| Name | Willie Nelson |
| Age | 89 years old |
| Occupation | Singing |
| Source Of Income | Singing and songwriting |
| Net Worth | $25 million |
| Residence | Texas, United States of America |
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American singer who is a well-known name in the country music industry. He was one of the artists who contributed to the 1970s and early 80s country songs. ‘Shotgun Willie’, ‘Red Headed Stranger’, and ‘Stardust’ are some of his famous albums. Later in his career, Willie also appeared in many movies like ‘Coming Out of the Ice‘, ‘Gone Fishin’, ‘Half Baked‘, and ‘The Simpsons‘.
Willie was born on 29 April 1933, during the Great Depression he was raised by his grandparents. Willie was drawn to music since young he wrote his first song when he was seven and joined a band by the age of ten. He joined the US Air Force in the 1950s but he was soon discharged on medical grounds. After retiring from the US Air Force, Willie started working as a Disc Jockey while writing songs. Soon, Willie was approached by Pamper Music and signed a contract.
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Willie Nelson’s Net Worth
Today the American singer’s net worth according to celebritynetworth.com is $25 million. Willie had a rough time at the beginning of his career. He was hired as a radio jockey in KVAN and even started recording for a song ‘No Place for Me’. However, the recording failed and was dropped.
Willie moved back to Texas after this and started selling Bibles and encyclopedias. Eventually, he became a sales manager. He was unhappy at his job and later he moved to Pasadena where he worked as a singer in a club. On a radio station, he recorded two singles ‘Man With The Blues’ and ‘What A Way To Live’. Eventually, Willie met with Hank Cochran, a songwriter who worked for the company Pamper Music, owned by Ray Price and Hal Smith.
On listening to Nelson’s ‘Hello Walls’, the company decided to hire Willie. There Willie worked with Price as a bass player. He recorded songs with other singers like ‘Funny How Time Slips Away’ and ‘Pretty Paper’. All the songs became famous hits. Subsequently, Nelson was approached by Charlie Dick and collaborated with Liberty Records. With them, Willie had his first two successful singles.
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Willie Nelson’s Career
Willie blended the melodies of jazz, pop, blues, rock, and folk which gave birth to his unique style of music. In 1964, he joined the recording label, RCA Victor. With them he released the album, ‘Country Willie – His Own Songs’ Willie’s musical career started with radio, and slowly he was expanding. He joined a weekly American concert, Grand Ole Opry. Many of the singles he sang there became a hit.
‘One in a Row’, ‘The Party’s Over’, and ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ are some of the singles produced by RCA that were a huge success. In 1972, Willie decided to retire after the consequent failure of his album and divorce. However, music was not done with him yet.
Willie moved to Austin and the country culture there and his performance in the Dripping Springs Reunion gave him the light bulb idea to start his own annual Fourth of July Picnic. Willie, encouraged, decided to go back to recording companies and soon signed a contract with Atlantic Records. He was their first country music artist.
Nelson formed the band, The Family. With them, he released the much-acclaimed album ‘Shotgun Willie’. Atlantic Records also released his album, ‘Phases and Stages‘ which included his famous hit ‘Bloody Mary Morning’. Later, Willie joined Columbia Records.
With Columbia Records, Willie released his most famous work yet, ‘Red Headed Stranger‘. Willie’s outlaw country music made the world dance. Later, Willie signed up with Legacy Records, and with them, he released numerous albums. Namely, ‘Heroes’, ‘To All The Girls’, ‘Band of Brothers’, ‘Spirit’, and many more.
Willie has been on multiple tours with his band The Family and other solos too. The singer has collaborated with other famous singers like Snoop Dog, Elton John, and the legendary Johnny Cash.
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Willie Nelson’s Activism
Willie Nelson is an active philanthropist and an activist for the legalization of marijuana. Nelson has done multiple concerts to raise money for disaster relief. For example, he conducted the 2005 Tsunami Relief Austin to Asia concert to raise funds for the people who were affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake.
During the coronavirus pandemic, he live-streamed a number of concerts online to help people who were affected by the depreciating US economy. Willie is the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, NORML. In 2005, Willie along with his family hosted his first Willie Nelson & NORML Benefit Golf Tournament.
He was even featured in the High Times, a magazine that promotes the legalization of cannabis. In 2010, Willie was arrested for being in the possession of marijuana. Besides these Willie is also an avid supporter of the LGBTQ community and animal rights for horses.
Willie Nelson’s Personal Life
Willie married Martha Matthews in 1952 and had three children with her, Lana, Susie, and Willie ‘Billy’ Hugh Jr. Unfortunately, Billy killed himself in 1991. Nelson was a victim of domestic abuse by Martha. She once sewed Willie to a bedsheet and beat him with a broomstick. Willie and Martha divorced each other in 1962.
He then married Shirley Collie in 1963. After eight years the couple divorced as Willie was having an affair with Connie Koepke. Nelson and Koepke had a child together, Paula Carlene Nelson while he was still married to Collie. After splitting with Shirley, he married Koepke in the same year.
With Koepke, Willie had another daughter, Amy Lee Nelson. Willie divorced Koepke in 1988. He married Annie D’Angelo in 1991 and they are still together. Together the couple has two sons, Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah. Of his seven children, Luke and Puala are also country musicians like their father.
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