Willie nelson biography youtube leonardo

(1933-)

Who Is Willie Nelson?

Country singer and songwriter Willie Admiral rose to prominence at description end of the 1960s president contributed to the "outlaw country" subgenre, which challenged the congregation industry conservatism of Nashville imitate the time.

During his long-drawn-out, award-winning career, he has bound some of the most public and memorable country songs hegemony all time, many of which have been covered by efficient wide range of artists bridge the last half-century. Now suggestion his 80s, Nelson continues motivate record, tour and devote again and again to charitable and political causes.

Early Life

Nelson was born on Apr 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas.

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

With their grandparents, Willie and Bobbie spurious their town’s small Methodist religion, where they received their elementary exposure to music. Their kind-hearted grandparents had a musical location and Nelson has described them as “dedicated musical teachers.” They encouraged Willie and his preserve to play and learn, depressing so far as to inviolable musical books from Chicago.

Nelson got his first guitar put off the age of six — mere months prior to justness death of his beloved gaffer — and he began penmanship his own poetry and perfectly musical compositions shortly thereafter. Diadem famous gospel song “Family Bible” draws from his early disclosure to religious music. He advertise the song to his comrade Paul Buskirk, a guitar educator, for $50 in 1959.

Though next of kin and faith were and carry on top priorities for Nelson, discharge his 2015 memoir It’s well-organized Long Story: My Life, depiction self-described guitar “picker” recalls consider it church “did not calm angry restless and rambunctious soul.

… Mama Nelson had to secure toddler Willie to a stake in the yard to occupy him from wandering off. Don’t know where I’d have away if I could have, on the contrary I had the itch inauspicious on–the itch to look apart from the end of the road.”

A few years later, he in progress playing his first professional gigs with a local polka knot. A job at odds finetune his Christian upbringing.

“I was ten, a member in bright standing of the Methodist Service and a devoted grandson,” Admiral writes. “At the same securely, when I was invited come close to play music in a jug joint, I said to float up with all the objections peer by the bible-thumpers.”

In 1947 Admiral joined the gospel group Make an effort Fletcher and the Texans, which already featured Bobbie on fortepiano.

He continued to attend academy and lettered in numerous diversions. The band played the regional club circuit for the adhere to few years and Bobbie keep from Bud Fletcher married. It was during this time Nelson be foremost appeared on local radio.

Air Force

After graduating from Abbott High Institution in 1950, Nelson enlisted livestock the United States Air Goal and first stationed at Lackland in San Antonio.

The Asiatic War was raging but fillet military career was short-lived what because persistent back problems from former injuries led to a analeptic discharge nine months later.

Unsure of where to turn go along with, Nelson briefly enrolled in expert farming program at Baylor Foundation. While pursuing his studies, recognized took odd jobs to generate ends meet, including selling encyclopedias door to door.

But Admiral had not lost his benevolence for music, which he hunt by working as a record jockey for various radio class.

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

Nelson moved around make dirty the next few years, customarily playing gigs at local clubs and honing his songwriting handiwork.

It was during this calm that Nelson penned some decompose his finest early work, together with "Night Life," "Crazy" and "Funny How Time Slips Away."

In 1960, Nelson settled in the federation music capital of Nashville, River, where he found a office as a songwriter for Spoil Music, earning a salary rule around $50 a week.

Grandeur following year, two of Nelson's creations became hits for ruin artists — Faron Young's secret code of "Hello Walls" reached Ham-fisted. 1 on the country charts and sold two million copies. Patsy Cline's legendary rendition answer "Crazy" became a Top 10 hit on both country prep added to pop. Two years later, Unexpected defeat Price’s recording of his “Night Life” was also a Summit 40 country hit.

READ MORE: In any case Patsy Cline and Willie Admiral Teamed up for Her Whack Song "Crazy"

However, despite these celebrity, Nelson’s own recordings fell put away deaf ears during this generation.

He did not fit rendering traditional Nashville country music molding, and whenever producers tried everywhere make him fit they sui generis incomparabl succeeded in stripping away grandeur qualities that helped make him unique, such as his untypical manner of phrasing.

“No twin should try to follow ill at ease phrasing,” Nelson writes in It’s a Long Story.

“My language is peculiar to me. I’ll lay back on the denial or jump ahead. I’m uniformly doing something funny with repulse because, to me, time practical a flexible thing. I act as if in taking my time. While in the manner tha it comes to singing unadulterated song, I’ve got all rendering time in the world.”

His intransigence to such efforts — in that well as his growing trustworthy as a hard-living, hard-drinking bloke — only served to particular his outsider status.

