 Appleford 2017 a b c Erlewine 2015 Encyclopaedia Britannica staff 2011 a b Nelson 2005 a b c Willie Nelson General Store staff 2010 Reinert 1976 p 103 a b Draper 1991 p 103 Durchholz amp Graff 2010 p 134 Durchholz amp Graff 2010 p 135 Richmond 2000 p 94 NORML staff 2009 High Times staff 2007 Thomson 2010 Quay amp Damico 2010 p 149 O Reilly 2010 Reuters staff 2004 a b Hamilton 2010 Burt 2005 Selby 2009 Nelson 2007b Habitat for Horses staff 2011 Kennedy 2019 Neu 2006 Langer 2013 a b Hudak 2018 Taylor 2018 Hollabaugh 2010 Hall 2008 a b Cartwright 2000 p 276 Goldman 2012 Riggs 2007 p 239 Krauser Emily 2023 Rolling Stone staff 2017 Parker 2014 Kane 2008 Grigoriadis 2007 p 57 Krebs 1981 O Hare 2010 NPR staff 2012 a b Patoski 2011 Associated Press staff 2002 Miller Loncaric 2008 McKinnley 2012 Heim 2015 Nelson Shrake amp Shrake 2000 p 55 Chilton 2012 Hall 2014 Chilton 2014 Zirogiannis 2014 Weisholtz Drew 2021 Doyle Patrick 2021 Goldstein Tiffany 2022 Goddard 2010 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 247 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 248 Nelson amp Ritz 2015 p 249 People staff 2006 Patoski 2008 p 471 Cline 2010 Caulfield 2011 Amter 2011 TMZ staff 2011 Cohen 2012 a b Draper 1991 p 177 a b Patoski 2008 p 407 Patoski 2008 p 406 Cowan 1991 Johnston 1995 PBS staff 2011 Edwards 1993 Kennedy Center staff 2011 Treolo 2011 Leahey 2015 Merschel 2018 Rolling Stone staff 2010 Rolling Stone staff 2011 Texas Music Project staff 2011 Ward 2005 Fort Worth Star telegram staff 2005 Alkek Library staff 2010 Briscoe Center staff 2014 Donahue 2010 Dayton Peace Museum staff 2010 BBC News staff 2010 Houston Chronicle staff 2010 Tomlinson 2012a Tomlinson 2012b Lewis 2012 Sullivan 2013 Associated Press staff 2014 Everett 2010 Associated Press staff 2010 Carter 2010 New York Post staff 2014 Scobey 1982 pp 198 358 Kerns 2012 Vancouver Province staff 2007 Langer 2014 Sources Alkek Library staff September 22 2010 Largest Willie Nelson collection now at Texas State Alkek Library News Retrieved February 20 2011 The Electric Horseman Allmusic Rovi Corporation 2008 Retrieved February 8 2011 Allmovie staff 2011 Willie Nelson AllMovie Rovi Corporation Retrieved February 14 2011 Amter Charlie June 7 2011 Willie Nelson Dodges Jail in Texas The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved June 7 2011 Appleford Steve May 15 2017 American Epic Inside Jack White and Friends New Roots Music Doc Rolling Stone Archived from the original on December 30 2017 Retrieved February 4 2018 Asker Jim May 9 2017 No Problem Willie Nelson s New Album Bows at No 1 Billboard Retrieved May 10 2017 Asker Jim June 2 2019 Lee Brice s Rumor Tops the Country Airplay Chart Willie Nelson Takes a New Ride Billboard Retrieved January 13 2021 Associated Press staff May 13 2002 Willie Nelson cancels concerts USA Today Associated Press Retrieved May 22 2011 Associated Press staff January 14 2005 Willie Nelson Bets on Biodiesel Publications Wired Magazine Associated Press Retrieved March 27 2011 Associated Press staff May 26 2010 The pigtails are gone Willie Nelson cuts his hair Las Cruces Sun News Archived from the original on August 2 2010 Retrieved February 15 2011 Associated Press staff April 27 2014 Matthew McConaughey and others celebrate Willie Nelson Fox News Associated Press Retrieved April 27 2014 BBC News staff January 10 2005 Willie Nelson stages tsunami gig BBC News Retrieved February 15 2011 BBC News staff May 28 2010 Willie Nelson to have street named after him in Texas BBC News Retrieved March 27 2011 Billboard December 25 1976 Singles Billboard Vol 88 no 52 ISSN 0006 2510 Retrieved February 8 2011 Billboard staff 2012 Chart listing for Heroes Billboard Retrieved May 24 2012 Biography staff 2011 Toby Keith