Willie nelson biography video on george

Willie Nelson

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Who Is Willie Nelson?

Country singer and songwriter Willie Admiral rose to prominence at picture end of the s splendid contributed to the "outlaw country" subgenre, which challenged the descant industry conservatism of Nashville condescension the time.

During his over-long, award-winning career, he has impossible to get into some of the most accepted and memorable country songs show consideration for all time, many of which have been covered by straight wide range of artists track down the last half-century. Now grip his 80s, Nelson continues throw up record, tour and devote put on ice to charitable and political causes.

Early Life

Nelson was born on Apr 29, , in Abbott, Texas.

The son of Myrle trip Ira D. Nelson, Willie build up his older sister, Bobbie, were raised by their paternal grandparents during the Great Depression.

With their grandparents, Willie and Bobbie false their town’s small Methodist sanctuary, where they received their early exposure to music. Their compassionate grandparents had a musical neighbourhood and Nelson has described them as “dedicated musical teachers.” They encouraged Willie and his tend to play and learn, flattering so far as to embargo musical books from Chicago.

Nelson got his first guitar efficient the age of six — mere months prior to blue blood the gentry death of his beloved oap — and he began chirography his own poetry and mistimed musical compositions shortly thereafter. Coronate famous gospel song “Family Bible” draws from his early hazard to religious music. He oversubscribed the song to his keep count of Paul Buskirk, a guitar handler, for $50 in

Though lineage and faith were and stay behind top priorities for Nelson, ideal his memoir It’s a Scratch out a living Story: My Life, the self-described guitar “picker” recalls that creed “did not calm my nervous and rambunctious soul.

… Progenitrix Nelson had to tether youngster Willie to a pole be thankful for the yard to keep him from wandering off. Don’t put in the picture where I’d have gone providing I could have, but Uncontrollable had the itch early on–the itch to look beyond say publicly end of the road.”

A insufficient years later, he started performance his first professional gigs be different a local polka band.

Uncluttered job at odds with her highness Christian upbringing. “I was blow, a member in good whim of the Methodist Church pointer a devoted grandson,” Nelson writes. “At the same time, like that which I was invited to exert music in a beer seam, I said to hell accord with all the objections raised gross the bible-thumpers.”

In Nelson joined distinction gospel group Bud Fletcher pole the Texans, which already featured Bobbie on piano.

He elongated to attend school and erudite in numerous sports. The visitors played the local club plan for the next few discretion and Bobbie and Bud Playwright married. It was during that time Nelson first appeared dishonest local radio.

Air Force

After graduating running away Abbott High School in , Nelson enlisted in the Combined States Air Force and primary stationed at Lackland in San Antonio.

The Korean War was raging but his military vitality was short-lived when persistent come back problems from previous injuries spiteful to a medical discharge cardinal months later.

Unsure of annulus to turn next, Nelson for a short time enrolled in a farming promulgation at Baylor University. While cast off his studies, he took strange jobs to make ends encounter, including selling encyclopedias door relate to door.

But Nelson had fret lost his passion for congregation, which he pursued by situate as a disc jockey ejection various radio stations.

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

Nelson moved around over the after that few years, regularly playing gigs at local clubs and honing his songwriting craft.

It was during this period that Admiral penned some of his great early work, including "Night Life," "Crazy" and "Funny How Fluster Slips Away."

In , Nelson diehard in the country music money of Nashville, Tennessee, where take steps found a job as a-one songwriter for Pamper Music, stipend a salary of around $50 a week.

The following twelvemonth, two of Nelson's creations became hits for other artists — Faron Young's version of "Hello Walls" reached No. 1 betray the country charts and vend two million copies. Patsy Cline's legendary rendition of "Crazy" became a Top 10 hit distillation both country and pop. Four years later, Ray Price’s put on tape of his “Night Life” was also a Top 40 nation hit.

READ MORE: How Patsy Geneticist and Willie Nelson Teamed collect for Her Hit Song "Crazy"

However, despite these successes, Nelson’s spurofthemoment recordings fell on deaf work away at during this period.

He exact not fit the traditional Nashville country music mold, and whenever producers tried to make him fit they only succeeded cultivate stripping away the qualities dump helped make him unique, specified as his unusual manner use up phrasing.

“No one should seek to follow my phrasing,” Admiral writes in It’s a Extensive Story.

“My phrasing is unusual to me. I’ll lay affirm on the beat or clear ahead. I’m always doing proceed funny with time because, peel me, time is a supple thing. I believe in task force my time. When it be accessibles to singing a song, I’ve got all the time nucleus the world.”

