One of the most prolific singer/songwriters of our time, WILLIE NELSON’s (Uncle Jessie) impressive career has spanned decades, surpassing trends in music that have come and gone while still managing to remain relevant to the times.
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, Nelson began playing the guitar at a young age and was singing and writing songs shortly thereafter. After high school, Nelson moved to Nashville in hopes of pursuing a career in the music industry. Working at a radio station, he was able to get some of his own work on air, leading to a record deal with RCA Records in 1965. Over the next 30 years, Nelson released over 100 albums and toured all over the country, securing his status as an American music icon with such hits as “Crazy,” “You Are Always on My Mind” and “On the Road Again.”
In addition to his music, Nelson has appeared in several feature films including The Big Bounce; Wag The Dog, with Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro; Half Baked; Stardust and The Journeyman. His music has also been featured in films such as Doc Hollywood, Forrest Gump and Shrek.
In 1981, Nelson was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song for “On The Road Again” which was featured in the film Honeysuckle Rose. He has been inducted into several music halls of fame and was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 1998. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2002 Grammy Awards. Recently, Nelson published his latest book, The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes.
In October of 2004, Nelson’s studio album It Will Always Be (featuring duets with Paula Nelson, Lucinda Williams and Norah Jones) released with critical acclaim. Nelson continues to headline his annual 4th of July picnic in Dallas, TX as well as Farm Aid in the fall. In July 2005, Countryman, Nelson’s long-awaited reggae album will be released. The 12 track collection features two excellent covers from Jimmy Cliff’s reggae classic The Harder They Come (title track and “Sitting In Limbo”) and the Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash penned “I’m A Worried Man,” which is given a reggae sunsplash by Nelson and Toots Hibbert of the legendary Toots and the Maytals.
An eight-time Grammy winner, Nelson continues to tour the country as a musician and work in both television and film.
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