Born in Abbot,
Texas in 1933, Willie and his sister
Bobbie Lee were raised by his gospelsinging
grandparents. Working in
cotton fields growing up, Willie was
handed his first guitar at age six within
a short time he was writing woeful
country songs and playing in polka
bands. As a teenager he played at
High School dances, and honky-tonks.
In the early 50’s he initially came to be known in Nashville for selling his songs to well known country artist such as Patsy Cline (“Crazy”), Faron Young (“Hello Walls”). After experiencing a number of career downfalls, he started performing and recording his own music. Known for his classics (“Always on my Mind”) (“On the Road Again”) and (“Mamma’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”) Willie became an award winning country legend.
In 1978 Willie showed himself to be a loose and natural presence in front of the camera, thus launching a film career. His first film opposite Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in The Electric Horseman. He had numerous film roles Honeysuckle Rose, Thief, Barbarosa, Stage Coach, Dukes of Hazard to name a few.
His roles as a preacher in Songwriter with Kris Kirstofferson lead to he and Kristofferson to form the Highwaymen with the late Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Together they successfully recorded and toured for years. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, Nelson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978. In 2010 Willie founded his own production company Luck Films to produce independent feature films with his partners. At 78 he is still touring with his band, acting and much more! [BACK]
In the early 50’s he initially came to be known in Nashville for selling his songs to well known country artist such as Patsy Cline (“Crazy”), Faron Young (“Hello Walls”). After experiencing a number of career downfalls, he started performing and recording his own music. Known for his classics (“Always on my Mind”) (“On the Road Again”) and (“Mamma’s Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys”) Willie became an award winning country legend.
In 1978 Willie showed himself to be a loose and natural presence in front of the camera, thus launching a film career. His first film opposite Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in The Electric Horseman. He had numerous film roles Honeysuckle Rose, Thief, Barbarosa, Stage Coach, Dukes of Hazard to name a few.
His roles as a preacher in Songwriter with Kris Kirstofferson lead to he and Kristofferson to form the Highwaymen with the late Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Together they successfully recorded and toured for years. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, Nelson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978. In 2010 Willie founded his own production company Luck Films to produce independent feature films with his partners. At 78 he is still touring with his band, acting and much more! [BACK]