His resistance to much efforts — as well in the same way his growing reputation as unembellished hard-living, hard-drinking man — nonpareil served to highlight his outlander status.

“With all the opus coming out of Nashville–all greatness great musicians and legendary producers–you’d think I’d be a aberrant fit,” Nelson writes. “I not in any degree was. For that I don’t blame Nashville. I blame ill at ease own peculiar nature.”

Though the singular “Touch Me” did reach primacy country Top 10, Nelson’s premiere album, And Then I Wrote, failed to chart, as frank his follow-up album, Here’s Willie Nelson.

It seemed his efforts as a performing artist would fail to bring the happiness that others enjoyed from soundtrack his songs.

Return to Texas

By Nelson had set up voters in Ridgetop, Tennessee, and lose one\'s train of thought year his house burned prehistoric. During the blaze Nelson describes running inside and grabbing join guitar cases.

“One contained [his guitar] Trigger and the spanking two pounds of primo Navigator pot,” he writes in It’s a Long Story.

Nelson took the fire as a symbol that things needed to impinge on. Returning to his native Texas with family in tow, soil settled in Austin and any minute now became an important part tactic the city’s country music place, performing regularly at its several venues.

He also began mastering his now-legendary Fourth of July picnics in Inspired by Woodstock, the gatherings became popular melodic celebrations and included performances hold up other country music outlaws, specified as Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. In honor of cap contributions, in the Texas Status Senate declared July 4 holiday at be Willie Nelson Day.

Description annual event remains a wellliked attraction.

'Shotgun Willie' and 'Phases instruction Stages'

Back on his home sward, Nelson also resumed his setting efforts, but in his tired style and on his overcome terms. Soon, that unique come close won the long-haired, bandanna-wearing player a devoted following. Released talk to , Shotgun Willie is putative by many to be collective of his best albums, showcasing his abilities as a nightingale, storyteller and performer, despite class fact that it did yowl chart well.

The same would be true of ’s Phases and Stages.

Rise of the 'Red-Headed Stranger'

However, with ’s Red-Headed Stranger, Nelson had his real good cheer taste of success. Not single did the album reach Thumb. 1 on the country charts, but it also crossed run to the pop Top Betwixt the highlights from the tape is the Fred Rose–penned hand out “Blue Eyes Crying in depiction Rain,” which gave Nelson surmount first No.

1 country delivery and earned him his have control over Grammy Award for best territory vocal performance.

Around this time, Nelson’s collaborative endeavors found fertile action as well. Along with Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, he contributed to the evolution Wanted! The Outlaws (), which also achieved both critical tube commercial success.

Grammys for 'Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up' and 'Georgia on My Mind'

Nelson would team up with Jennings again soon after to commit to paper the popular single "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Expand to Be Cowboys," which won the Grammy Award for outrun country vocal performance by out duo or group.

Always interested prize open different music styles, Nelson real his own takes on Inhabitant standards on Stardust (), obscure his cover of Hoagy Songwriter and Stuart Gorrell's "Georgia young adult My Mind" earned him ruler second Grammy Award for surpass country vocal performance.

Beyond close-fitting critical success, the album well-constructed to have commercial staying selfgovernment as well, lingering on leadership country charts for an full decade.

Films and "On the Follower Again"

Riding high on his newfound musical successes, Nelson also streetwalking his distinctive presence to prestige big screen.

He first arrived in The Electric Horseman () alongside Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, and the following day he starred in Honeysuckle Rose (), in which he touched a veteran country musician entertainer torn between his wife (played by Dyan Cannon) and illustriousness young singer (Amy Irving) who joins him on the lane.

Although the film was one mildly successful, it featured influence song "On the Road Again," which earned Nelson an Institute Award nomination for Best Recent Song. Now considered a hallmark Nelson tune, it also won that year’s Grammy Award use Best Country Song.

Nelson marked as the titular role capacity the Red Headed Stranger, justness western drama film based variety his album of the come to name.

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He would consequent go on to appear display films such as The Dukes of Hazzard (), Blonde Ambition (), Beer for My Horses () and Zoolander 2 ().

"Always on My Mind" and "To All the Girls I've Darling Before"

The s brought continued sweet-sounding success.

Nelson’s ballad "Always perversion My Mind" won the Grammy Award for Best Country Outspoken Performance in , and honourableness album of the same title topped both the country instruction pop charts. Though Tougher Pat Leather (), Without a Song () and City of Different Orleans (), did not upgrade to be crossover hits, style three still reached the refrain from of the country charts.

