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Willie Nelson Bio
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Willie Nelson
William Hugh Nelson was born on April 30, 1933 in Abbott, Texas. He and his sister Roberta were raised by their grandparents because their father passed away and their mother ran away.
Willie began guitar lessons when he was six years old and his sister learned how to play the piano. In high school the two joined the Bohemian Fiddlers band, which was led by friend Bud Fletcher.
Nelson joined the Air Force shortly after graduating, but left due to back problems. He then attended Baylor University for one year, but left without graduating. Nelson then became a DJ for a country music station and began singing in local bars.
In 1952 Willie married his first wife, Martha Matthews. The couple had three children together, named Lana, Susie, and Billy. The couple divorced ten years later in 1962.
Willie began to seriously pursue his musical career in 1956 when he moved to Vancouver, Washington. There he recorded his first single, Lumberjack. The song was a modest success but it did not jump-start Nelson’s career the way he had hoped. Willie went back to working as a DJ and singing on the side.
After selling a song he had written, “Family Bible” in 1960, Nelson decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee. Although he did not land a record deal right away, Nelson was offered a publishing contract to write songs for Pamper Music.
Nelson began touring with Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys as their bass player after writing several hits for the band throughout the 1960’s. In 1961, Nelson was offered his own record deal with Liberty Records. He recorded a few successful singles including. “Willingly” and “Touch Me,” but was unable to turn that success into a record.
During that time, Nelson also faced problems with alcohol and went through a number of jobs. He also had the habit of carrying guns around in public, which got him into trouble on more than once occasion. Throughout this period in his life Nelson was married to his second wife, Shirley Collie from 1963-1971.
Nelson briefly retired from the music business altogether in 1965 due to his frustrations that the industry was trying to force him into a mold. He moved to Austin, Texas and after a brief stint in retirement returned to music and became a hit on the Austin music scene. Fans loved his version of country music with rock and roll, jazz, swing, and folk influences.
In 1971, Nelson married Connie Koepke. The couple had two children tgether: Paula Carlene and Amy. They divorced in 1988.
Willie’s first critically acclaimed album was RedHeaded Stranger (1975) in which Columbia Records gave him complete creative control. The result was an alubm that was primarily the guitar along with the piano for accompaniment. A string of successful albums and awards soon followed. He became known as the country “outlaw” along with his pal, Waylon Jennings, because they refused to conform to what was perceived as traditional country music.
In the 1980’s, Nelson began his acting career with a starring role in the film, Honeysuckle Rose (1980), co-starring Amy Irving and Priscilla Pointer. Other films he has starred in include Wag the Dog (1997), co-starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, William H. Macy, and Dennis Leary, as well as Gone Fishin (1997) alongside Danny Glover and Joe Pesci. Most recently he is set to star in the sequel, The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of General Lee (2007).
Beginning in the 1980’s and continuing until today, Nelson has become very involved in charity work and the environment. In 2005, he started the company, Willie Nelson’s Biodiesel, a.k.a Bio Willie, which is a company that markets Biodiesel biofuel at truck stops. The fuel is made up of vegetable oils and can be burned without having to modify a diesel’s engine.
In 1991, he married his fourth and final wife, Annie D’Angelo. The couple has two sons together, named Lucas Autry and Jacob Micah. In total, Nelson has seven children. |
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Yuddy top celebrities
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