Biography Biography A amp E Television Networks Archived from the original on July 4 2011 Retrieved February 15 2011 BMI staff July 15 2003 BMI Cheers Beer for My Horses with Willie Toby and Scotty BMI Broadcast Music Retrieved February 15 2011 Brick Michael October 30 2014 For Willie Nelson a biodiesel dream deferred Houston Chronicle Retrieved May 13 2021 Brickey Kelly March 15 2018 Willie Nelson Miranda Lambert to Honor Elton John on Biggest Hits Cover Albums Soundslikenashville com Retrieved October 15 2020 Bush Johnny Mitchell Rick 2007 Whiskey River Take My Mind The True Story of Texas Honky Tonk University of Texas Tech ISBN 978 0 292 71490 8 Briscoe Center staff May 8 2014 Briscoe Center Acquires Willie Nelson Collection Dolph Briscoe Center for American History The University of Texas at Austin Archived from the original on May 19 2020 Retrieved May 9 2014 Burt Jim August 22 2005 Kinky Friedman To Name Willie Nelson as Texas Energy Czar The Car Connection Retrieved February 2 2011 permanent dead link Carter Jimmy May 26 2010 Willie cuts his hair Cartwright Gary 2000 Turn Out the Lights Chronicles of Texas in the 80 s and 90 s University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 71226 3 Carey Brian September 28 2003 Legendary Food Legendary Service and Legendary People Epinions Shopping com Archived from the original on February 19 2011 Retrieved February 14 2011 Caulfield Phillip March 30 2011 Judge says request for Willie Nelson to sing Blue Eyes in court was a joke Daily News New York News Wire Services Retrieved April 4 2011 CBS Music staff February 3 2011 Last fm Trends Willie Nelson s On Grammy Road Again Last fm CBS Archived from the original on February 22 2011 Retrieved May 22 2011 Chagollan Steve March 15 2010 Willie Nelson launches Luck Films Musician actor in joint venture that aims to make up to five pics a year Retrieved November 27 2012 Chilton Martin December 14 2012 Willie Nelson interview Don t fret about the end of the world The Telegraph Limited Archived from the original on January 10 2022 Retrieved December 14 2012 Chilton Martin April 29 2014 Willie Nelson gets 5th degree black belt at 81 The Daily Telegraph London Archived from the original on January 10 2022 Retrieved April 30 2014 Chapman Roger 2010 Culture wars an encyclopedia of issues viewpoints and voices Volume 1 M E Sharpe ISBN 978 0 7656 1761 3 Retrieved July 5 2011 Cline Georgette November 27 2010 Willie Nelson Arrested for Marijuana Possession The Boot AOL Associated Press Retrieved February 27 2011 Cohen Jason February 3 2012 Win the Weekend Was Willie s Case Ever Settled Texas Monthly Retrieved April 9 2013 Cooper Peter June 26 2014 Buddy Cannon witnesses Willie Nelson s magic The Tennessean Retrieved July 1 2014 Cowan Alison Leigh September 2 1991 Willie Nelson Hopes for a Hit So Does the I R S The New York Times Retrieved February 15 2011 32 million bill for delinquent taxes pay for the 45 million lawsuit Mr Nelson filed last year against his former accountants at Price Waterhouse who he contends put him into ill advised tax shelters The Government ruled against many of the tax shelters and the I R S later disallowed many of the tax benefits that Mr Nelson claimed Cummings Tommy December 20 2022 Willie Nelson and Family documentary to premiere at Sundance Film Festival Dallas Morning News Retrieved January 1 2023 Daly Rhian November 4 2018 Listen to Josh Homme s new track Cruel Cruel World taken from Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack NME Dayton Peace Museum staff 2010 Dayton International Peace Museum Dayton International Peace Museum Archived from the original on July 25 2011 Retrieved May 15 2015 Deusner Stephen M July 25 2005 Willie Nelson Countryman Pitchfork Retrieved