Eight Little-Known Details Pertaining To Willie Nelson

Aug 12, 2020 by apost team

Country Music and Willie Nelson are like the Jungle and the lion. He is unarguably one of the biggest names in the music industry. Amidst his unbelievable solo career and supergroup The Highwaymen with Jonny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson, the renowned singer has had an incredibly colorful life. With hits like ‘Whiskey River’, ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’, Funny How Time Slips Away’ and ‘Good Hearted Woman’, the songwriter has become a great source of inspiration in the country music genre. He has also penned down classics such as Faron Young’s ‘Hello Walls’ and Patsy Cline's 'Crazy'.

Here are some facts you probably didn't know about the country legend:

1. He wrote his first song at 7 years old, as reported by Countrythangdaily. Starting young gave him plenty of practice for his future hit albums like Stardust, the Last Man Standing, and Red Headed Stranger.

2. He’s been playing the same guitar for almost half a century, according to Stringjoy. The ‘Always On My Mind’ singer and his guitar, Trigger, seem glued together since 1969. He bought it for $750. He named it after Roy Rogers’ horse. The trigger has names of famous singers engraved in its wood-including Merle Haggard, one of his best duet partners.

apost.com

3. He penned ‘On The Road Again’ on a barf bag. He wrote a song for the film Honeysuckle Rose while on the plane with the film’s executive producers, as reported by Southern Living.

4. He has written several books. Willie’s first book, ‘Willie: An Autobiography’, was published in 1988. Other books he wrote include ‘The Facts Of Life: And Other Dirty Jokes’, ‘The Tao Of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness In Your Heart’, and ‘It’s a Long Story: My Life’.

5. He has won 13 Grammy Awards. Nelson has also carried home 7 American Music Awards, 10 CMA Awards, and 5 Academy of Country Music Awards.

6. He attempted to retire in 1972, as reported by AllMusic. In a bid to retire in his Austin, Texas home, Nelson paid $14,000 out of his contract. That however didn’t last long in the live music capital of the US. With the new album ‘Shotgun Willie’, The Red Headed Stranger came back with a bang. He became part of the outlaw country movement. He then released ‘Wanted! The Outlaws’ with Jessi Colter, Waylon Jennings, and Tompall Glaser.

7. He has an enormous family. From his first marriage with Martha Matthews, he had three children: Lana, Susie, and Willie ‘Billy’ Hugh, Jr, who passed away in 1991. In his relationship with Connie Koepke, he had two more children: Paula and Amy Lee. With his current wife, Annie D'Angelo, whom he married 1991, he had two sons: Lucas Autry and Jacob Micah.

8. He has earned multiple honors. Nelson was admitted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993. He also won a lifetime award, Gershwin Prize, from the library of congress.

How many of these facts did you already know about Willie Nelson? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to pass this article along to a friend.