Willie Nelson

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor and activist. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, and remains iconic, especially in American popular culture. Now in his seventies, Willie Nelson continues to tour and has performed in concerts and fundraisers with other major musicians, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews. He also continues to record albums prolifically in new genres that embrace reggae, blues, jazz, folk, and popular music. Nelson was born on April 30, 1933 in Abbott, Texas, to Myrle Marie (née Greenhaw) and Ira Doyle Nelson. His father was a mechanic and pool hall owner. His grandparents, William Alfred Nelson and Nancy Smothers, whom he and his sister Bobbie called "Daddy" and "Mama," gave him mail-order music lessons starting at age six. He wrote his first song when he was seven and was playing in a local band at age nine.