Willie Nelson: Musician, Age, Spouse, Songs, Net Worth ! 

Willie Nelson is an American country musician. He rose to fame after the success of the album Shotgun Willie in 1973, along with the commercial success of Red Headed Stranger in 1975 and Stardust in 1978. During that era, he became one of the most recognized artists in country music. In addition, Willie has acted in more than 30 films, co-authored numerous books, and has been involved in activism for the legalization of marijuana and the use of biofuels.

At the age of 7, Willie wrote his first song, and at 10, he joined his first band. He toured in the local area as their lead singer and guitar player with the Bohemian Polka during high school. In 1950, after graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Air Force; however, he was later discharged due to back problems. Further, he attended Baylor University for 2 years and later dropped out as he wanted to make a career in music. Willie has worked at radio stations in Texas as a disc jockey and several radio stations in the Pacific Northwest throughout the late 1950s. During that time, he wrote songs, which later became popular, the list includes “Hello Walls,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Crazy,” and “Pretty Paper.” In 1960, Willie was located in Nashville, Tennessee, and eventually signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music. In 1962, he recorded his 1st album, …And Then I Wrote, and in 1964, he signed with RCA Victor. The following year, he joined the Grand Ole Opry. After several hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, in 1972, he relocated to Austin, Texas. He frequently appeared at the Armadillo World Headquarters, as the ongoing music scene of Austin motivated him to return and perform.

In 1973, Willie signed with Atlantic Records and turned to outlaw country, albums like Shotgun Willie, and Phases and Stages. Further, in 1975, he switched to Columbia Records and recorded the album Red Headed Stranger. That same year, he also recorded another album, Wanted! The Outlaws, along with Jessi Colter, Waylon Jennings, and Tompall Glaser. In the 1980s, he gave many hit albums, including Honeysuckle Rose, and also recorded songs like “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” “On the Road Again,” and “Pancho and Lefty.”During the same duration, he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with singers Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. Later, in 1985, he helped organize the 1st Farm Aid concert, which benefited American farmers; since then, these concerts have been held annually, and he has appeared at everyone.

In 1990, the Internal Revenue Service took hold of Willie’s assets, claiming he owed $32 million. He faced difficulty paying his outstanding debt because of weak investments made by him during the 1980s. Willie released The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories? in 1992; the album’s profits and the auction of his assets helped him clear the debt. Further, during the 1990s and 2000s, he continued to release yearly albums and tours extensively. He explored several genres, including reggae, jazz, blues, and folk.

In 1979, in The Electric Horseman film, Willie made his first appearance, followed by several other appearances in movies and television. He is the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and a major liberal activist. In addition, he owns the biodiesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel. He is the honorary chairman of the Texas Music Project advisory board. 

Willie Nelson And ZZ Top to play 2 Central Texas shows next year

Music greats Willie Nelson (81 years old) and ZZ Top, an American rock band, will make a 2-night appearance in the coming year in Central Texas.

The shows are on the 14th and 15th of April and will be in New Braunfels, Texas, at the Whitewater Amphitheater.

The show tickets are on sale now, with a general cost of $75. The purchased tickets will be sent within 72 hours of remaining for the show. The Friday night and Saturday night tickets can be purchased online.

Doors open from 6:30 p.m. till 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night shows. 

Willie has many scheduled tour stops before his New Braunfels visit, which includes shows in Florida, Hawaii, and Abilene, Texas. Earlier this year, he released his 17th album.

ZZ Top has several tours stops across the country after its New Braunfels shows. In July 2021, the band’s long-bearded bassist Dusty Hill died; he was 72 then.

Willie Nelson Early Life:

Nelson was born on 29th April 1933, in Abbott, Texas. Dr. F. D. Sims incorrectly recorded his birth on 30th April 30. Willie got his name from his cousin Mildred. He has English and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish ancestry. In 1929, his parents moved from Arkansas to Texas to look for work. 