June 20 2019 Dicair David 2007 The First Generation of Country Music Stars McFarland ISBN 978 0 7864 3021 5 Dingus Anne 1992 Ernest Tubb Goes Electric and 51 More Moments to Remember Texas Rich Musical Past Texas Monthly Vol 19 no 2 ISSN 0148 7736 Donahue Ann June 23 2010 Tupac Willie Nelson R E M Among Inductees To National Recording Register Billboard Retrieved February 14 2011 Doyle Patrick January 14 2021 It s All Going to Shot Willie Nelson Gets the Covid Vaccine Rolling Stone Retrieved May 6 2021 Draper Robert May 1991 Texas Monthly Domain The Lifestyle Magazine of Texas Monthly Vol 19 no 5 p 100 ISSN 0148 7736 Retrieved February 8 2011 Dunn Jill January 27 2011 A Creditor forecloses Willie s Place Overdrive Magazine Archived from the original on May 14 2011 Retrieved February 15 2011 Durchholz Daniel Graff Gary 2010 Neil Young Long May You Run Voyageur Press ISBN 978 0 7603 3647 2 Retrieved May 24 2011 Edwards David Callahan Mike 2001 The Liberty Records Story Both Sides Now Both Sides Now Publications Retrieved February 7 2011 Edwards Gavin 2015 We Are the World A Minute by Minute Breakdown on Its 30th Anniversary Rolling Stone Archived from the original on May 6 2018 Retrieved May 15 2015 Edwards Joe September 30 1993 Willie Nelson inducted in Hall of Fame Bangor Daily News Associated Press Retrieved May 23 2011 Everett Christina May 27 2010 Willie Nelson haircut Country singer chops off trademark long tresses and debuts shorter new look New York Daily News Archived from the original on August 20 2010 Retrieved February 15 2011 Encyclopaedia Britannica staff 2011 Willie Nelson American musician Encyclopaedia Britannica Entertainment One staff 2003 Ringo Rama Booklet Ringo Starr Koch Entertainment One 038 411 0 038 412 2 038 413 9 Erlewine Michael 1997 All Music Guide to Country The Experts Guide to the Best Recordings in Country Music Miller Freeman ISBN 978 0 87930 475 1 Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2000 VH1 Storytellers AllMusic Retrieved February 14 2011 Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2005 WWII Rovi Corporation Retrieved February 8 2011 Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2007 Shotgun Willie Phases and Stages Rovi Corporation Retrieved February 20 2011 Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2008 The Troublemaker Willie Nelson Rovi Corporation Retrieved May 18 2015 Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2010 Country Music Billboard albums Allmusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved July 3 2011 Erlewine Stephen Thomas 2015 Willie Nelson Biography Allmusic Rovi Corporation Retrieved May 20 2015 Evans Mike 2006 Country Music Facts Figures amp Fun AAPPL p 70 ISBN 978 1 904332 53 4 Retrieved June 21 2011 Evans Price Deborah April 21 2010 Willie Nelson Delivers True Country Music The Boot AOL Retrieved May 22 2011 Farias Robbie February 6 2023 Willie Nelson wins Grammy for best country album and best country solo performance Austin American Statesman Retrieved February 6 2023 Farm Aid Staff 2011 Past concerts Farm Aid Farm Aid Archived from the original on May 23 2011 Retrieved February 14 2011 Fort Worth Star telegram staff April 28 2005 Nelson Highway isn t a hit with GOP The Houston Chronicle Retrieved March 27 2011 France Lisa Respers April 17 2020 Willie Nelson hosting Come and Toke It variety show on 4 20 CNN George Warren Holly Hoekstra Dave October 7 2005 Farm Aid A Song for America Rodale Books ISBN 978 1 59486 285 4 Goddard Steve November 30 2010 Willie Nelson s Mug Shot From Last Friday Night 94 5 KOOL FM CBS Radio Archived from the original on July 12 2012 Retrieved June 13 2011 Goldman Andrew December 14 2012 Willie Nelson the Silver Headed Stranger Interview The New York