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Willie Nelson (born
Willie Hugh Nelson, April 30, 1933)
American entertainer and songwriter,
born and raised in Abbott, Texas. He reached his
greatest fame during the so-called "outlaw
country" movement of the 1970s.
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.
After graduation, Nelson joined the Air Force, but left after about a
year due to back problems. He also
attended Baylor University for one year.
Eventually, he became a DJ at a country music
radio station in Fort Worth, while singing
locally in honky tonk bars. In 1956, Nelson
moved to Vancouver, Washington, to begin a
musical career, recording "Lumberjack," which
was written by Leon Payne. The single sold
fairly well, but did not establish a career.
Nelson continued to work as a radio
announcer in Vancouver and sing in clubs. He
sold a song called "Family Bible" for $50; the
song was a hit for Claude Gray in 1960, has been
covered widely and is often considered a gospel
music classic.
Eventually Nelson moved to Tennessee,
but was unable to land a record label
contract. He did, however, receive a
publishing contract at Pamper Music.
After Ray Price recorded Nelson's "Night
Life" (reputedly the most covered
country song of all time), Nelson joined
Price's touring band as a bass player.
While playing with Ray Price and the
Cherokee Cowboys, many of Nelson's songs
became hits for some of country and pop
music's biggest stars of the time. |
