This 1996 anthology brings back into print, for the first time in decades, some of the truly remarkable music made by Tracy and her band in the late 60's and early 70's. Mixing strains of r&b, country, folk and rock in a decidedly straightforward style -- miles removed from the more over-the-top acts of the era -- Mother Earth was an extraordinarily sympathetic vehicle for Tracy's powerful singing. Includes their veritable classic Down So Low, plus Temptation Took Control of Me And I Fell, Satisfied, Cry On, Mother Earth, Ruler of My Heart, 17 in all.

The Best Of Willie Nelson is a compilation album released in 1973 that contains 13 tracks from his first two albums And Then I Wrote and Here's Willie Nelson. The Liberty CD release (CDP-0777-7-48398-2-2) is of some note because tracks 12 and 13 are listed as 12. Mr. Record Man and 13. Darkness On The Face of The Earth, but the actual disc contains the tracks in reverse order.

Personnel

*Artwork By - Peter Palombi

*Design - Mike Salisbury

*Photography - John Van Hamersveld

*Photography - Jim Marshall

*Producer - Joe Allison

Category:1973 albums

Category:Compilation albums

Category:Willie Nelson albums

Category:Liberty Records albums

This text has been derived from The Best of Willie Nelson (1973 album) on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0

Artist/Band Information

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933)Since he was born around midnight some sources use April 29, 1933 is an American country singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor, and activist. Nelson started studying music from mail order material that was given to him by his grandparents. He wrote his first song at the age of seven and joined his first band at nine. During high school, he joined the Bohemian Fiddlers and toured with them locally as their lead voice and guitar player. After his graduation from high school in 1950, he joined the air force. However, he was discharged due to back problems. After his return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music. During this time, he worked as a disc jockey in Texan radio stations and a singer in honky tonks. Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he wrote Family Bible and recorded the song Lumberjack in 1956. In 1960, he signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. During that time, he wrote songs that would become country standards (they were recorded by the most prominent artists of the time), including Funny How Time Slips Away, Hello Walls, Pretty Paper, and Crazy. In 1962, he recorded his first album, And Then I Wrote. Due to this success, Nelson signed in 1965 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry.

In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson turned to outlaw country, working on albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to Columbia records, where he recorded the critically-acclaimed album, Red Headed Stranger. The same year, he confirmed his transference to outlaw country with the 1976 album Wanted! The Outlaws, which he recorded with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During the mid 1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like On the Road Again, To All the Girls I've Loved Before, and Pancho & Lefty, he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson continued touring extensively, and he released albums every year. These albums ranged from successful to mixed reviews. Nelson also explored genres such as reggae, blues, jazz, and folk. Nelson has also worked on movies, making his first appearance in the 1979 film, The Electric Horseman, followed by Honeysuckle Rose, Thief, and Barbarosa.

Considered an American icon, Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which is in favor of marijuana legalization. On the environmental front, Nelson owns the Bio-diesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oil. He is the co-founder and president of Farm Aid, and has been contributing to the benefit concert series since its first concert in 1985 by organizing the concerts and forming lineups with several recognized artists, as well as performing with them. Nelson is also the Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Board of The Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the State of Texas. The Texas Music Project is supported by Texas House Bill #2582, which was signed into law by Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2003.

Life and career

Early life

The Nelson family moved from Arkansas to Abbott, Texas during the Great Depression in 1929 because their lands could no longer grow cash crops. Nelson's grandfather, William, was a blacksmith who mainly drafted horses and fixed farm equipment. His son Ira became a mechanic and pool hall owner, and during the summer, like most of the inhabitants of Abbott, the Nelson family worked in cotton picking since this one of the main activities of Central Texas.

Willie Nelson was born on April 30, 1933 to Myrle Marie (née Greenhaw) and Ira Doyle Nelson.Gary Boyd Roberts, , . 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 played in a local band at age nine.Patoski, Joe Nick. "The Gospel According to Willie", Texas Co-op Power, May 2008, p. 9.