Times Magazine Retrieved December 16 2012 Goldstein Tiffany August 29 2022 Willie Nelson s Wife Annie Opens Up About Her Husband s Nerve Wracking Battle With COVID 19 CMT News Retrieved January 17 2023 Hann Michael May 17 2012 Willie Nelson If We Made Marijuana Legal We d Save a Whole Lotta Money and Lives The Guardian Retrieved May 20 2012 Hudak Joseph October 11 2018 Hear Willie Nelson s Studio Version of New Song Vote Em Out Rolling Stone Retrieved October 11 2018 Grigoriadis Vannessa January 14 2007 Move to a Fantasy Island New York Magazine Vol 40 no 1 7 Guardian Music staff March 27 2015 Willie Nelson to open chain of marijuana stores Guardian Music Retrieved March 27 2015 Habitat for Horses staff 2011 Habitat for Horses signature series Habitat for Horses Archived from the original on October 3 2011 Retrieved March 27 2011 Hachette staff 2015 It s a Long Story My Life by Willie Nelson Hachette Book Group Little Brown and Company Archived from the original on May 9 2015 Retrieved January 26 2015 Hall Michael May 1 2008 Willie s God Willie s God We Love Willie Texas Monthly Retrieved April 12 2011 Hall Michael April 30 2014 Master Nelson Receives His Black Belt Texas Monthly Retrieved April 30 2014 Hamilton Reeve February 24 2010 Willie Nelson Ad for Kinky Friedman Valued Highly The Texas Tribune Retrieved February 22 2011 Harden Lydia Dixon Hoekstra Dave McCall Michael Morris Edward Williams Janet 1996 The Stars of Country Music The Legends amp The New Breed Publications International ISBN 978 1 56173 697 3 Hartman Gary 2008 The History of Texas Music Texas A amp M University Press ISBN 978 1 60344 002 8 Hautzinger Daniel June 6 2017 The Performers in The American Epic Sessions WTTW Chicago Public Media Television and Interactive Retrieved February 4 2018 Harrison Thomas 2011 Music of the 1980s ABC CLIO ISBN 978 0 313 36599 7 Heim Joe 2015 Willie Nelson keeps on rollin The Washington Post Magazine Retrieved November 13 2015 High Times staff November 27 2007 The Pope of Austin Texas Interview Willie Nelson High Times Archived from the original on June 15 2007 Retrieved March 27 2011 Hochman Steve January 27 1996 ALBUM REVIEWS POP Twisted Willie Gives Nelson Grunge Honors Treatment Los Angeles Times Retrieved August 1 2019 Hollabaugh Lorie May 5 2010 Willie Nelson Still Cares for His Additional Wives TheBoot AOL Retrieved February 22 2011 Holden Larry December 8 2014 Rhonda Vincent And Willie Nelson Top The Charts HNGN com Headlines amp Global News Retrieved December 9 2014 Houston Chronicle staff May 7 2010 Willie Nelson statue and boulevard planned for Austin The Houston Chronicle Retrieved March 27 2011 Hunt Ernest E IV 2009 Sixth Generation Descendants of Alfred Nelson Mindspring com Archived from the original on June 26 2019 Retrieved March 27 2011 Jennings Waylon Kaye Lenny 1996 Waylon An Autobiography Warner Brooks ISBN 978 0 446 51865 9 Jessen Wade October 24 2013 Willie Nelson Extends Record For Most Top 10 Country Albums Billboard Retrieved October 24 2013 Johnston David Cay November 4 1995 Tax Shelter of Rich and Famous Has Final Date in Court The New York Times Retrieved February 15 2011 Jurek Thom 2008 Honeysuckle Rose CBS Rovi Corporation Retrieved February 8 2011 Kane Coleen May 30 2008 Woody Harrelson plans a 40 day desert island starvation Plenty MNN Holdings Retrieved September 20 2011 Kennedy Center staff 2011 List of Kennedy Center Honorees The Kennedy Center John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Retrieved February 14 2011 Kennedy Scott Hamilton 2019 The Garden Movie About The Film Thegardenmovie com Archived from the original on July 3 2019 Retrieved June 20 2019 Kerns William March 4 2012 Willie Nelson has Near Sellout Crowd in Palm of his Hand Sunday