My Willie Nelson Page

There is so much that could be said about one of country music's biggest stars that I could never fit it all on one page. But you will find some facts here about Willie Nelson, and I will be adding more photos and wav files regularly so be sure to come back and check out the new additions.

Willie Nelson was born in Fort Worth, Texas on April 30, 1933 and raised in Abbott Texas by his grandparents. He has been making music since the age of 6. He went to Nashville for several years in the 60's to pursue his dream of a musical career. Initially he made his reputation in country music as a songwriter because he was rejected as a performer. Patsy Cline recorded "Crazy," Ray Price did "Night Life," and Roy Orbison recorded "Pretty Paper," Just to name a few of Willie's classics. With over 100 albums to his credit, Willie's break-through as a performer came with the now classic Red Headed Stranger album. That album's 1975 single "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" crossed over to become a hit on the pop charts as well and established Willie as a music superstar. In 1976 Wanted: The Outlaws was released. The album featured Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, & Tompall Glaser. The album became country music's first million seller. To date it has sold more than 5 million copies, making it one of the best selling country albums ever. In 1978 Willie released Stardust (Including Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies"). Stardust was the biggest selling album of Willie's career. This album was so successful that it remained on the country charts for more than a decade and helped make him the all-time #1 Country Album Artist. During the late 70's and 80's Willie was, without a doubt, country music's biggest star. Hits such as "On The Road Again," "My Heros Have Always Been Cowboys," "Always On My Mind," and "Whisky River," dominated the airwaves. In 1985 Willie along with Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and John Conlee, established Farm Aid. To date, nearly $14 Million has been distributed through various educational, legal, emergency help and outreach organizations. 1995 marked the 10th anniversary of Farm Aid and that Louisville, Kentucky concert raised over $1 Million dollars itself. Willie serves as president and chairman of Farm Aid and Willie's passion for the everyday man and his empathy for life's ups and downs has made him one of the most loved public figures in the world. Willie has also established himself as a film actor, appearing in such movies as "Theif," "The Electric Horseman," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Songwriter," "Red Headed Stranger," Barbarosa," and the very recent "Wag The Dog." In 1992 the Academy of Country Music honored Willie with their lifetime achievement nod, The Pioneer Award. In 1993 he received country music's highest honor with his induction into the Country Music Association's Hall of Fame. In 1998 Willie was nominated for a Grammy as Country Male Vocalist for his performance of "Peach Pickin' Time in Georgia" from the Jimmie Rodgers Tribute Album, and in December 1998 Willie recieved the Kennedy Center Honor for his contribution to American culture. The following was taken from "Country Music Classics Newsletter" STORY BEHIND THE SONG Very few songs that have already been around for thirty years, ever reach number one. But it can happen and it did happen to Willie Nelson and "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain." Willie's 1975 number one single, "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" began as a track on his "Red Headed Stranger" album, which began as an idea Willie had for a concept album about an old west preacher, built around the song, "Red Headed Stranger." Willie recorded the album in Garland , Texas in just three days--which was quite a feat in itself! But Columbia Records wanted to refuse the album because the powers to be didn't think the album was finished. But according to Willie's contract with the label, they had to release the album--totally against their will! According to Willie, "Columbia didn't like the album--wanted to trash it because they didn't think there was enough music on the tracks. But they had to release it because of my contract and the fact they had already paid for the project." It was released in May 1975 and the song that had been written thirty years earlier by Fred Rose, not only made the number one spot on the country charts, but also made it to number 21 on the pop music list. It was on the country charts 18 weeks. In 1976, the record won a Grammy. When all was said and done, "The Red Headed Stranger" album had sold almost three million copies. .....And another Story Behind The Song A famous philosopher once said that "Adversity breeds success." In the case of songwriters that philosopher might have added, "Adversity--plus talent--breeds success." And in the case of Fort Worth, Texas native Willie Nelson, all of the above certainly applies. Willie has proven , more than once, that he has enough talent for an entire neighborhood and he could write a book (or two) on adversity.Most songwriters have a reason for writing their songs. A lot of songs are pages from the lives of the writers--about his wife or his exwife--his love life or his lack of a love life-or a million and one other stories. But most of those stories--and songs--have to do with love--at some stage in their life--in one form or the other.Willie says he really never had a special reason for writing "Crazy," a song that wound up being the signature tune for Patsy Cline and a country music standard.But "Crazy" could have been a reflection of Willie's place in life at the time he wrote it.It was one of those tunes he wrote soon after moving to Nashville, Tennessee. And as the story usually goes in the business of songwriting,the first several artists Willie pitched the song to were not the least bit interestd in recording it. Willie was in Nashville without his family and with very little money. He could barely afford to move himself - much less bring his family with him. He had hoped to make enough money from his music to relocate his family to Music City but things just weren't working out. In the eyes of his critics, Willie must have been "Crazy" to keep trying the "Crazy" music business! Soon after finishing the song,Willie had given a tape copy to Patsy Cline's husband, Charlie Dick. Although Charlie loved the song, Patsy thought it was the worst song she'd ever heard and there was no way she'd ever record it! Later, Willie personally pitched the song to Patsy and again she flatly refused to have anything to do with it! But as it is with songwriting--and life in general--all things are subject to change and sometimes when you least expect it. "Crazy" was pitched to Patsy's record producer, Owen Bradley, who thought the song was made for Patsy and he informed her that she would record it. As was the case in most of Patsy's recording sessions, the battle between she and Bradley was on, but Owen being the boss, he had the final say and he finally said that Patsy WOULD record "Crazy." Patsy was unable to prefect her vocal on the first recording session, as she was still healing from broken ribs suffered in a car crash several weeks earlier. But a week later she was back in the studio and this time her vocal version of "Crazy" was heard round the world! Willie says from the first time he heard Patsy's finished version, he couldn't hear it enough. "Crazy" went from being a song he really never cared for--to being his favorite of all the songs he'd written! And his critics no longer thought he was "Crazy" for sticking with songwriting. "Crazy" entered the charts in November 1961 and made it to number two. It was on the charts for 21 weeks. 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