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| Birth Name(s) : Willie Hugh Nelson |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, Producer, Session Musician, Actor, Activist |
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Full Willie Nelson Biography
His grandparents William Alfred Nelson and Nancy Elizabeth Smothers gave him mail-order music lessons starting at age six. Willie played the guitar, while Bobbie played the piano. He met Bud Fletcher, a fiddler, and both siblings joined his band, Bohemian Fiddlers, while Nelson was in high school.
The Eighties saw a series of hit singles: "Always on My Mind" (originally made popular by Elvis Presley), "On the Road Again" from the movie Honeysuckle Rose and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" (a rather incongruous duet with Julio Iglesias). There were also more popular albums, including Pancho & Lefty (1982, with Merle Haggard), WWII (1982, with Waylon Jennings) and Take it to the Limit (1983, with Waylon Jennings).
Nelson received Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. A star-studded television special celebrating his 70th birthday aired in 2003. In 2004, he released Outlaws & Angels, featuring guests Toby Keith, Joe Walsh, Merle Haggard, Kid Rock, Al Green, Shelby Lynne, Carole King, Toots Hibbert, Ben Harper, Lee Ann Womack, The Holmes Brothers, Los Lonely Boys, Lucinda Williams, Keith Richards, Jerry Lee Lewis and Rickie Lee Jones.
On January 9, 2005, Nelson headlined an all-star concert at Austin Music Hall to benefit the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Tsunami Relief Austin to Asia raised an estimated $120,000 for UNICEF and two other organizations.
Nelson was a supporter of Kinky Friedman's campaign in the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election. In 2005, he recorded a radio advertisement asking for support to put Friedman on the ballot as an independent candidate. Friedman promised Willie a job in Austin as the head of a new Texas Energy Commission due to Nelson's support of biofuels. (Friedman was on the ballot but came in fourth with 12.43 percent, losing to Republican Rick Perry.
Nelson supported Dennis Kucinich's campaign in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries. He raised money, appeared at events, composed a song ("Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth?"), and contributing a quote for the front cover of Kucinich's book for the campaign.
Nelson is an advocate for horses and their treatment. He has been campaigning for passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 1915) with the Society for Animal Protective Legislation. He is on the Board of Directors and has adopted a number of horses from Habitat for Horses.
In March 2007, Ben & Jerry's released a new flavor, Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler Ice Cream. Nelson's proceeds will be donated to Farm Aid. The flavor has been re-released and is now available, after Ben & Jerry's voluntary recall of 250,000 pints of the new flavor on March 19, 2007, as wheat was incorrectly excluded from the list of ingredients.
Willie Nelson founded the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute in April 2007. The Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute believes in the Promise of Peace on Earth in Our Lifetime as the Birthright of Our Global Human Family. Willie Nelson and his daughter Amy Nelson wrote a song called "A Peaceful Solution" to give away to the world. Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute wants to give you Willie’s song to use however you wish. Willie Nelson says you may put them on a commercial CD and artists and musicians may perform “A Peaceful Solution” live. Feel free to make your own version of “A Peaceful Solution” and/or make a video. Willie Nelson will feature your song and/or video on the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute web site. Willie Nelson just wants to get the message of Peace out into the world. Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute.com website
Nelson also volunteered to narrate "The Austin Disaster, 1911", a little-known documentary about a flood in Potter County, Pennsylvania (see Floods in the United States). Before the tragedy, an unrelated William "Willie" Nelson repeatedly warned residents of possible dam failure.
In 2002 Willie released the album, "The Great Divide." A few songs on the album were written by Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 and Bernie Taupin. Rob Thomas contibuted background vocals and made an appearance in the video for, "Maria (Shut Up and Kiss Me)." Lee Ann Womack appeared on the song, "Mendocino County Line" which was also released as a single. (Mendocino County is an actual county located in California. Mendocino county voters approved Measure G, which calls for the decriminalization of marijuana when used and cultivated for personal use.)
In October of 2007, Willie Nelson will play at the "Big State Festival" at the Texas World Speedway in College Station, TX, which benefits The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.
Willie Nelson has just announced that he is almost finished with the recording of his new album and that he plans a world tour in early 2008. |
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