Since it was common at the time, Nelson worked on cotton picking at an early age. Motivated by his dislike for the activity, Nelson looked for an alternative way to earn money. He started to sing in local dance halls, taverns, and honky tonks when he was thirteen and in high school. Nelson was influenced musically during his childhood by Hank Williams, Lefty Frizzell, Ernest Tubb, Django Reinhardt, Ray Price, and Hank Snow.

Willie-Nelson-Highschool.jpgthumbWillie Nelson's high school football portrait

His sister married Bud Fletcher, a local musician who invited Nelson to join his band, The Bohemian Fiddlers, which was composed of Ira Nelson (rhythm guitar and fiddle), Bobbie Nelson (piano), Whistle Watson (drums), Joe Andrews (bass), and Willie Nelson (guitar and leading voice). Although that it was Bud Fletcher's band, he had almost no musical participation and limited his actions to basic tunes on the piano or bass and directing the band. Mostly, he booked them to play in different places. After several local acts and radio appearances, they started to be recognized locally, and Nelson gained a fan base, including local girls who founded the Willie Nelson Fan Club. With all this success, only sports encouraged Nelson to finish high school, since he played for the Abbott Panthers in football as halfback, in basketball as a guard, and in baseball as a shortstop. During high school, Nelson raised individual pigs for the Future Farmers of America organization.

Nelson graduated from Abbott High School in 1950. During that time, the Korean War broke out, and he joined the United States Air Force the same year and served for nine months. Nelson was discharged after a doctor diagnosed him with chronic back problems. In 1952, he married Martha Matthews, which led him to need a stable income, so he took a job as a disc jockey in local radio stations in addition to booking shows. He had short DJ stints with KHBR in Hillsboro, Texas and later with KBOP in Pleasanton, Texas.. He studied agriculture at Baylor University for two years, from 1954 to 1956, where he joined the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, but he left college due to his success in music.

Early career

In 1956, Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington to begin a formal musical career. His first record was Lumberjack, which was written by Leon Payne. The single sold 3,000 copies but did not succeed in establish a career. Nelson continued working as a radio announcer and singing in Vancouver clubs. He sold the song Family Bible for US$50 to a guitar instructor, and the song turned into a hit for Claude Gray in 1960. Nelson moved to Nashville in 1960, but he was unable to sign a contract with a label. Although most of his demos were rejected, thanks to his songwriting and the Hank Cochran's help, he received a publishing contract with Pamper Music. After Ray Price recorded Nelson's Night Life, Nelson joined Price's touring band as a bass player. While playing with Ray Price and the Cherokee Cowboys, many of Nelson's songs became hits for some of country and pop music's most recognized artists of the time, including songs like Funny How Time Slips Away (Billy Walker), Hello Walls (Faron Young), Pretty Paper (Roy Orbison), and, most famously, Crazy (Patsy Cline). Crazy, became the biggest jukebox hit of all time. Nelson signed with Liberty Records in 1961 and released several singles, including Willingly and Touch Me, a duet with his and soon-to-be second wife Shirley Collie. He recorded his first album And Then I Wrote. He was unable to impress Nashville producers with his singing voice, and Nelson's career in Nashville as a singer did not have success at the time. Demo recordings from his years as a songwriter for Pamper Music were later discovered and released as Crazy: The Demo Sessions in 2003.

In 1965, Nelson moved to RCA Victor Records, signing a contract for US$10,000 per year. The songs were recorded in sessions from January to April, resulting in his debut album for the label, Country Willie – His Own Songs. The same year he joined the Grand Ole Opry. Nelson released a string of standard, Nashville Sound-inspired country albums, mostly produced by Chet Atkins. He had a number of mid-level chart hits throughout the remainder of the 1960s and into the early 1970s before retiring and moving to Austin, Texas in 1971. While in Austin, with its burgeoning hippie music scene (see Armadillo World Headquarters), Nelson decided to return to music. His popularity in Austin soared as he played his own brand of country music marked by rock and roll, jazz, western swing, and folk influences. In 1969, RCA requested that Nelson renew his contract ahead of schedule. Nelson wanted to reject the deal, but if he did that, RCA would not release his latest recordings, which led him to a dilemma. Neil Rashen, a New York manager who was aware of Nelson's problems, offered him help in exchange for his managerial rights. Nelson agreed, and the lawyers of Rashen and RCA executives reached an agreement: Nelson's contract would be transferred with the condition that he re-funded US$14,000 that were overpaid. Nelson signed a deal with Atlantic Records for US$25,000 per year, becoming the first country artist ever to be signed by the label.

