Willie Hugh Nelson, an American singer, actor, and activist was born on April 29, 1933. Nelson became one of country music’s most well-known musicians because of the critical and economic success with Shotgun Willie (1973), as well as Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978).
He was a key role in outlaw country, a type of country music that emerged in the late 1960s as a backlash to the Nashville sound’s conservative limitations. Nelson has appeared in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and campaigned for the use of biofuels and marijuana legalization.
Nelson, who was raised by his grandparents during the Great Depression, penned his first song at the age of seven and joined his first band at the age of ten. He traveled with the Bohemian Polka as their lead vocalist and guitarist during high school. He joined the US Air Force after graduating from high school in 1950 but was later discharged owing to back difficulties.
Following his return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years before dropping out due to his musical success. Throughout the late 1950s, he worked as a disc jockey at radio stations in his native Texas and in the Pacific Northwest, while also performing as a singer and songwriter.
‘Funny How Time Slips Away,’ ‘Hello Walls,’ ‘Pretty Paper,’ and ‘Crazy’ were among the songs he wrote during that time that would become country staples. He came to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1960, and later acquired a publishing deal with Pamper Music, allowing him to join Ray Price’s band as a bassist. And Then I Wrote, his first album, was released in 1962. Nelson signed with RCA Victor in 1964 and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year as a result of his popularity.
After signing with Atlantic Records in 1973, Nelson shifted his focus to outlaw country, releasing albums like Shotgun Willie and Phases & Stages. He changed labels to Columbia Records in 1975 and recorded the critically praised album Red Headed Stranger.
The Internal Revenue Service confiscated Nelson’s assets in 1990, claiming he owed $32 million in taxes. His inability to repay his outstanding debt was exacerbated by poor investments he made in the 1980s. Nelson released The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories? in 1992, and the earnings from the double album—which were earmarked for the IRS—along with the sale of Nelson’s assets cleared his debt.
Nelson made his first film appearance in the 1979 picture The Electric Horseman, which was followed by further film and television performances. Nelson is a prominent liberal activist and the co-chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws’ (NORML) advisory board, which advocates for marijuana legalization.
Nelson owns the biodiesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oil and is committed to environmental protection. Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the Texas Music Project’s advisory board, the state’s official music charity.
