1. Willie Hugh Nelson
“The Outlaw”

2. Willie the kid Born April 30th, 1933
Father was a mechanic and pool hall owner
Raised by paternal grandparents during
The Great Depression
Grandparents gave him mail order music lessons at age 6
Sold his first song, “Family Bible” for $50 to his guitar teacher

3. Willie the Writer Some of country music’s most famous songs:
“Funny How Time Slips Away” (Billy Walker)
“Night Life” (Ray Price)
“Hello Walls” (Faron Young)
“Pretty Paper” (Roy Orbison)
Listening Queue Simple distinctive acoustic guitar; same uncomplicated chords repeated; guitar just supports the lyrics; heartache in the lyrics, even though it’s written about a Christmas shopping experience
“Crazy” (Patsy Cline)
#5 most popular country song of all time.
Listening Queue Simple performance style; no back up singers; Piano, Guitar; Hawaiian steel guitar; and subtle percussion.

4. Outlaw Music Retired1972; moved to Austin, Tx.
The ‘Armadillo World Headquarters’
Attracted: Hippie, Country and Rock
This fusion inspired Willie to come out
of retirement.
Transformed him from the Stetson
wearing cowboy into the hippie headband, earrings and long haired “Outlaw”.
His return in 1973, was one of Un-Nashville type of music and his new image caught fire as a fight against “the man”.
The new Willie was a combination of rock-and-roll, jazz, western swing, blues and folk music.

5. Willie the Musician
Musicians from multiple genres collaborate with him
Waylon Jennings
Sheryl Crow
Johnny Cash
Ray Charles
Kris Kristofferson
Snoop Dog
and more
Julio Iglesias
Kid Rock
Legacy:
Has written more than 2,500 songs
Has released more than 300 albums

6. Some of his Greatest Hits
“Nothing I Can Do About It Now” “Hello Walls” “Pancho and Lefty” “The Troublemaker” “Whiskey River” “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” “Angel Flying to Close to the Ground” “On the Road Again” “Crazy” “Always on My Mind”
Listening Queue Listen for
distinctive acoustic guitar;
simple melody; a mournfully
beautiful lyrical story; absence of
both backup singers and heavy
percussion