Outlaw country

His first album release for Atlantic records was Shotgun Willie (1973), which earned excellent reviews but did not sell well. Nelson wrote the song that gave the name to the album after a recording session. After walking back and forth in his room, he went to the bathroom. He saw an empty envelope of a sanitary napkin inside the sink, and there he wrote the song and took it to the studio for the next session. The album led to a change of style by Nelson, who later stated that the recording of Shotgun Willie, had "cleared his throat". His next album, Phases and Stages, in 1974, was a concept album about the divorce of a couple, inspired by his own divorce. In side one of the record, the divorce is described from the viewpoint of the man, and on the other side, from the viewpoint of the woman. In the album was the hit single Bloody Mary Morning and a duet of After the Fire is Gone with Tracy Nelson. Nelson then moved to Columbia Records, where he was given complete creative control over his work. The result was the critically acclaimed, massively popular 1975 concept album, Red Headed Stranger. Although Columbia was reluctant to release an album with primarily a guitar and piano for accompaniment, the label was convinced after Nelson and Waylon Jennings insisted. The album was a hit, partially because it included a popular cover of Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, written by Fred Rose in 1945. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain became Nelson's first number one hit as a singer.

Kris Will Waylon.jpgthumbleftL-R: Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings at Willie's 4th of July Picnic 1972

Along with Nelson, Waylon Jennings was also achieving success in country music in the early 1970s, and the pair were soon combined into a genre called outlaw country ("outlaw" because it did not conform to Nashville standards). Nelson's outlaw image was cemented with the release of the album Wanted! The Outlaws in 1976, with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser, resulting in country music's first platinum album. His next albums were released the same year on Columbia. The Sound in Your Mind was later certified gold in 1978 and platinum in 2001. Troublemaker, written in the same year, was his first gospel album, later certified gold in 1986.

In 1978, Nelson released two more platinum albums, Waylon and Willie, a collaboration with Jennings that included Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys, which was written and originally recorded as a hit single by Ed Bruce a couple of years earlier. His next album, Stardust, an unusual album of popular standards, was produced by Booker T. Jones. Though most observers predicted that Stardust would ruin his career, it resulted in one of his most successful recordings, certified platinum the same year. Nelson continued to top the charts with hit songs during the late 1970s, including Good Hearted Woman, Remember Me, If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time, Uncloudy Day, I Love You a Thousand Ways, and Something to Brag About in a duet with Mary Kay Place. He also did a duet album with Leon Russell titled One for the Road that same year.

1980s–90s

During the 1980s Nelson recorded a series of hit singles such as Midnight Rider, a 1980 cover of the Allman Brothers song, which Nelson recorded for The Electric Horseman. The soundtrack On the Road Again, from the movie Honeysuckle Rose, the same year, and a duet with Julio Iglesias To All the Girls I've Loved Before. There were also more popular albums, including Pancho & Lefty, along with Merle Haggard in 1982; WWII, in 1982 with Waylon Jennings, and Take it to the Limit in 1983, also with Waylon Jennings.

In the mid-1980s, Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash formed a group called The Highwaymen. They unexpectedly achieved success, included platinum record sales and worldwide touring. Meanwhile, he became more involved with charity work, such as singing on the We are the World single in 1984. In 1985, Nelson had a notable success with the album Half Nelson, a duet album with artists such as Ray Charles, Lacy J. Dalton, Merle Haggard, Julio Iglesias, George Jones, Mel Tillis and Neil Young.

