Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is an American singer-songwriter, musician, actor and activist from Abbott, United States. Born in 1933, he grows up in Texas and becomes one of the central figures in outlaw country, a style that develops in reaction to the Nashville sound. His wider work also draws on country, blues, country pop, folk, rock, jazz and reggae.

Career

Nelson writes his first song at seven and joins his first band at ten. As a teenager he tours locally with the Bohemian Polka as lead singer and guitar player. After leaving the U.S. Air Force because of back problems, he studies at Baylor University for two years before dropping out to focus on music. He works as a disc jockey on Texas radio stations and sings in honky-tonks. He later moves to Vancouver, Washington, where he writes “Family Bible” and records “Lumberjack” in 1956, and also works as a radio presenter in Vancouver and nearby Portland, Oregon.

In 1958 he moves to Houston after signing with D Records, performs weekly at the Esquire Ballroom and continues as a disc jockey. During this period he writes songs that become country standards, including “Funny How Time Slips Away”, “Hello Walls”, “Pretty Paper” and “Crazy”. He moves to Nashville in 1960 and signs a publishing contract with Pamper Music, which leads to work as a bassist in Ray Price’s band. His first album, ...And Then I Wrote, appears in 1962. He signs with RCA Victor in 1964 and joins the Grand Ole Opry the following year.

After a run of mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Nelson retires in 1972 and moves to Austin, Texas. The city’s music scene brings him back into performing, including regular appearances at the Armadillo World Headquarters. In 1973 he signs with Atlantic Records and records Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages, albums associated with his turn to outlaw country. He then moves to Columbia Records, where he records Red Headed Stranger in 1975. That year he also records Wanted! The Outlaws with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser.

Nelson’s later career includes hit albums such as Honeysuckle Rose and songs including “On the Road Again”, “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” and “Pancho and Lefty”. In the 1980s he joins the country supergroup The Highwaymen with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. He continues touring extensively in the 1990s and 2000s and releases albums regularly. His songwriting and performance style influence later country movements, including new country, new traditionalist and alternative country.

Other work and activism

Nelson acts in more than 30 films and also appears on television. His first film appearance is in The Electric Horseman in 1979. He co-authors several books. He is involved in activism for biofuels and for the legalisation of marijuana, and serves as co-chair of the advisory board of NORML. He also owns the bio-diesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, made from vegetable oil, and is honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project.

Trigger and personal image

Nelson is strongly associated with his guitar, Trigger, a Martin N-20 classical guitar fitted with a Prismatone pickup. He buys it unseen for $750 after repairing damage to an earlier instrument, names it after Roy Rogers’ horse, and later rescues it from his burning ranch. Over time, heavy use wears a large hole near the sound hole. The guitar’s soundboard carries many signatures from friends and associates, including Leon Russell. During his tax problems, Nelson keeps the guitar out of reach of the IRS and later says that if Trigger goes, he quits.

Awards and recognition

Nelson is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and receives Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. He is inducted into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2011 for his work with Farm Aid and other fundraisers for farmers. He wins the Gershwin Prize from the Library of Congress in 2015 and is inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 2018 for his songwriting. He is also included on Rolling Stone’s lists of the 100 Greatest Singers and 100 Greatest Guitarists.

Associated acts and labels

Nelson’s associated groups include The Record Men, Willie Nelson and The Family, The Offenders, The Highwaymen, and Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson. He records and publishes through labels including Full Nelson Music, Inc. and EMI Full Nelson Music.