Born on April 30, 1933, Willie Hugh Nelson and his sister, Bobbie Lee, were born in Abbott, Texas. Gospel-singing grandparents raised both children after their mother abandoned the family and the father died. At the age of six, Willie was given his first guitar, and within a short time was writing country songs and playing in polka bands. Music proffered a release and distraction from the emotional and financial hardships of the Depression era, and during his teenage years, Willie performed at high school dances and honky-tonks. He also worked for the local radio station and by the time he graduated, was a full-fledged DJ with his own show.
He attended Baylor University for a year and served briefly in the Air Force, but was discharged because of a bad back. At this time, he was supporting himself with a variety of menial jobs, but his star was leaning over the horizon when he sold his first song, “No Place For Me.” He married Martha Mathews, a full-blooded Cherokee Indian, in 1952 and the couple had three children. He became known in Nashville as a composer who sells his songs to established country artists such as Patsy Cline (“Crazy”) and Ray Price (“Night Life”). In 1960, his first marriage ended and he married again in 1961 to Shirley Collie. In the years that followed, his career took a dip despite joining the Grand Ol’ Opry. In the early 1970s, he began to record and perform his own songs instead of selling them to others. His big break came in 1975 with the release of “Red-Headed Stranger”, which became the top selling country music album in history. In 1971, he divorced his second wife and married again, this time to Connie Koepke, with whom he had two children.
In the late 1970s, Willie launched his own movie career, appearing in “The Electric Horseman” (1979) and “Honeysuckle Rose” (1980). He played many different roles successfully and became a unique actor with an enormous following. In addition to his ability to create songs, he took a number of non-country standards and made them his own, such as Elvis Presley’s “You Were Always On My Mind” and Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind.”
With his fourth wife, Ann-Marie, he finally reached a state of personal happiness, but he still suffered hard times in the years to come, notably with the suicide of his son, Billy, and a $16.7 million dollar debt to the IRS. In 1993, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 1998, he received the Kennedy Center Honors.
Willie Nelson is a man of many talents and achievements. Keep on truckin’, Willie! We’re all behind you!
What are some of YOUR favorite Willie Nelson songs?