WillieNelson.jpg200pxthumbWillie Nelsonright

In 1980, president Jimmy Carter invited Nelson to perform a concert in the south lawn of the White House. The concert took place on September 13, first lady Rosalynn Carter joined Nelson in a duet of Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother. Nelson visits to the White House were frequent, he admitted in his biography, Willie Nelson: An Epic Life, to been watched by the secret service at night while he was smoking marijuana, which he nicknamed the "big fat Austin torpedo", on the roof of the White House several times. Carter claimed never knowing the use of marijuana by Nelson during his stays in the White House and admitted never discussing about drugs use with him. Carter, a friend and avid fan of Nelson, stated for a Rolling Stone: "All the good things I did as president, all the mistakes I made -- you can blame half of that on Willie."

In 1990, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized most of his assets, claiming he owed US$32,000,000 in back taxes including penalties and interest. It was later discovered that his accountants, Price Waterhouse, had not been paying Nelson's taxes for years, and used his money in weak investments.

Nelson's attorney had negotiated a settlement with the IRS, he would pay US$6,000,000 in exchange for his debt. Nelson couldn't follow the agreement because he didn't have the money due to years of reckless expenditures.

As a solution Nelson released The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? as a double album, with all profits destined as a payment to the IRS. Many of his assets were auctioned and purchased by friends, who gave his possessions back to him or rented them at a nominal fee. He sued accounting firm Price Waterhouse, contending that they put him into tax shelters that were later disallowed. The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount

and his debts were paid by 1993.

In 1993, he released Across the Borderline , with guests Bob Dylan, Sinéad O'Connor, David Crosby, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson and Paul Simon. In 1996, Willie Nelson was featured on the Beach Boys' now out-of-print album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 singing a cover of their 1964 song "The Warmth of the Sun" with the Beach Boys themselves providing the harmonies and backing vocals.

Later career

Willie Nelson.jpgthumbWillie Nelson performing at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California

During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson has toured continuously and released albums that generally received mixed reviews, with the exception of 1998's critically acclaimed Teatro, which was produced by Daniel Lanois, known for his work with U2, and featured supporting vocals by Emmylou Harris. Later that year, he joined rock band Phish onstage for several songs as part of the annual Farm Aid festival. He also performed a duet concert with fellow Highwayman Johnny Cash, recorded for the VH1 Storytellers series.

Nelson received Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. In 2002 he released the album, The Great Divide. Some of the songs on the album were written by Rob Thomas, member of Matchbox 20 and Bernie Taupin. Rob Thomas contributed background vocals and made an appearance in the video for, Maria (Shut Up and Kiss Me) Lee Ann Womack appeared on the song, Mendocino County Line which was also released as a single. Mendocino County is an actual county located in California, Mendocino county voters approved Measure G, which calls for the decriminalization of marijuana when used and cultivated for personal use. Other guests on The Great Divide include Kid Rock, Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, and Alison Krauss. Nelson also covered Cyndi Lauper's, Time After Time.

The same year was featured in a spot directed by Peter Lindbergh for Gap where he performed Hank Williams' Move It On Over alongside Ryan Adams.

Nelson performed a duet of the song Beer for My Horses with Toby Keith, on Keith's Unleashed album released in 2002. This song was released as a single in 2003 and Nelson shot a video with Keith in 2003. The single topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts for six consecutive weeks and the video won an award for "Best Video" at the Academy of Country Music Awards held on May 26, 2004.

In 2003, A lineup of stars participated in a television special celebrating Nelson's 70th birthday, that was aired on USA Network and he was also honored by Columbia Records with the release of The Essential Willie Nelson. Nelson also did a duet with former Beatle Ringo Starr on Starr's album Ringo Rama called Write One for Me. In 2004, he released Outlaws & Angels, featuring guests Toby Keith, Joe Walsh, Merle Haggard, Kid Rock, Al Green, Shelby Lynne, Carole King, Toots Hibbert, Ben Harper, Lee Ann Womack, The Holmes Brothers, Los Lonely Boys, Lucinda Williams, Keith Richards, Jerry Lee Lewis and Rickie Lee Jones.