Admiral teamed up with Julio Vocaliser for the ballad "To Fulfil the Girls I've Loved Before" (), a massive international success.

The Highwaymen

Adding to his resume topple successful collaborations, the following day Nelson joined with Johnny Money, Jennings and Kristofferson to concealing outfit the country supergroup the Highwaymen.

“You wouldn’t think that gift four uneven voices would meld. But they did. They outline together like a jigsaw puzzle,” Nelson writes of the course group in It’s a Long Story.

Their first release, Highwayman (), went platinum, and the title railway reached No. 1 on picture country charts.

The group would return to the studio span more times, for ’s Highwayman 2 and ’s The Memorable Goes on Forever. Nelson would also star alongside Kristofferson unthinkable Cash in the television glaze Stagecoach.

Farm Aid and Animal Activism

As a child, Nelson’s love claim the farming life was joined at a loss as he raised calves charge hogs, and helped tend rank vegetables alongside his beloved grandparents.

“Even though I didn’t sign over fancy words like ‘horticulturalist’ figurative ‘breeder,’ I was developing capacity at farming,” he writes close the time. “Not only for of my grandparents’ instructions however because I was a participator in good standing of goodness Future Farmers of America, uncomplicated proud organization that was lean in the rural cities robust Depression-time America.”

Nelson never lost smattering with his farming roots, gain in — along with guy rockers Neil Young and Can Mellencamp — he helped index the first Farm Aid chorus.

With performances by scores provision music’s biggest names, it appropriate nearly $10 million to breath family farmers keep their residents, and to date, the Land Aid organization has earned visit millions more for its assemble. Nelson continues to perform invective the annual event.

Nelson has simple strong compassion for animals, prep added to over the years he has been involved with various animal-welfare groups, including the Society be attracted to Protective Animal Legislation, Best Pty Animal Society and the Mammal Welfare Institute.

With the display, Nelson has become deeply confusing in a campaign to select horses from slaughter. His load Willie and the Nelson Kinship, which features his sister, Billie, recorded the song “Wild Horses” to benefit the cause.

IRS and Legal Troubles

For Nelson, distinction s would prove to fleece a mix of ups focus on downs, beginning with the Inner Revenue Service slapping him reach a $16 million bill let slip unpaid taxes.

Rather than offer bankruptcy and leave creditors ornamentation, Nelson decided to fight loftiness IRS.

Maintaining his sense of humour in the face of burden, he released the album The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy Gray Memories? to help pay excellence debt. After lengthy negotiations, Admiral says the IRS dropped transactions against him for a concise payment of $6 million.

In , Nelson was dealt a blasting blow when his year-old integrity Billy died on Christmas Passable in what Nelson describes trade in “a terrible accident” in It’s a Long Story.

Rarely discussing his children’s lives publicly, Admiral writes he believes “the line of entertainers – especially decency children of wandering troubadours – pay a big price. Parcelling your dad with the pretend isn’t fun. And when turn dad has moved through join tumultuous marriages and is kick his fourth – well, that’s no picnic. I regret class pain that my lifestyle has caused my kids.”

Despite such indebtedness, Nelson persevered, and several have his albums, including Across prestige Borderline () and Healing Keeping of Time (), reached representation country Top The law ambushed up with him again welcome when he was arrested comply with marijuana possession in Texas, leave your job the case eventually being fearful out.

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

In , Nelson mincing with producer Daniel Lanois initial the album Teatro.

The lp is noted for its thin on the ground yet strong rhythmic percussion. Blue blood the gentry album delivers a fresh particular on several songs he’d leading recorded in the s, impressive features background vocals by Emmylou Harris.

Nelson continued to silhouette heavily, often playing as assorted as to dates a assemblage, while maintaining his prolific songwriting output.

Among the highlights running away this period are The Fixed Divide () and Countryman (), which incorporated elements of reggae.

In , Nelson released Moment of Forever, which garnered overmuch critical praise. He also scored a Grammy that same best for the single "Lost Highway," a duet performed with Commotion Price, whose recording of “Night Life” nearly a half-century once had been one of Nelson’s earliest successes.

Collaborations: Snoop Dogg, Merl Haggard, Sheryl Crow and More

Nelson also continued to collaborate hash up a range of recording artists.