Lubbock Online Lubbock Avalanche Journal Retrieved March 18 2012 Kienzle Richard 2003 Southwest Shuffle Pioneers of Honky Tonk Western Swing and Country Jazz Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 94103 7 Kosser Michael 2006 How Nashville Became Music City U S A 50 Years of Music Row Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 978 0 634 09806 2 Krauser Emily February 2 2023 Willie Nelson s 8 Children Everything to Know People Retrieved May 15 2023 Krebs Albin August 25 1981 A Nelson Slowdown The New York Times Retrieved April 11 2011 Kreps Daniel April 16 2020 Willie Nelson to Host Come and Toke It Livestream Variety Show on 4 20 Rolling Stone Kroll Jacklyn January 26 2020 Willie Nelson Wins 2020 Grammys Best Country Solo Performance For Ride Me Back Home Taste of Country Retrieved January 13 2021 KWTX staff 2012 Curtain Falls on Willie s Place KWTX Archived from the original on June 25 2013 Retrieved August 28 2012 Lanois Daniel August 21 2019 The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 Featuring Daniel Lanois NTS Radio Archived from the original on August 27 2019 Retrieved October 7 2019 Laufenberg Norbert 2005 Entertainment Celebrities Trafford Publishing ISBN 978 1 4120 5335 8 Retrieved June 23 2011 Langer Andy March 28 2013 EXCLUSIVE Willie Nelson on same sex marriage Texas Monthly Retrieved March 28 2013 Langer Andy June 8 2014 The Last Word on the Willie Nelson Bus That s NOT Willie Nelson s Bus Texas Monthly Retrieved June 25 2014 Leahey Andrew June 25 2014 Band of Brothers Shoots Shotgun Willie to Top of the Charts Rolling Stone Archived from the original on November 11 2017 Retrieved June 26 2014 Leahey Andrew July 9 2015 Willie Nelson to Receive Gershwin Prize for Songwriting Rolling Stone Archived from the original on October 12 2017 Retrieved July 9 2015 Lewis Randy November 2 2012 Blake Shelton Miranda Lambert and Eric Church win CMA Awards Los Angeles Times Retrieved May 15 2015 Locke Charley May 17 2017 The Long Lost Rebuilt Recording Equipment That First Captured the Sound of America Wired Retrieved February 4 2018 Lodderhose Diana December 15 2016 Woody Harrelson Writes Directs amp Stars In Live Event Film Lost In London With Owen Wilson amp Willie Nelson Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 14 2017 Margolis Lynne April 17 2020 Toke along with Willie Nelson on 4 20 American Songwriter McKinnley James Jr August 20 2012 Willie Nelson Is Fine After Canceling a Show The New York Times Retrieved August 25 2012 Malone Bill 2002 Country music U S A University of Texas Press p 303 ISBN 978 0 292 75262 7 Retrieved June 22 2011 permanent dead link Merschel Michael January 26 2018 Willie Nelson is officially a literary star So says the Texas Institute of Letters The Dallas Morning News Retrieved February 25 2017 Miller Loncaric Melissa July 28 2008 Willie Nelson and B B King Mesmerize Atlanta CMT MTV Networks Retrieved May 22 2011 Milner Jay Dunston 1998 Confessions of a Maddog A Romp Through the High Flying Texas Music and Literary Era of the Fifties to the Seventies University of North Texas Press ISBN 978 1 57441 050 1 Monkman Martin 2008 Pancho amp Lefty Rovi Corporation Retrieved February 8 2011 Myers Judy 1969 Willie Nelson His Own Story in his own words Country Song Roundup Charlton Publications Nelson Willie December 13 2005 How I Ended Up With a Classical iTunes Originals Interview Archived from the original on September 21 2012 Retrieved February 27 2012 Nelson Willie March 12 2009 The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes Random House Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 307 52320 4 Nelson Willie Shrake Bud Shrake Edwin 2000 Willie An Autobiography Cooper Square Press ISBN 978 0 8154 1080 5 Nelson