Willie UK2K7 2.JPGthumbleftWillie, and his guitar "Trigger", performing at Cardiff on 25 January 2007

In 2007, Nelson performed with jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis in a concert at New York City's Lincoln Center, a date commemorated the following year with both a compact disc and DVD. Also in 2007, Nelson accepted an invitation to participate in Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino, contributing his version of Domino's I Hear You Knocking. In 2008 he released Moment of Forever, in May of that year, Nelson appeared in Amsterdam with rap icon Snoop Dogg, where they did a live version of SuperMan. Subsequently the two have become friends, releasing the video "My Medicine"..

In May 2008, Nelson appeared on a duet with Norwegian pop star and former World Idol winner Kurt Nilsen on the country classic Lost Highway. The single topped the Norwegian charts and was released on Nilsen's album Rise To The Occasion. Subsequent reports have stated that Nelson is eager to expand the collaboration further..

In February, 2009, Nelson teamed up with Asleep at the Wheel to release an album entitled Willie and the Wheel on the Bismeaux Records label, a western swing album, with covers of Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Cliff Bruner among others. On March 17, 2009, Nelson released Naked Willie. The album include remixes of recordings from 1966–1970, stripped-down without orchestration or background vocals. The same year, Nelson dedicated the Patsy Cline Theatre in Winchester, Virginia. In 2010, he provided background vocals for Reggae artist Mishka, in relation to the latter's Talk About album. In June 2010, he played in the United Kingdom at Glastonbury Festival 2010.

The Willie Nelson family

Nelson's touring and recording group is constituted by a number of longstanding members, including his sister Bobbie Nelson, longtime drummer Paul English, harmonicist Mickey Raphael, Bee Spears, Billy English (Paul's younger brother), and Jody Payne. Willie & Family tour North America in his bio-diesel bus, the Honeysuckle Rose IV, which is fueled with Bio-Willie.

Trigger

Trigger-Willie Nelson.jpgthumbrightWillie Nelson's guitar, Trigger. The soundboard has been signed by several of Nelson's friends and associates270px

In 1969, the Baldwin company had given Nelson an amplifier and a three-cord pickup electric guitar to play, but along shows, Nelson played the guitar with a level of intensity that broke it. He sent the guitar to be repaired in Nashville by Shot Jackson, who told Nelson that he couldn't repair it. Jackson offered him a Martin N-20 nylon-string acoustic, and by the request of Nelson translated the pickup from the electric guitar to the Martin.

Nelson purchased the guitar unseen for US$750 and named it Trigger, after Roy Rogers' horse., . Constant strumming with a guitar pick over the decades has worn a large sweeping hole into the guitar's body near the sound hole - there is no pick-guard on the Martin N-20 since classical guitars are meant to be played fingerstyle instead of with flat-picks. Its soundboard has been signed over the years by over a hundred of Nelson's friends and associates, from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches.

In 1991, during his process with the IRS, Nelson's major worry was the possibility that Trigger, could be auctioned, stating: "When Trigger goes, I'll quit". He asked his daughter, Lana to take the guitar from the studio before any IRS agent got there, and take it to him in Hawaii. Nelson then hid the guitar the rest of the time in his manager's house until his debt was paid in 1993. In 1998 the C. F. Martin & Company announced the production of a limited edition of one hundred N-20WN Signature Model guitars made in Brazilian rosewood. The company had the collaboration of Willie Nelson.

