Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is a country music singer-songwriter known for shaping the outlaw country movement and for decades of chart-topping songs, albums and cultural influence. Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas, and was raised by his grandparents during the Great Depression. He learned guitar at a young age and began writing songs as a child. He attended Abbott High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete and sang in local bands. After graduating, he briefly served in the U.S. Air Force before being medically discharged, then worked a series of jobs while continuing to perform and write music.

In the early ’60s, Nelson moved to Nashville and found success first as a songwriter. He wrote hits including “Crazy,” famously recorded by Patsy Cline, and “Hello Walls,” which became a No. 1 song for Faron Young. Despite writing for others, Nelson struggled to fit the polished Nashville sound. He returned to Texas, where his raw style helped fuel the outlaw country movement and led to mainstream success in the ’70s.

Nelson’s breakthrough albums include Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), followed by a career that spans dozens of albums and songs such as “On the Road Again.” He has won multiple Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. He also cofounded the Farm Aid benefit concerts in 1985.

Nelson has been married four times, including to Martha Matthews, Shirley Collie and Connie Koepke. He has eight children: Renee (born in 1953), Lana (born in 1953), Susie (born in 1956), Billy (1958-1991), Paula (born in 1969), Amy (born in 1973), Lukas (born in 1988) and Micah (born in 1990). He later moved on with Annie D’Angelo, and the couple tied the knot in 1991.