Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician,
actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie
(1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red
Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the
most recognized artists in country music. He was one of the main
figures of outlaw country, a subgenre of country music that developed
in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of
the Nashville sound. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored
several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of
biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.Born during the Great
Depression and raised by his grandparents, Nelson wrote his first song
at age seven and joined his first band at ten. During high school, he
toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar
player. After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S.
Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems. After his
return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped
out because he was succeeding in music. During this time, he worked as
a disc jockey in Texas radio stations and a singer in honky-tonks.
Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he wrote "Family Bible"
and recorded the song "Lumberjack" in 1956. He also worked as a disc
jockey at various radio stations in Vancouver and nearby Portland,
Oregon. In 1958, he moved to Houston, Texas, after signing a contract
with D Records. He sang at the Esquire Ballroom weekly and he worked
as a disk jockey. During that time, he wrote songs that would become
country standards, including "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello
Walls", "Pretty Paper", and "Crazy". In 1960 he moved to Nashville,
Tennessee, and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music
which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. In 1962, he
recorded his first album, ...And Then I Wrote. Due to this success,
Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry
the following year. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the
early 1970s, Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin, Texas. The
ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return from
retirement, performing frequently at the Armadillo World
Headquarters.In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson
turned to outlaw country, including albums such as Shotgun Willie and
Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to Columbia Records, where he
recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger. The same
year, he recorded another outlaw country album, Wanted! The Outlaws,
along with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During
the mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and
recording hit songs like "On the Road Again", "To All the Girls I've
Loved Before", and "Pancho and Lefty", he joined the country
supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash,
Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie
(1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red
Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the
most recognized artists in country music. He was one of the main
figures of outlaw country, a subgenre of country music that developed
in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of
the Nashville sound. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored
several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of
biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.Born during the Great
Depression and raised by his grandparents, Nelson wrote his first song
at age seven and joined his first band at ten. During high school, he
toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar
player. After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S.
Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems. After his
return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped
out because he was succeeding in music. During this time, he worked as
a disc jockey in Texas radio stations and a singer in honky-tonks.
Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he wrote "Family Bible"
and recorded the song "Lumberjack" in 1956. He also worked as a disc
jockey at various radio stations in Vancouver and nearby Portland,
Oregon. In 1958, he moved to Houston, Texas, after signing a contract
with D Records. He sang at the Esquire Ballroom weekly and he worked
as a disk jockey. During that time, he wrote songs that would become
country standards, including "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello
Walls", "Pretty Paper", and "Crazy". In 1960 he moved to Nashville,
Tennessee, and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music
which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. In 1962, he
recorded his first album, ...And Then I Wrote. Due to this success,
Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry
the following year. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the
early 1970s, Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin, Texas. The
ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return from
retirement, performing frequently at the Armadillo World
Headquarters.In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson
turned to outlaw country, including albums such as Shotgun Willie and
Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to Columbia Records, where he
recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger. The same
year, he recorded another outlaw country album, Wanted! The Outlaws,
along with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During
the mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and
recording hit songs like "On the Road Again", "To All the Girls I've
Loved Before", and "Pancho and Lefty", he joined the country
supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash,
Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
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