Historical Figure
Willie Nelson
b. 1933
American country musician (born 1933)
Talk to Willie Nelson
Have a conversation with this historical figure through AI
Biography
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. The critical success of his album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.
In Their Own Words (5)
Rather than trying to put an end to Eminem or some other rapper, politicians should think about why they're rapping. It's easier to try to censor some kid who's swearing about poverty than it is to stop the poverty.
Playboy interview, November 2002. , 2002
I started learning my lessons in Abbot Texas, where I was born in 1933. My sister Bobbie and I were raised by our grandparents [...] We never had enough money, and Bobbie and I started working at an early age to help the family get by. That hard work included picking cotton. [...] Picking cotton is hard and painful work, and the most lasting lesson I learned in the fields was that I didn't want to spend my life picking cotton.
1933
When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.
Well, there was a guy, a blacksmith, in Abbott, and he and my granddad both had blacksmith's jobs. I hung around there a lot. And he had a family band. He just let me play because he knew I wanted to work and needed the work. So, I played a guitar in a big polka band with a lot of horns and everything. So, fortunately, no one ever heard me, because I wasn't that great. But I was nine or 10 years old and making eight to 10 dollars a night. So, it was easier than picking cotton.
Biodiesel seems to be the answer to a lot of our prayers. Not only can it help the U.S. economy, our unwanted dependence on foreign oil, and the gasping environment, it could also help the family farmers out of this tragic dilemma they have found themselves in through no fault of their own.
Timeline
The story of Willie Nelson, told in moments.
Still touring past 90. Over 100 studio albums. Country Music Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Trigger has been played so hard the spruce top has a fist-sized hole. He won't replace it.
Sold "Crazy" to Patsy Cline for $50. She made it a standard. Nelson's own recordings weren't selling. Nashville treated him as a songwriter, not a performer. The label kept putting strings on his records.
His house burned down. He moved to Austin, Texas, grew his hair long, and started the outlaw country movement. Nashville said no. Austin said yes. He was 39 and starting over.
Red Headed Stranger, a sparse concept album about a preacher on the run, was rejected by his label as unfinished. It sold 2 million copies. "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" became his first number-one single.
Co-organized the first Farm Aid concert with Neil Young and John Mellencamp. The annual event has raised over $60 million for family farmers. Nelson played Trigger, his battered Martin guitar. It has a hole worn through the spruce top.
The IRS seized most of his assets for $16.7 million in back taxes. His accountants had invested his money in fraudulent tax shelters. He recorded The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? and sold it on late-night TV to pay the debt.
More from the Modern
Explore what happened on the days that shaped Willie Nelson's life. Today In History connects historical figures with the events, births, and deaths that defined their era. Browse all historical figures or explore today's events.