Nelson, Willie

Nelson, Willie
born April 30, 1933, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.

U.S. country music singer and songwriter.

His grandfather taught him to play guitar, and by age 10 he was performing at local dances. After working as a disc jockey, in 1961 he moved to Nashville, Tenn., where he wrote hit songs for dozens of country, rhythm-and-blues, and pop singers; these songs include "Hello Walls," "Night Life," and "Crazy." Returning to Texas, he released the hit album Red Headed Stranger (1975); it was followed by Wanted: The Outlaws, which outsold every country album that had preceded it, and Stardust (1978), with songs by Hoagy Carmichael and Irving Berlin. He has recorded with at least 75 other singers, including Waylon Jennings (b. 1937). In the 1980s he organized annual Farm Aid festivals to raise money for farmers. His later albums include the critically acclaimed Teatro (1998).

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▪ American musician
born April 30, 1933, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
 
 American songwriter and guitarist, one of the most popular country music singers of the late 20th century.

      Nelson learned to play guitar from his grandfather and at the age of 10 was performing at local dances. He served in the U.S. Air Force before becoming a disc jockey in Texas, Oregon, and California during the 1950s. He also was performing in public and writing songs then; by 1961 he was based in Nashville, Tenn., and playing bass in Ray Price's band. Price was among the first of dozens of country, rhythm and blues, and popular singers to achieve hit records with Nelson's 1960s tunes, which included the standards “Hello Walls,” “Night Life,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” and “Crazy.” By contrast, Nelson achieved only modest success as a singer in that decade.

 He moved back to Texas in the 1970s and, beginning with his 1975 album Red Headed Stranger, with its hit song “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” became one of the most popular country music performers. His performances featured a unique sound, of which his relaxed, behind-the-beat singing style and gut-string guitar were the most distinctive elements. Unusual for a country music album, songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, and other mainstream popular songwriters made up his 1978 Stardust, which sold four million copies. The next year he made his film-acting debut in The Electric Horseman; his later films included Honeysuckle Rose (1980) and Red Headed Stranger (1987). In the mid-1970s he had produced annual Fourth of July country music festivals in Dripping Springs, Texas; in the 1980s he organized annual Farm Aid festivals to raise money for farmers. Apart from continuing to record country and popular songs on his own, he recorded with at least 75 other singers, most notably Waylon Jennings. In 1990 the Internal Revenue Service, claiming he owed $16.7 million in unpaid taxes, seized his assets; to raise money he recorded the two-CD album The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories (1991).
 

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Nelson, Willie — (n. 30 abr. 1933, Fort Worth, Texas, EE.UU.). Cantautor de música country estadounidense. Su abuelo le enseñó a tocar la guitarra y a la edad de 10 años se presentaba en bailes locales. En 1961, después de trabajar como disc jockey, se trasladó a …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Willie Hugh Nelson — Willie Nelson Pour les articles homonymes, voir Nelson. Willie Nelson …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Nelson — Nelson, George Nelson, Horatio, vizconde de ► Río de Canadá, en la prov. de Manitoba. Nace en el lago Winnipeg y desemboca en la bahía de Hudson; 650 km. * * * (as used in expressions) Aldrich, Nelson W(ilmarth) Algren, Nelson Nelson Ahlgren… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Willie Nelson — Willie Nelson …   Wikipedia

  • Willie Nelson — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Nelson. Willie Nelson Willie Nelson …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Willie Nelson/Diskografie — Dies ist eine Liste der Album und Single Veröffentlichungen des US amerikanischen Countrymusikers Willie Nelson. Alben RCA Alben: The Party s Over (1967) Texas In My Soul (1968) Good Times (1968) My Own Peculiar Way (1969) Both Sides Now (1970)… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Willie Nelson — Este artículo o sección necesita referencias que aparezcan en una publicación acreditada, como revistas especializadas, monografías, prensa diaria o páginas de Internet fidedignas. Puedes añadirlas así o avisar …   Wikipedia Español

  • nelson — /nel seuhn/, n. Wrestling. a hold in which pressure is applied to the head, back of the neck, and one or both arms of the opponent. Cf. full nelson, half nelson, quarter nelson, three quarter nelson. [1885 90; special use of name Nelson] * * *… …   Universalium

  • Willie — /wil ee/, n. 1. a male given name, form of William. 2. a female given name. * * * (as used in expressions) Dixon Willie Hoppe Willie Lanier Willie Edward Mays Willie Howard Mosconi Willie Nelson Willie Willie Shoemaker Simms Willie * * * …   Universalium

  • Nelson — /nel seuhn/, n. 1. Viscount Horatio, 1758 1805, British admiral. 2. (John) Byron, born 1911, U.S. golf player. 3. a river in central Canada, flowing NE from Lake Winnipeg to Hudson Bay. 400 mi. (645 km) long. 4. a seaport on N South Island, in… …   Universalium

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