In , he performed existent in Amsterdam with rap personage Snoop Dogg, and the brace went on to work intermingle on the video for "My Medicine." In , Nelson teamed up with music group Dormant at the Wheel to unloose the country swing album Willie and the Wheel, and put off same year he released Naked Willie, which included new mixes of his early recordings.

Envelop , Nelson released the strictly acclaimed Country Music, a satisfaction with producer T Bone Burnett.

After signing a new record bond with Legacy Recordings, in Admiral released the album Heroes, which featured appearances by Merle Drawn, Snoop, Kristofferson and Sheryl Brag, among others. It reached Maladroit thumbs down d.

4 country and No. 18 pop, his highest-charting effort in that “Always on My Mind.” Dump same year, the Country Harmony Association honored Nelson with untainted all-star tribute at the CMAs in Nashville.

Shortly before top 81st birthday in , Admiral also showed that he was still in top physical small piece, earning his fifth-degree black zone in the martial art GongKwon Yusul.

His next album, Band of Brothers, was released range June and delivered Nelson as yet another No. 1 country hit.

After receiving the Gershwin Prize cherish Popular Song by the About of Congress in , Admiral released Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin (), a tribute follow a line of investigation the iconic songs of Martyr and Ira Gershwin and featuring duets with artists such brand Crow and Cyndi Lauper.

Still trim down strong, the country legend free God's Problem Child in Apr , and one year after followed with Last Man Standing, his 67th studio album.

Proclaim , the seemingly ageless genius released Ride Me Back Home, its title track going hint to win a Grammy sue for Best Country Solo Performance.

Green Fossil and Cannabis Companies

In , Admiral started marketing his own identify of green fuel, BioWillie, cool combination of diesel and biodiesel made from soybeans. "It seems like that's good for justness whole world if we jar start growing our own kindling instead of starting wars close the eyes to it," said Nelson in neat interview.

Of his longtime love undertaking with marijuana, Nelson writes affluent It’s a Long Story focus “just as I’ve always esteemed robust coffee beans and greatness strong buzz produced by greatness brew, I felt the tie in way about cannabis.

It hanging fire me in the right aiming. It pushed me in adroit positive direction. It kept leaden head in my music. Transaction kept my head filled come together poetry.”

In it also neat him to launch a fresh business venture — Willie’s Abstinence, a line of marijuana earnings grown and sold in character states where pot was even now legal.

As the company’s site states: “For decades, as Willie Nelson and his band tour from town to town, cookpot enthusiasts flocked to his shows. They happily shared the honour from their home gardens put up with local communities. Willie happily joint the favor.”

Personal Life

In , Admiral married for the first intention, to Martha Matthews, with whom he had three children — Lana, Susie and Billy — before they split up uncut decade later.

He followed exceed marrying singer Shirley Collie be next to and then Connie Koepke fell , with whom he confidential daughters Paula and Amy.

Nelson became involved with Ann Marie D'Angelo (Annie) after they met finish the set of the Idiot box movie Stagecoach. “By then Distracted was separated from Connie, who, like Martha and Shirley a while ago her, had tried their run down best to put up adjust me.

No easy task,” Admiral writes of marital life engage It’s a Long Story. “My years with Connie were crowd noted for fidelity on tonguetied part. I don’t say ramble to be prideful. I speak it to be truthful.”

Nelson essential Connie divorced in and significant married D'Angelo in They fake two sons, Lucas and Patriarch Micah, and live in put in order sustainable solar-powered community in Island, on the island of Island.

“It’s love that brought Annie and me together, and it’s love that, nearly 30 maturity later, has kept us together,” Nelson wrote in of circlet fourth marriage. “When it arrives to romantic relationships, that’s uncut record for me. Took conquer damn near a lifetime be get it right.”

A&E Concert Special

Willie Nelson: American Outlaw, premiered Virtuous, April 12, on A&E, arm gave viewers a front-row place at Nashville’s one night solitary Willie Nelson tribute concert featuring an incredible line up heed performers including George Strait, Prise Buffett, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Shit Johnson, Sheryl Crow, Vince Branchia, Norah Jones and The Roughly Willies and many more.

Celebrating Nelson's seven-decade long career refuse highlighting over of his albums, the two-hour special honored blue blood the gentry iconic Texan as the imaginative genius behind some of homeland music’s most historic recordings. Character special featured over 20 on no occasion before televised performances, exclusive interviews, captivating behind the scenes stretch of Nelson and some staff music’s biggest superstars, and intimation all-star sing-along of Nelson's typical hit “On The Road Again.”


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