“With conclude the music coming out admire Nashville–all the great musicians extremity legendary producers–you’d think I’d properly a natural fit,” Nelson writes. “I never was. For ditch I don’t blame Nashville. Comical blame my own peculiar nature.”

Though the 1962 single “Touch Me” did reach the country Crest 10, Nelson’s debut album, And Then I Wrote, failed have got to chart, as did his backup album, Here’s Willie Nelson.

Dispute seemed his efforts as smashing performing artist would fail equal bring the success that bareness enjoyed from recording his songs.

Return to Texas

By 1970 Admiral had set up home pathway Ridgetop, Tennessee, and that period his house burned down. Significant the blaze Nelson describes management inside and grabbing two bass cases.

“One contained [his guitar] Trigger and the other span pounds of primo Columbian pot,” he writes in It’s expert Long Story.

Nelson took ethics fire as a sign cruise things needed to change. Reverting to his native Texas set about family in tow, he effected in Austin and soon became an important part of honourableness city’s country music scene, enforcement regularly at its many venues.

He also began hosting enthrone now-legendary Fourth of July picnics in 1973. Inspired by Woodstock, the gatherings became popular melodic celebrations and included performances breakout other country music outlaws, much as Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. In honor of contributions, in 1975 the Texas State Senate declared July 4 to be Willie Nelson Allot.

The annual event remains dinky popular attraction.

'Shotgun Willie' and 'Phases and Stages'

Back on his voters turf, Nelson also resumed top recording efforts, but in potentate own style and on her highness own terms. Soon, that sui generis incomparabl approach won the long-haired, bandanna-wearing performer a devoted following.

At large in 1973, Shotgun Willie commission considered by many to adjust one of his best albums, showcasing his abilities as trig singer, storyteller and performer, contempt the fact that it outspoken not chart well. The livery would be true of 1974’s Phases and Stages.

Rise of nobility 'Red-Headed Stranger'

However, with 1975’s Red-Headed Stranger, Nelson had his genuine first taste of success.

Moan only did the album complete No. 1 on the state charts, but it also intersecting over to the pop Drumming 40. Among the highlights outlandish the recording is the Fred Rose–penned number “Blue Eyes Egregious in the Rain,” which gave Nelson his first No. 1 country hit and earned him his first Grammy Award carry out best country vocal performance.

Around that time, Nelson’s collaborative endeavors harsh fertile ground as well.

Advance with Jennings, Jessi Colter promote Tompall Glaser, he contributed come near the compilation Wanted! The Outlaws (1976), which also achieved both critical and commercial success.

Grammys be intended for 'Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up' and 'Georgia method My Mind'

Nelson would team strand with Jennings again soon aft to record the popular celibate "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," which won the 1978 Grammy Award for best country oral performance by a duo be a sign of group.

Always interested in different descant styles, Nelson recorded his detach takes on American standards set up Stardust (1978), and his luggage rack of Hoagy Carmichael and Royalty Gorrell's "Georgia on My Mind" earned him his second Grammy Award for best country articulate performance.

Beyond its critical outcome, the album proved to hold commercial staying power as on top form, lingering on the country charts for an entire decade.

Films endure "On the Road Again"

Riding extreme on his newfound musical acclaim, Nelson also brought his peculiar presence to the big shield. He first appeared in The Electric Horseman (1979) alongside Parliamentarian Redford and Jane Fonda, additional the following year he marked in Honeysuckle Rose (1980), preparation which he played a old hand country musician performer torn halfway his wife (played by Dyan Cannon) and the young minstrel (Amy Irving) who joins him on the road.

Although goodness film was only mildly composition, it featured the song "On the Road Again," which condign Nelson an Academy Award condemnation for Best Original Song. Carrying great weight considered a trademark Nelson modify, it also won that year’s Grammy Award for Best Sovereign state Song.

Nelson starred as significance titular role of the Red Headed Stranger, the 1986 love story drama film based on fillet 1975 album of the duplicate name. He would later announce on to appear in motion pictures such as The Dukes bad deal Hazzard (2005), Blonde Ambition (2007), Beer for My Horses (2008) and Zoolander 2 (2016).

"Always stoppage My Mind" and "To Collective the Girls I've Loved Before"

The 1980s brought continued musical premium.

Nelson’s ballad "Always on Tawdry Mind" won the Grammy Furnish for Best Country Vocal Execution in 1982, and the soundtrack of the same name lidded both the country and jut charts. Though Tougher Than Leather (1983), Without a Song (1984) and City of New Orleans (1984), did not prove pause be crossover hits, all link still reached the top prepare the country charts.

Nelson teamed up with Julio Iglesias stick up for the ballad "To All high-mindedness Girls I've Loved Before" (1982), a massive international success.

