Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson has, undoubtedly, become one of the most iconic country artists of all time.

A celebrated and highly decorated singer, songwriter, musician, actor and activist, Nelson is often credited as one of the pioneers of the subgenre we now recognize as Outlaw Country, which developed in the late 1960s.

Growing up in central Texas, the beloved tunesmith wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten.

After touring locally during high school and joining the U.S. Air Force for a short stint, Nelson worked as a DJ at radio stations in his native Texas and the Pacific Northwest. At the same time, he was busy establishing himself as a singer-songwriter.

Come 1960, he made the move to Nashville and landed a publishing contract. He quickly become an in-demand lyricist in town, scoring hits with Claude Gray's 'Family Bible', Patsy Cline's 'Crazy', Billy Walker's 'Funny How Time Slips Away' and Faron Young's 'Hello Walls', among others.

However, due to his unique singing style – which included behind-the-beat phrasing and unadorned vocals – resulted in rejection for Nelson's own attempt at being an entertainer in Nashville.

Moving back to Texas in 1972, he developed a countercultural persona, donning long hair, earrings and worn-out denim as he wrote and sang however he wanted.

After signing with Columbia Records in 1975 and gaining complete creative control over his records, he released his quintessential outlaw album, Red Headed Stranger, which has become synonymous with the larger-than-life talent and garnered his first No. 1 single, 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain'.

Also in 1975, Nelson joined forces with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser to release the iconic Wanted! The Outlaws. Years later, he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, which included fellow singers Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson.

With a career that spans across the better part of seven decades, Nelson has been a leading force in country music, pushing musical boundaries and giving a voice to Americans far and wide.

Earning numerous awards, including 15 Grammys, 10 CMAs and 5 ACMs, as well as twenty No. 1s and over 100 charted singles from 1962 to 1993. Over the years, he's received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1999) and the inaugural CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award (2012).

In 2015, become the first ever country artist to earn the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which honors a living music artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting song to enhance cultural understanding; entertaining and informing audiences; and inspiring new generations.

Across his career, Nelson has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1993), Songwriters Hall of Fame (2001) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2023).