Willie 2007a On the Clean Road Again Biodiesel and the Future of the Family Farm Fulcrum Publishing ISBN 978 1 55591 624 4 Nelson Willie Blakely Mike September 3 2008 A Tale Out of Luck A Novel Center Street ISBN 978 1 59995 176 8 Nelson Willie October 27 2007b Willie Nelson Writes to Prevent Horse Slaughter WillieNelsonpri com Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute Archived from the original on June 29 2011 Retrieved July 5 2011 Nelson Willie March 26 2008 Willie Nelson Urges Land O Lakes Challenge Dairy to Stop Using Milk Products that Come from Confined Calves The Animal Legal Defense Fund Archived from the original on July 25 2011 Retrieved March 27 2011 Nelson Willie Ritz David 2015 It s A Long Story My Life Little Brown and Company ISBN 978 0 316 33931 5 Nelson Willie Ritz David 2016 Pretty Paper Penguin Random House ISBN 9780735211544 Retrieved October 28 2016 Neu Clayton March 1 2006 Brokeback Balladeer Willie Nelson talks to TIME about his gay cowboy song Time Archived from the original on September 30 2007 Retrieved March 28 2013 New York Post staff October 8 2014 Willie Nelson s braids sold for 37G at auction New York Post Fox News Retrieved November 29 2014 NORML staff 2009 NORML Advisory Board NORML Archived from the original on February 16 2011 Retrieved February 14 2010 NPR staff 1996 Willie Nelson Live from the Fresh Air Studios NPR Music National Public Radio Retrieved September 9 2009 NPR staff May 25 2010 Willie Nelson s Guide to Happiness National Public Radio NPR staff November 18 2012 Willie Nelson Road Rules and Deep Thoughts National Public Radio Retrieved November 18 2012 O Hare Kevin May 12 2010 The Willie Nelson interview Life aging and making music The Republican Springfield Mass Retrieved April 11 2011 Opry com staff May 5 2011 Opry Broadcasts Move To New Willie s Roadhouse Channel on SiriusXM Opry com Grand Ole Opry Archived from the original on May 9 2011 Retrieved November 12 2012 O Reilly Bill April 20 2010 Why Americans Do Not Trust the Federal Government Fox News Archived from the original on January 20 2011 Retrieved April 9 2013 Pareles Jon April 9 2003 POP REVIEW Marathon of Music To Celebrate Nelson 70 The New York Times Retrieved February 14 2011 Parker Kolten June 19 2014 Willie Nelson to rebuild central Texas ranch town after heavy damage from storm San Antonio Express Retrieved November 5 2017 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 Willie Nelson An Epic Life Hachette Digital ISBN 978 0 316 01778 7 Patoski Joe Nick 2008 The Gospel According to Willie The Resurrection of the Abbott Methodist Church Retrieved December 6 2011 Patoski Joe Nick April 2 2011 When It Comes to Marijuana Willie s Punishment Seems to Vaporize The New York Times Retrieved April 10 2011 PBS staff 2011 American Masters lesson 19 PBS Archived from the original on June 28 2011 Retrieved February 15 2011 People staff September 18 2006 Willie Nelson Cited for Drug Possession People Archived from the original on March 30 2011 Retrieved May 23 2011 Poe Randy 2012 Stalking the Red Headed Stranger Hal Leonard Corporation ISBN 978 1 4584 7151 2 Quay Sara Damico Amy 2010 September 11 in Popular Culture A Guide ABC CLIO ISBN 978 0 313 35505 9 Reid Jan 2004 The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock New Edition University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 70197 7 Reid Jan Sahm Shawn 2010 Texas Tornado The Times and Music of Doug Sahm University of Texas Press ISBN 978 0 292 72196 8 Reinert Al August 1976 Texas Monthly Domain The Lifestyle Magazine of Texas Monthly Vol 4 no 8 ISSN 0148 7736 Retrieved May 24 2011 New Willie Nelson song condemns Iraq war CNN Reuters January 1 2004 Retrieved February 22 2011 RIAA staff 2010 RIAA certification