Willie Nelson Biography: Wife, Children, Parents, Sibling, Family, Net Worth –
Willie Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor, activist, and national treasure. Owing to the tremendous success of his albums ‘Shotgun Willie’ and ‘Red Headed Stranger,’ Willie became one of the most influential names in the history of American country music.
Born and raised in Texas, Willie started playing music at the age of 7, and by 10, he was already part of a music band. He toured around the state of Texas with his band, ‘Bohemian Polka,’ as a teen, but making music for a living was still not his primary plan.
Willie joined the ‘American Air Force’ as soon as he graduated from high school. In the mid-1950s, his song ‘Lumberjack’ started gaining significant attention. This led Willie to quit everything else and to focus only on music.
After he joined ‘Atlantic Records’ in 1973, Willie gained immense fame. Two of his albums in particular, ‘Red Headed Stranger’ and ‘Honeysuckle Rose,’ turned him into a national icon. As an actor, Willie has appeared in over 30 films and has co-authored several books.
He happens to be a liberal activist and has never shied away from expressing his thoughts about the legalization of marijuana.
Willie Nelson Bio
Willie Hugh Nelson was born on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas. He is the son of Myrle and Ira Nelson. His cousin Mildred named him Willie and chose his middle name of Hugh in honor of her younger brother who had passed shortly before Willie was born.
His parents moved to Texas from Arkansas in 1929 in search of work. His father was a mechanic and his grandfather was a blacksmith. His mom left the family not long after he was born.
His father remarried and moved away and then Nelson and his sister Bobbie stayed behind and were raised by their grandparents. His grandfather bought him a guitar when he was six and taught him a few chords.
His grandparents taught singing and started Willie and Bobbie on their path in music. Nelson and his sister Bobbie sang gospel songs in the church choir with their grandfather.
Willie wrote his first song at seven and when he was nine, he played guitar in a local band called Bohemian Polka.
Willie went to Abbott High School where he was very active in sports. He was on the football, basketball, and baseball teams. He also was a member of the Future Farmers of America, which he raised pigs for.
During high school, he was in the band The Texans, formed by his sister’s husband Bud Fletcher. Willie sang and played the guitar in the band. The Texans played in honky-tonks and had a Sunday morning radio show. Nelson graduated from Abbott High School in 1952.
He was in the Air Force for a short time and then enrolled at Baylor University to study agriculture. He was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity.
Nelson dropped out of college after two years to pursue a career in music. While getting his music career off the ground, Nelson worked as a saddle maker, tree trimmer, bouncer, and at an auto parts shop.
Willie Nelson wife
Nelson has been married four times . His current wife is Annie D’Angelo, whom he met on the set of a movie in 1986. They have been married since 1991.
His first marriage was to Martha Matthews from 1952 to 1962. Nelson’s next marriage was to Shirley Collie in 1963. The couple divorced in 1971. Nelson married Koepke the same year, and they divorced in 1988.
He married his current wife, Annie D’Angelo, in 1991. She is a former makeup artist who has supported Willie Nelson’s career and activism. She is also his longest-lasting relationship by far.
Willie Nelson children
Willie Nelson has eight children from different relationships. They are:
Lana Nelson, born in 1953, his eldest daughter with his first wife Martha Matthews.
Susie Nelson, born in 1956, his second daughter with Matthews. She is an author who wrote a biography of her father.
Billy Nelson, born in 1958, his only son with Matthews. He died by suicide in 1991.
Paula Nelson, born in 1969, his daughter with his third wife Connie Koepke. She is a singer and radio host.
Amy Lee Nelson, born in 1973, his second daughter with Koepke. She is a singer and musician who performs with her father.
Lukas Nelson, born in 1988, his son with his fourth and current wife Annie D’Angelo. He is a singer, songwriter and leader of the band Promise of the Real.
Micah Nelson, born in 1990, his second son with D’Angelo. He is a singer, musician and visual artist who performs with his father and brother.
Renee Nelson, born in 1953, his daughter with his friend Mary Haney. He did not know about her existence until 2012. She died of cancer in 2019.
Willie Nelson Parents
He is the son of Ira Doyle Nelson and Myrle Marie. His father worked as a mechanic, and his mother was a homemaker.
Willie did not have an average childhood. Soon after his birth, his mother left the family, and sometime later, his father, too, abandoned them after marrying another woman.
Willie and his sister, Bobbie, were raised by their grandparents, who lived in Arkansas and taught music for a living. Under their guardianship, Willie and Bobbie started getting inclined toward music.
Nelson children Siblings
Willie Nelson has one sibling, a sister named Bobbie Nelson. She is a pianist and singer who has been playing with Willie Nelson and his band, Willie Nelson and Family, since 1973.
She was born on January 1, 1931, in Abbott, Texas, and learned to play piano from her grandmother. She has been married four times and has three sons.
She is also a co-founder of the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute, a non-profit organization that promotes peace and social justice.
Nelson died in Austin, Texas, on March 10, 2022, at the age of 91.
Willie Nelson Net Worth
Willie Nelson’s net worth is estimated to be around $25 million as of 2023. He has earned this money through his musical career, songwriting, and his many roles in television and films, as well as the writing of his autobiography and other books.
Willie Nelson Family
Father: Ira Doyle Nelson
Mother: Myrle Marie Nelson
Grandparents: William Alfred Nelson, Nancy Elizabeth Smothers
Sister: Bobbie Nelson
Spouse: Martha Matthews (1952-1962), Shirley Collie (1963-1971), Connie Koepke (1971-1988)
Annie D’Angelo (1991-present).
Kids: Amy Lee Nelson, Billy Nelson, Jacob Micah Nelson, Lana Nelson, Lukas Nelson, Paula Carlene Nelson, Susie Nelson.
Grandchild: Raelyn Nelson
Source: www.www.atinkanews.net
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