Willie got his first guitar at age 6 from his grandfather, who taught him a few chords. Willie used to sing gospel songs in the local church alongside his sister. Further, at the age of 7, he wrote his first song and, when he was 9, played guitar for the band Bohemian Polka. During the summers, the family picked cotton along with other residents. Willie disliked picking cotton; instead, from the age of 13, he started earning money by singing in dance halls, honky tonks, and taverns. His musical influences were Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Django Reinhardt, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra.

Willie worked as a tree trimmer for the local electric company, was a pawn shop employee, and raised pigs with the Future Farmers of America. 

While in high school, Willie sang and played guitar in the band The Texans, which was formed by his sister’s husband, Bud Fletcher. The band played in honky tonks, and they had a Sunday morning spot at KHBR, located in Hillsboro, Texas. 

After returning from the U.S. Air Force, he attended University and worked as a nightclub bouncer, saddle maker, auto house partsman, and tree trimmer again. Further, he joined Johnny Bush’s band.

Willie then moved with his family to Pleasanton, Texas, and auditioned for a job as a DJ at KBOP. In 1955, Willie made his 1st two recordings, “The Storm Has Just Begun” and “When I’ve Sung My Last Hillbilly Song,” with the station’s equipment. He also worked with other radio channels like KCUL in Denton and KCNC in Fort Worth, where Willie hosted The Western Express, played in nightclubs and taught Sunday school. 

During his childhood, Willie grew passionate about martial arts. In the 1960s, he started to practice kung fu formally after moving to Nashville, and during the 1980s, Willie began training in taekwondo and currently holds a 2nd-degree black belt in that discipline. In the 1990s, he started to practice the Korean martial art GongKwon Yusul and almost after 20 years, in 2014, his Grand Master Sam Um presented him with a 5th-degree black belt in a ceremony held in Austin, Texas.

Willie Nelson Family Background: 

Willie is the son of Myrle Marie and Ira Doyle Nelson. His father worked as a mechanic and his grandfather, William, worked as a blacksmith. Willie’s mother left him after his birth, and his father remarried. Their grandparents raised Willie and his sister Bobbie, and they started in music through their grandparents.

Willie Nelson Education:

Willie attended Abbott High School, where he actively participated in sports as a halfback on the football team, a guard on the basketball team, and a shortstop in baseball. Further, from 1954 to 1956, he studied agriculture at Baylor University and joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity until dropping out.

Willie Nelson Physical stats:

Willie stands 5 ft 6 in tall and weighs around 73kg. He has an average build, salt and pepper-colored hair, and dark brown eyes. Further, his distinctive features include thin lips, hawk type nose, a long jawline, and hooded eyes. 

Willie Nelson Birth Signs:

According to Willie’s birthdate, he falls under the zodiac Taurus. Currently, he is 89 years old. Further, his birth flower is the Sweet pea, and his ruling planet is Venus.

Willie Nelson Net worth:

Willie on the best country music singer-songwriter, poet, author, actor, and activist, with an estimated net worth of $25 million. 

Willie Nelson Relationship Status: 

Willie has been married 4 times and has 7 children. His first marriage was to Martha Matthews between 1952 to 1962. The couple had 3 children: Lana, Susie, and Willie “Billy” Hugh Jr. His next marriage was to Shirley Collie between 1963 to 1971. They divorced after Shirley found a bill from the maternity ward of a Houston hospital charging Willie for the birth of Paula Carlene Nelson, daughter of Willie and Connie Koepke. That same year, he married Connie, and they had another daughter named Amy Lee Nelson. Further, in 1988, they divorced, and in 1991, Willie married his current wife, Annie D’Angelo. The couple has two sons, Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah.

Willie Nelson Career:

By 1956, Willie met Leon Payne and headed to Vancouver, Washington. Leon was an esteemed country singer and songwriter, and their collaboration created the song ‘Lumberjack.’ The song sold 3 thousand copies. However, it needed to earn more fame and money for Willie. 

Further, along with working at the radio stations, he made several demo tapes and sent them to major record labels. Still, his efforts could have been more appreciated as they included jazzy and laid-back music that did not attract them. However, his abilities were noticed by Hank Cochran, who recommended him to ‘Pamper Music,’ a popular music label. The label was co-owned by Ray Price, and Ray was impressed by Willie’s talents and invited him to join the band Cherokee Cowboys. He was a part of the band as a bass player.