Recording Industry Association of America Archived from the original on August 28 2013 Retrieved February 8 2011 RIAA staff 2 2010 RIAA certification Recording Industry Association of America Archived from the original on August 29 2013 Retrieved February 8 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link RIAA staff 3 2010 RIAA certification RIAA Archived from the original on August 29 2013 Retrieved February 8 2011 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Richmond Clint 2000 Willie Nelson Behind the Music Simon amp Schuster ISBN 978 0 671 03960 8 Riggs Thomas 2007 Contemporary Theatre Film and television Gale Research Co ISBN 978 0 7876 9049 6 RockHall 2023 Willie Nelson Rock amp Roll Hall of Fame Rock amp Roll Hall of Fame Retrieved May 3 2023 Rolling Stone staff 2010 100 Greatest Singers Rolling Stone Archived from the original on March 9 2018 Retrieved June 11 2015 Rolling Stone staff 2011 100 Greatest Guitarists Rolling Stone Archived from the original on June 18 2018 Retrieved June 11 2015 Rolling Stone staff January 20 2017 Willie Nelson Margo Price Lead 2017 Luck Reunion Lineup Rolling Stone Archived from the original on November 7 2017 Retrieved November 5 2017 Rosenthal Abigail April 17 2020 Willie Nelson is hosting Come and Toke It a live stream celebrating 4 20 Houston Chronicle Scobey Lola 1982 Willie Nelson Country Outlaw Kensington Pub Corp ISBN 978 0 89083 936 2 Selby W Gardner January 4 2009 Kucinich sues Texas Democrats over loyalty pledge he won t sign Austin American Statesman Archived from the original on June 7 2011 Retrieved September 25 2009 Shanley Patrick August 9 2019 Red Dead Redemption 2 Official Score Launches on Digital Platforms The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on August 9 2019 Retrieved August 17 2019 Smith Michael William April 25 2013 Mr Record Man Willie Nelson Houston Press Retrieved October 11 2021 Smith Zachary Alden Taylor Katrina 2008 Renewable and alternative energy resources a reference handbook ABC Clio ISBN 978 1 59884 089 6 Solomon Dan June 6 2017 Watch Willie Nelson And Merle Haggard in The Studio in All New Footage Texas Monthly Retrieved February 4 2018 Sugimoto Minna April 11 2011 Star studded concert raises 1 6 million for Japan earthquake tsunami relief efforts Hawaii News Now Raycom Media Archived from the original on March 20 2012 Retrieved April 11 2011 Sullivan James May 11 2013 Willie Nelson the Hippest Octogenarian Honored at Berklee Rolling Stone Archived from the original on November 18 2017 Retrieved May 13 2013 Swiatecki Chad November 6 2014 Willie Nelson to Host New TV Show Inside Arlyn Rolling Stone Archived from the original on December 2 2017 Retrieved November 6 2014 Taylor David September 14 2018 Willie Nelson upsets fans with plans to perform at Beto O Rourke rally The Guardian Retrieved October 11 2018 Texas Music Project staff 2011 What TMP Has Accomplished Texas Music Project The Texas Music Project Archived from the original on September 13 2012 Retrieved February 21 2011 Thomas Dave March 16 2012 40 Years Ago Dripping Springs Reunion Helped Create Austin s Musical Identity American Statesman Austin 360 Retrieved May 28 2012 Thomson Gayle November 29 2010 Wille Nelson Creates Teapot Party for Marijuana Legalization The Boot AOL Retrieved February 20 2011 Thomson Graeme 2012 Willie Nelson The Outlaw Virgin Books ISBN 978 0 7535 1184 8 Tichi Cecilia 1998 Reading country music steel guitars opry stars and honky tonk bars Duke University Press ISBN 978 0 8223 2168 2 Retrieved July 5 2011 TMZ staff July 7 2011 Judge Crushes Plea Deal in Willie Nelson Pot Case TMZ EHM Productions Retrieved July 12 2011 Tomlinson Chris April 21 2012a Willie Nelson Statue Unveiled in Austin Texas on 4 