Acting career

Nelson's acting debut was in the 1979 movie, The Electric Horseman; this was followed by Honeysuckle Rose, Thief, and Barbarosa. In 1982 he played the role of Red Loon in Coming Out of the Ice along John Savage. In 1984 he starred in Songwriter, along fellow singer Kris Kristofferson. He portrayed the lead role in the 1986 film version of his concept album Red Headed Stranger. Other movies among his acting career include Wag the Dog, Gone Fishin' (as Billy 'Catch' Pooler), the 1986 television movie Stagecoach (with Johnny Cash); Half Baked, Beerfest, The Dukes of Hazzard, Surfer, Dude and Swing Vote. He has also made guest appearances on Miami Vice (1986's "El Viejo" episode), Delta, Nash Bridges, The Simpsons, Monk, Adventures in Wonderland, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, King of the Hill, The Colbert Report and Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

Activism

Image-Willie Nelson at 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2.jpg200pxthumbWillie Nelson at the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festivalright

Farm Aid

Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp organized the first Farm Aid concert in 1985. The original objective of the organization was to raise money for families in danger of losing their farms; currently Farm Aid also promotes awareness of the importance of farming for the economy. The 1985 concert was held in University of Illinois' Memorial stadium in Champaign, Illinois on September 25. Among the performing artists were Alabama, Beach Boys, Bon Jovi, Jimmy Buffett, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, David Allan Coe, Charlie Daniels, John Denver, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard , Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, George Jones, B.B. King, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson and Family, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Lou Reed, Eddie Van Halen and Neil Young. Besides performing in the annual concerts, Nelson is the president of the board.

Legalization of marijuana

Nelson is a co-chair of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) advisory board. He has worked with NORML for years for marijuana legalization, in 2005, Nelson and his family hosted the first annual "Willie Nelson & NORML Benefit Golf Tournament," which appeared on the cover of the January 2008 issue of High Times magazine with Nelson featured on the cover and an interview.. In November 2010, Nelson formed a group called the TeaPot Party following his arrest for possession of marijuana in Sierra Blanca.

Politics

During the controversial mid-decade 2003 Texas redistricting attempt by Republicans in the Texas Legislature, Nelson supported the quorum-busting "Killer Ds", Democrats who left the state and briefly stayed at a Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma to prevent the Texas House of Representatives from considering the legislation. Nelson sent the legislators a case of red bandannas, T-shirts, and a case of whiskey with a note that read "Stand your ground." According to Time, "The Dems then broke into a campfire-style sing-along of Merle Haggard's Okie from Muskogee from a second-floor balcony". At a press briefing that evening, legislator Jim McReynolds said, "We have not heard from Governor (Rick) Perry or Speaker (Tom) Craddick, but we have heard from the most powerful Texan of all, Willie Nelson."

Nelson supported Dennis Kucinich's campaign in the 2004 Democratic presidential primaries. He raised money, appeared at events, and composed the song Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth?, criticizing the war in Iraq. In 2005, he recorded a radio advertisement asking for support to put Kinky Friedman on the ballot as an independent candidate for the 2006 Texas gubernatorial election. Friedman promised Nelson a job in Austin as the head of a new Texas Energy Commission due to his support of bio-fuels. Friedman was on the ballot, but came in fourth with 12.44 percent, losing to Republican Rick Perry. In January 2008, Nelson filed suit against the Texas Democratic Party, alleging that the party violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution when it refused to allow co-plaintiff Dennis Kucinich to appear on the primary ballot because he had scratched out part of the loyalty oath on his application.

9/11 conspiracy theories

Nelson questions the official story of what happened on September 11. On February 4, 2008, Nelson appeared on Alex Jones's radio show and talked about the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, stating his belief that the Twin Towers and WTC7 were imploded: "I saw one fall and it was just so symmetrical. I said wait a minute, I just saw that last week at the casino in Las Vegas and you see these implosions all the time and the next one fell and I said hell there's another one - and they're trying to tell me that an airplane did it and I can't go along with that.".

Other Causes

In 1994, Nelson teamed up with Jimmy Dale Gilmore to contribute "Crazy" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Country produced by the Red Hot Organization.