By the early 1960s, touring with the band proved beneficial for Willie, as other band members noticed his talent. During this time, Willie began producing music and wrote songs for several other artists. He collaborated with country musicians, including Faron Young, Patsy Cline, and Billy Walker. Several of his singles peaked on the ‘Country Top 40’ chart.

Willie recorded a duet titled ‘Willingly’ with his then-wife, Shirley Collie. The song became a big hit, and eventually, his songs stopped resonating with the listeners; a few years later, he changed the music label. Willie joined ‘RCA Records’ in 1965 and was with them until the early 1970s, when he finally decided to quit music and return to Austin, Texas; he wanted to focus on pig farming.

During this period, Willie closely observed the reasons behind his music failure and decided to give music a final shot. He experimented with a rock-influenced country sound and transformed his work. Willie got a record deal with ‘Atlantic Records,’ which began his music career.

In 1973, Willie released his debut album titled ‘Shotgun Willie’ under the Atlantic. Initially, the album did not receive favorable reviews, but over time, it picked up the pace and attained cult success. ‘Bloody Mary Morning’ and ‘After the Fire Is Gone’ were two of his super hits in the mid-1970s. 

In 1975, Willie released the album ‘Red Headed Stranger,’ which turned out to be a sleeper hit. In 1978, he released 2 albums: ‘Waylon and Willie and ‘Stardust.’ Both albums were big successes and turned him into the biggest country music star.

Further, in the 1980s, he reached the ultimate peak of his career, delivering several hits. His cover for Elvis Presley’s ‘Always on My Mind’ topped many charts. The album, released in 1982, garnered “quadruple-platinum” status. Willie also collaborated with pop star Julio Iglesias for the single ‘To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,’ which was another career milestone for Willie.

‘The Highwaymen,’ formed by Willie, was a legendary supergroup of many major country music stars, including Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. The late-1980s saw the arrival of several young country musicians who followed Willie’s style.

However, gradually Willie’s success began to fade away. The success of his solo album, ‘Across the Borderline,’ in 1993 was followed by some mediocre work. That same year, he was inducted into the ‘Country Music Hall of Fame,’ and for the next few years, he attained success with albums like ‘Spirit,’ ‘Night and Day,’ ‘Teatro,’ and ‘Milk Cow Blues.’

Even after entering his 80s, Willie has not stopped making music. In 2014, around his 81st birthday, he released an album, ‘Band of Brothers,’ and hit a number-one country.

He has regularly appeared in films, and TV series and his most popular films are ‘Starlight,’ ‘The Electric Horseman,’ ‘The Dukes of Hazzard,’ ‘Zoolander 2.’ and ‘Blonde Ambition.’

Willie has co-written around half a dozen books, and some of his most popular books are ‘Pretty Paper,’ ‘The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes,’ and ‘It’s a Long Story: My Life.’

Throughout his career, Willie has worked under labels like Liberty Records, RCA Records, Atlantic, Columbia Records, Island Records, Justice Records, Lost Highway, and Legacy Recordings.

Legal Issues:

Over the years, Willie has been arrested numerous times for possession of marijuana. In 1974, the 1st time this happened was in Dallas. Further, in 1977, when he went to the Bahamas after a tour, a customs officer found marijuana in the pocket of his jeans; Willie was arrested and thrown in jail. But a few hours late was released but was charged and was also banned from the Bahamas. 

Another instance was in 1994 when police found marijuana in Willie’s car near Waco, Texas. Further, in 2006, while traveling to former Texas Governor Ann Richards’ funeral, he was arrested for possessing marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms in Louisiana. He received 6 months of probation. Later, in November 2010, he was arrested in Sierra Blanca, Texas for possession of marijuana found in his tour bus while he was traveling from Los Angeles back to Texas. He paid $2,500 as a bail amount and was then released.

Willie Nelson Social Appearance:

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have around 6M, 875K, and 708K followers, respectively; on YouTube, he has around 830K subscribers. His posts include his personal life pictures, his album and concert videos, posters of his projects, etc.