The Highwaymen

Adding to his resume of of use collaborations, the following year Admiral joined with Johnny Cash, Jennings and Kristofferson to form representation country supergroup the Highwaymen.

“You wouldn’t think that our quadruplet uneven voices would blend. On the contrary they did. They fit culmination like a jigsaw puzzle,” Admiral writes of the group get round It’s a Long Story.

Their chief release, Highwayman (1985), went pt, and the title track reached No. 1 on the kingdom charts. The group would come back to the studio two improved times, for 1990’s Highwayman 2 and 1995’s The Road Goes on Forever.

Nelson would additionally star alongside Kristofferson and Money in the 1986 television layer Stagecoach.

Farm Aid and Animal Activism

As a child, Nelson’s love supplementary the farming life was firm as he raised calves unacceptable hogs, and helped tend glory vegetables alongside his beloved grandparents. “Even though I didn’t machinate fancy words like ‘horticulturalist’ announce ‘breeder,’ I was developing ability at farming,” he writes donation the time.

“Not only due to of my grandparents’ instructions however because I was a shareholder in good standing of rectitude Future Farmers of America, unmixed proud organization that was tart in the rural cities innumerable Depression-time America.”

Nelson never lost apply with his farming roots, avoid in 1985 — along catch on fellow rockers Neil Young crucial John Mellencamp — he helped organize the first Farm Association concert.

With performances by heap of music’s biggest names, abode earned nearly $10 million penalty help family farmers keep their land, and to date, rectitude Farm Aid organization has due many millions more for secure cause. Nelson continues to work at the annual event.

Nelson has a strong compassion for animals, and over the years take steps has been involved with a number of animal-welfare groups, including the Sovereign state for Protective Animal Legislation, Outstrip Friends Animal Society and justness Animal Welfare Institute.

With description latter, Nelson has become greatly involved in a campaign ingratiate yourself with save horses from slaughter. Rulership group Willie and the Admiral Family, which features his develop, Billie, recorded the song “Wild Horses” to benefit the spring.

IRS and Legal Troubles

For Admiral, the 1990s would prove appoint be a mix of alternations and downs, beginning with representation Internal Revenue Service slapping him with a $16 million invoice for unpaid taxes.

Rather surpass declare bankruptcy and leave creditors hanging, Nelson decided to war against the IRS.

Maintaining his sense confront humor in the face outline adversity, he released the single The IRS Tapes: Who'll Acquire My Memories? to help compensate the debt. After lengthy agent, Nelson says the IRS abandoned proceedings against him for a-ok reduced payment of $6 million.

In 1991, Nelson was dealt neat devastating blow when his 33-year-old son Billy died on Season Day in what Nelson describes as “a terrible accident” beckon It’s a Long Story.

Only now and then discussing his children’s lives honourable, Nelson writes he believes “the children of entertainers – dreadfully the children of wandering troubadours – pay a big bowed. Sharing your dad with glory world isn’t fun. And considering that that dad has moved have a medical condition three tumultuous marriages and legal action on his fourth – vigorous, that’s no picnic.

I bewail the pain that my lifestyle has caused my kids.”

Despite much difficulties, Nelson persevered, and assorted of his albums, including Across the Borderline (1993) and Healing Hands of Time (1994), reached the country Top 20. Significance law caught up with him again in 1994 when dirt was arrested for marijuana proprietorship in Texas, with the argue eventually being thrown out.

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

In 1998, Nelson worked with impresario Daniel Lanois on the medium Teatro.

The album is celebrated for its sparse yet stiff rhythmic percussion. The album delivers a fresh take on distinct songs he’d first recorded enjoy the 1960s, and features environment vocals by Emmylou Harris.

Nelson continued to tour heavily, oft playing as many as Cardinal to 200 dates a crop, while maintaining his prolific songwriting output.

Among the highlights stick up this period are The Undistinguished Divide (2002) and Countryman (2005), which incorporated elements of reggae.

In 2008, Nelson released Moment of Forever, which garnered some critical praise. He also scored a Grammy that same period for the single "Lost Highway," a duet performed with Needle Price, whose recording of “Night Life” nearly a half-century formerly had been one of Nelson’s earliest successes.

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

Nelson also continued to collaborate bend a range of recording artists.

In 2008, he performed material in Amsterdam with rap idol Snoop Dogg, and the span went on to work box on the video for "My Medicine." In 2009, Nelson teamed up with music group Inoperative at the Wheel to unbind the country swing album Willie and the Wheel, and think about it same year he released Naked Willie, which included new mixes of his early recordings.

Make a purchase of 2010, Nelson released the badly acclaimed Country Music, a cooperation with producer T Bone Burnett.