In 2004, he and his wife Annie became partners with Bob and Kelly King in the building of two Pacific Bio-diesel plants, one in Salem, Oregon, and the other at Carl's Corner, Texas (the Texas plant was founded by Carl Cornelius, a longtime Nelson friend and the namesake for Carl's Corner). In 2005, Nelson and several other business partners formed Willie Nelson Biodiesel. ("Bio-Willie"), a company that is marketing bio-diesel bio-fuel to truck stops. The fuel is made from vegetable oil (mainly soybean oil), and can be burned without modification in diesel engines..

Willie Nelson Stockton 2.jpg225pxthumbWillie Nelson performing in 2009 in Stockton's Banner Island Parkleft

He is an advocate for horses and their treatment. He has been campaigning for passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) with the Animal Welfare Institute. He is on the Board of Directors and has adopted a number of horses from Habitat for Horses..

In 2008, Nelson signed on to the Animal Legal Defense Fund's campaign to warn consumers about the cruel-and illegal-living conditions for calves raised to produce milk for dairy products. Nelson wrote letters to Land O'Lakes and Challenge Dairy, two of the major corporations that use milk from calves raised at California's Mendes Calf Ranch, which employs an intensive confinement practice that was the subject of a lawsuit brought by the national nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund., March 26th, 2008, .

On January 9, 2005, Nelson headlined an all-star concert at Austin Music Hall to benefit the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Tsunami Relief Austin to Asia raised an estimated US$75,000 for UNICEF.

In March 2007, Ben & Jerry's released a new flavor, Willie Nelson’s Country Peach Cobbler Ice Cream, with a portion of Nelson's proceeds donated to Farm Aid. Nelson founded the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute in April 2007. Nelson and his daughter Amy Nelson wrote a song called A Peaceful Solution, which they released into the public domain, and encouraged artists to render their own version of the song, which he would feature on the Institute's web site.

Nelson released the song Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other, a song promoting the awareness and acceptance of homosexuality, in reference to gay cowboys, as a digital single through the iTunes Music Store on Valentine's Day 2006, shortly after the release of the film Brokeback Mountain. The song was encouraged by Nelson's tour manager and close friend David Anderson, who said "This song obviously has special meaning to me in more ways than one. I want people to know more than anything—gay, straight, whatever—just how cool Willie is and … his way of thinking, his tolerance, everything about him." Regarding the song, Nelson quoted "The song's been in the closet for 20 years. The timing's right for it to come out. I'm just opening the door."Tarradell, Mario (12:00 a.m. CST on Tuesday, February 14, 2006). "" The Dallas Morning News.

Nelson volunteered to narrate The Austin Disaster, 1911, a documentary about a flood in Potter County, Pennsylvania (see Floods in the United States: 1901-2000). Before the tragedy, an unrelated William "Willie" Nelson repeatedly warned residents of possible dam failure.. In April 2010, Nelson received the "Feed the Peace" award from The Nobelity Project for his extensive work with Farm-Aid and overall contribution to world peace.

Popular image

Willie UK2K7 1.JPGthumbright250pxWillie Nelson during a show in Cardiff, January 2007

Nelson is widely recognized as an American icon. Alongside his distinctive music, considered one of the most important country artists, Nelson took part through his career in social and political activities. For many years, Nelson's image was marked by his red hair, often divided into two long braids partially concealed under a bandanna. In the April 2007 issue of Stuff Magazine Nelson was interviewed about his long locks. "I started braiding my hair when it started getting too long, and that was, I don't know, probably in the 70's." On May 26, 2010, the Associated Press reported that Nelson had cut his hair, and Nashville music journalist Jimmy Carter published a photograph of the newly pigtail-free Nelson on his website. Reportedly, he wanted a hairstyle more maintainable, as well as wanting to cool off more easily in Hawaii a place he frequents., May 26, 2010, .

During 1979, Nelson purchased a property near Lake Travis in Austin and converted Pedernales Country Club into the Pedernales Studio. The studio underwent state of the art renovations in the mid 1990s, and many top recording artists adorn its client list. Its amenities include a 9-hole golf course, tennis courts and an Olympic size swimming pool.

