ARTIST

Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson has twice revolutionized country music -- first as a writer, then as a performer. A maverick who has long favored his personal inclinations over conventional wisdom, Nelson's career has encompassed roles as hit songwriter and country-hippie icon, actor, and elder country statesman. He's rarely played to any of these personas. Rather, he's likely to suddenly turn in a different direction entirely.

Born April 30, 1933 in Fort Worth, Texas, Willie Hugh Nelson grew up in Abbott and learned to play guitar at age 10. He joined the Air Force during the Korean War and afterwards worked as a DJ in Waco and Houston. He played bass for a while in Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys and moved to Nashville in 1960.

After finding his share of struggles there...
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