After signing a new record give out with Legacy Recordings, in 2012 Nelson released the album Heroes, which featured appearances by Ouzel Haggard, Snoop, Kristofferson and Sheryl Crow, among others.

It reached No. 4 country and Clumsy. 18 pop, his highest-charting appraise since “Always on My Mind.” That same year, the Nation Music Association honored Nelson seam an all-star tribute at goodness CMAs in Nashville.

Shortly previously his 81st birthday in 2014, Nelson also showed that of course was still in top incarnate form, earning his fifth-degree jet-black belt in the martial handiwork GongKwon Yusul.

His next soundtrack, Band of Brothers, was unrestricted that June and delivered Admiral yet another No. 1 nation hit.

After receiving the Gershwin Adore for Popular Song by ethics Library of Congress in 2015, Nelson released Summertime: Willie Admiral Sings Gershwin (2016), a celebration to the iconic songs be in possession of George and Ira Gershwin mushroom featuring duets with artists much as Crow and Cyndi Lauper.

Still going strong, the country romance released God's Problem Child worry April 2017, and one vintage later followed with Last Workman Standing, his 67th studio publication.

In 2019, the seemingly endless artist released Ride Me Impediment Home, its title track dodge on to win a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.

Green Fuel and Cannabis Companies

In 2004, Nelson started marketing his cry off brand of green fuel, BioWillie, a combination of diesel keep from biodiesel made from soybeans.

"It seems like that's good ejection the whole world if awe can start growing our spurofthemoment fuel instead of starting wars over it," said Nelson suspend a 2005 interview.

Of his longtime love affair with marijuana, Admiral writes in It’s a Stretched Story that “just as I’ve always loved robust coffee herald and the strong buzz surface by the brew, I mattup the same way about marijuana.

It pushed me in righteousness right direction. It pushed do too quickly in a positive direction. Seize kept my head in clear out music. It kept my intellect filled with poetry.”

In 2015 it also led him lambast launch a new business pledge — Willie’s Reserve, a column of marijuana products grown allow sold in the states whither pot was already legal.

Despite the fact that the company’s website states: “For decades, as Willie Nelson explode his band traveled from village to town, pot enthusiasts flocked to his shows. They providentially shared the bounty from their home gardens and local communities. Willie happily returned the favor.”

Personal Life

In 1952, Nelson married tail the first time, to Martha Matthews, with whom he challenging three children — Lana, Susie and Billy — before they split up a decade succeeding.

He followed by marrying chanteuse Shirley Collie in 1963 station then Connie Koepke in 1971, with whom he had progeny Paula and Amy.

Nelson became intricate with Ann Marie D'Angelo (Annie) after they met on honourableness set of the TV membrane Stagecoach. “By then I was separated from Connie, who, aspire Martha and Shirley before need, had tried their level outdistance to put up with keep amused.

No easy task,” Nelson writes of marital life in It’s a Long Story. “My eld with Connie were not esteemed for fidelity on my trace. I don’t say that command somebody to be prideful. I say shakiness to be truthful.”

Nelson and Connie divorced in 1988 and loosen up married D'Angelo in 1991. They have two sons, Lucas esoteric Jacob Micah, and live hold a sustainable solar-powered community insert Hawaii, on the island chide Maui.

“It’s love that floored Annie and me together, obtain it’s love that, nearly 30 years later, has kept wickedness together,” Nelson wrote in 2015 of his fourth marriage. “When it comes to romantic retailer, that’s a record for imagine. Took me damn near clean up lifetime to get it right.”

A&E Concert Special

Willie Nelson: American Hamper, premiered Sunday, April 12, bewildering A&E, and gave viewers spick front-row seat at Nashville’s pick your way night only Willie Nelson allotment concert featuring an incredible obliteration up of performers including Martyr Strait, Jimmy Buffett, Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Jack Johnson, Sheryl Bugle, Vince Gill, Norah Jones skull The Little Willies and go to regularly more.

Celebrating Nelson's seven-decade finish career and highlighting over Cardinal of his albums, the two-hour special honored the iconic American as the creative genius at the end some of country music’s ascendant historic recordings. The special featured over 20 never before televised performances, exclusive interviews, captivating extreme the scenes footage of Admiral and some of music’s largest superstars, and an all-star sing-along of Nelson's classic hit “On The Road Again.”

• Name: Willie Nelson
• Birth date: April 29, 1933
• Birth State: Texas
• Birth City: Abbott
• Birth Country: United States
• Best Herald For: Willie Nelson is fine country singer-songwriter known for bang songs like "Crazy" and "On the Road Again."
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Taurus
• Schools
• Baylor University
• Abbott High School

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