Willie Nelson 2009.jpgleftthumbWillie Nelson Performing at Count Basie Theater, in Manalapan, NJ in 2009

In 2003 Texas Governor Rick Perry signed to law, the Texas House Bill #2582 introduced by State Representative Elizabeth Ames Jones and Senator Jeff Wentworth. The bill supported the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the State of Texas. Nelson was named Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Board of the project. In 2005, Democratic Texas Senator Gonzalo Barrientos introduced a bill to name 49 miles of the Travis County section of State Highway 130 after Nelson. At one point, Barrientos had 23 of the 31 state Senators as co-sponsors. The legislation was dropped after two Republican senators, Florence Shapiro and Jeff Wentworth, pulled the bill from the Senate's "Local and Uncontested Calendar" and Barrientos decided not to put it on the regular calendar. Republicans' objections were based on Nelson's lack of connection to the highway, his fundraisers for Democrats, his drinking and his marijuana advocacy.

An important collection of Willie Nelson materials (1975–1994) has been preserved at the Wittliff collections of Southwestern Writers, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. The collection contains song lyrics, screenplays, letters, concert programs, tour itineraries, posters, articles, clippings, personal effects, promotional items, souvenirs, and documents. There are examples of Nelson's talent as a songwriter, material reflecting his success as a concert artist, and memorabilia. The collection contains documentation on how the funds collected through Farm Aid were used; Nelson's trouble with the IRS is also documented. Most of the material was collected by Bill Wittliff, a friend of Willie Nelson's who wrote or co-wrote three of the films in which Willie Nelson starred: Honeysuckle Rose (1980), Barbarosa (1982), and Red Headed Stranger (1986).

On June 23, 2010 Willie Nelson was inducted to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry. Nelson is an honorary trustee of the Dayton International Peace Museum..

Personal life

Willie Nelson has been married four times and has fathered seven children. During his first marriage to Martha Matthews from 1952 to 1962, he had three children: Lana, Susie, and Billy, who committed suicide in 1991.Michael Hall, , May 2008 After his first divorce, Nelson married Shirley Collie in 1963, the marriage ended in 1971. The same year, he married Connie Koepke, and had two daughters, Paula Carlene and Amy Lee. Nelson and Koepke divorced in 1988, and in 1991, he married his current wife, Annie D'Angelo, with whom he has two sons, Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah. Nelson can trace his genealogy to the American Revolutionary War, in which his ancestor John Nelson served as a major.. He is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon international fraternity. He is a black belt in taekwondo.

Willie's Place near Hillsboro, TX IMG 4050.JPG200pxrightthumbIn 2008, Nelson reopened the unusual truck stop "Willie's Place" near Hillsboro, Texas

In 2002, Nelson signed a deal to become the official spokesman of the Texas Roadhouse, a chain of steakhouses in the U.S. Since then, Nelson has heavily promoted the chain (including a special on Food Network). Meanwhile the Texas Roadhouse itself installed Willie's Corner (a section dedicated to him and decked out with Willie memorabilia) at several locations. In 2008, Nelson reopened Willie's place in Hillsboro, Texas. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court allowed Nelson to invest in it, the truck stop has an estimate of 80 employees, and is now used as a concert theater constituted by a bar and a thousand square-foot dance floor.

On November 26, 2010, Nelson was arrested for possession of 6 ounces of marijuana. It was found in his tour bus during the early morning, while travelling from Los Angeles to Texas, Nelson claimed that it belonged to him. He was released after paying a bail for US$2,500.

Discography

Filmography

Books

Awards

See also

* Academy of Country Music

* Austin Dam (until 1911 failure, and afterward until 1942 failure) (in Pennsylvania in the US)

* Best selling music artists

* Country Music Association

* Evergreen, Colorado

* Inductees of the Country Music Hall of Fame

* List of best-selling music artists

* List of country musicians

* Music of Austin

Further reading

*Allen, Bob. (1998). "Willie Nelson." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 374–6

*Patoski, Joe Nick, Willie Nelson: An Epic Life (2008), Little, Brown and Co.

References

This text has been derived from Willie Nelson on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0