Willie Hugh Nelson (April 29, 1933) is a singer-songwriter and musician. He was born in Abbott, TX and raised by his grandparents during the great Depression.

He achieved some success in the early 60’s as a crooner, a la Bobby Darin, but turned away from popular music to Country in the late 60s. His albums Shotgun Willie (1973), Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978) made him one of the most recognized artists in country music.

Nelson has released over 70 studio and live albums in his career, and still records and performs today.
He is a member of the country supergroup The Highwaymen. He has released duet albums with Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Leon Russell, Wynton Marsalis, Kimmie Rhodes, Ray Price, Asleep At The Wheel, Faron Young, Roger Miller, and others.

Nelson has had some issues in his life though, notably, in 1990 when the IRS seized his assets on a claim he owed US$32 million. This was eventually paid off after the auction of some of his assets.

Nelson is also an avid supporter of the the legalize movement. He is a co-chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and has personally been arrested on multiple occasions for possession.

Nelson has been married 4 times and has seven children. He owns Luck, Texas, a ranch near Spicewood, Texas and also has a house in Maui, Hawaii.

Nelson on country music:

A lot of country music is sad. I think most art comes out of poverty and hard times. It applies to music. Three chords and the truth – that’s what a country song is. There is a lot of heartache in the world.

Trigger is a Martin N-20 nylon-string classical acoustic guitar used by country music singer-songwriter Willie Nelson. In his book, The Tao of Willie: A Guide to Happiness in Your Heart, Nelson described the influence of the guitar in his style:

One of the secrets to my sound is almost beyond explanation. My battered old Martin guitar, Trigger, has the greatest tone I’ve ever heard from a guitar. … If I picked up the finest guitar made this year and tried to play my solos exactly the way you heard them on the radio or even at last night’s show, I’d always be a copy of myself and we’d all end up bored. But if I play an instrument that is now a part of me, and do it according to the way that feels right for me … I’ll always be an original.

Awards and Honors:

Collectibles of his are part of the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX.
He donated his personal collection of items to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History in 2014.
1993: Country Music Hall Of Fame Induction
1998: Kennedy Center Honors
2003: Named Honorary Chairman for Texas Music Project Charity
2010: Feed the Peace award from The Nobelity Project
2010: Library of Congress National Recording Registry Induction
2010: Rolling Stone included him in 100 Greatest Singers and 100 Greatest Guitarists lists.
2011: National Agricultural Hall of Fame
2015: Gershwin Prize
2018: Texas Institute of Letters Induction
11 Grammy Awards (49 Nominations)
11 Country Music Association Awards (45 Nominations)
11 American Music Awards (15 Nominations)
10 Academy of Country Music Awards (43 Nominations)