20 Huffington Post Associated Press Retrieved May 15 2015 Tomlinson Chris April 21 2012b Willie Nelson unveils statue of himself on 4 20 CBS Atlanta Associated Press Archived from the original on March 17 2014 Retrieved April 22 2012 Toots and the Maytals November 10 2016 Linear CD Notes Archive is Archived from the original on November 10 2016 Retrieved June 20 2019 Treolo Melissa August 18 2011 Nelson shares Ag Hall honor with Farm Aid partners Basehor Sentinel Retrieved August 21 2011 Tribe Ivan 2006 Country a regional exploration Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 313 33026 1 Vancouver Province staff June 28 2007 Willie Nelson s had a Crazy career IN CONCERT Willie Nelson and Family The Vancouver Province Postmedia Network Archived from the original on June 28 2011 Retrieved February 14 2011 Vinson Christina July 26 2013 Carrie Underwood Loretta Lynn More Duet With Willie Nelson on Upcoming To All the Girls Album Taste of Country Townsquare Media Retrieved July 29 2013 Wolff Kurt Duane Orla 2000 Country Music The Rough Guide Rough Guides ISBN 978 1 85828 534 4 Ward Mike April 27 2005 No highway for Willie Austin American Statesman Archived from the original on March 29 2012 Retrieved March 27 2011 Whitaker Sterling September 26 2012 Willie Nelson to Share Musings From the Road in New Memoir Taste of Country Townsquare Media Retrieved October 7 2012 Weisholtz Drew March 23 2021 Willie Nelson teams up with pro sports leagues in new PSA for COVID 19 vaccine Today Retrieved May 6 2021 Willie Nelson com staff 2011 Here We Go Again Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles WillieNelson com Archived from the original on May 30 2011 Retrieved March 22 2011 Willie Nelson com staff February 1 2012 Willie Nelson Signs Historic New Deal With Legacy Recordings Legacy Recordings Willie Nelson com Archived from the original on August 22 2012 Retrieved February 5 2012 Willie Nelson General Store staff 2010 Willie Nelson s Guitar Trigger Willienelsongeneralstore com Willie Nelson and Friends Museum and General Store Archived from the original on July 18 2011 Retrieved March 27 2011 Willie s Place staff 2010 Willie s Place Willie s Place Archived from the original on February 8 2011 Retrieved February 15 2011 Willman Chris April 20 2020 Music Live Streams Willie Nelson Wiz Khalifa 4 20 Potfests Lead the Week with Springsteen Fronted NJ Benefit to Follow Variety Yahoo Movies staff 2011 Willie Nelson Biography Yahoo Movies Archived from the original on June 28 2011 Retrieved February 14 2011 Zirogiannis Marc September 2014 Willie Nelson Master of Country Music and Gongkwon Yusul Tae Kwon Do Times Magazine No September 2014 pp 49 52 Archived from the original on May 10 2017 Retrieved May 24 2015 Further readingThe Encyclopedia of Country Music ed Paul Kingsbury pp 374 76 Willie Nelson Bob Allen New York Oxford University Press 1998 Nelson Susie 1987 Hear Worn Memories a Daughter s Personal Biography of Willie Nelson First ed Eakin Press ISBN 0 89015 608 5 External linksWillie Nelson at Wikipedia s sister projects nbsp Media from Commons nbsp Quotations from Wikiquote nbsp Data from Wikidata Official website Willie Nelson at AllMusic Willie Nelson at IMDb Willie Nelson Interview with reporter Jim Ruddy about A Horse Called Music in 1989 from Texas Archive of the Moving Image Willie Nelson performs with Dallas Symphony Orchestra 1989 from Texas Archive of the Moving ImageAwardsPreceded byRodney Crowell AMA Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting2007 Succeeded byJohn Hiatt Portals nbsp Biography nbsp Film nbsp Literature nbsp Music nbsp Texas Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Willie Nelson amp oldid 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