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Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson

Acting · Crew · Production · Sound

Born April 30, 1933, Abbott, Texas, USA

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor, and activist. Nelson was one of the main figures of the Outlaw Movement, a subgenre of Country music that developed between the end of 1960s and early 1980s. The critical success of the albums Shotgun Willie, Phases and Stages, and the commercial success of Red Headed Stranger made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson is also recognized for his contributions to charity, he is the president and one of the founding members of Farm Aid charity concert, and his activism for the legalization of marijuana and for the use of bio-fuels. Nelson started studying music from mail order material that his grandparents gave him. He wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at nine. During high school, he toured locally with the Bohemian Fiddlers as their lead singer and guitar player. After graduating 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 Texas 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, 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. 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 the first event in 1985, organizing concerts and performing with other prominent artists. Nelson is also the Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the state of Texas. Description above from the Wikipedia article Willie Nelson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Filmography

Appearances as themselves (140)
  • 2026The Man with the Big Hat — Self (archive footage)
  • 2024The Greatest Night in Pop — Self (archive footage)
  • 2023Heartbreakers at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
  • 2023Joke Man — Self
  • 2023June — Self
  • Willie Nelson & Family — Self
  • 2023Willie Nelson 90: Long Story Short — Self
  • 2023Willie Nelson's 90th Birthday Celebration — Self
  • 20222022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony — Self (archive footage)
  • 2022Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas — Self
  • 2022Willie Nelson: Live at Budokan — Self (archive footage)
  • 2021Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute — Self
  • This Is Pop — Self (archive footage)
  • 2020Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President — Self
  • 2020My Darling Vivian — Self (archive footage)
  • 2020Willie Nelson American Outlaw — Self
  • 2019Charley Pride: I'm Just Me — Self
  • 2019Willie Nelson at Austin City Limits — Self
  • 2018Quincy — Self
  • American Epic — Self
  • OBJECTified — Self
  • 2017Pure Country: Pure Heart — Himself
  • 2016Honky Tonk Heaven: Legend of the Broken Spoke — Self
  • 2016Loretta Lynn: Still a Mountain Girl — Self
  • 2016Road to Austin — Self
  • 2016The American Epic Sessions — Self
  • 2016The Best Democracy Money Can Buy — Self
  • 2016The Highwaymen - Live American Outlaws — Self
  • 2016The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End — Self - Performer
  • 2016Willie Nelson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song — Self
  • 2015I Am Johnny Cash — Self
  • 2015Johnny Cash: American Rebel — Self
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Musical Guest, Self - Guest/Musical Guest
  • The Muppets — Self
  • 2014All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State — Self
  • 2014Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years — Self - Performer
  • Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self
  • 2014The Art of McCartney — Self
  • 2014Willie Nelson Live @ SXSW — self
  • 2013Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon — Self
  • 2012John Mellencamp: It's About You — Self
  • 2012We Walk The Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash — Self
  • 20119/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up — Self
  • 2011Country at the BBC — Self (archive footage)
  • 2011The King of Luck — Self
  • 2010The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story — Self
  • 2009Dolly Parton & Friends: Love Always Live — Self - Performer (archive footage)
  • 2009Happiness Is — Self
  • 2009O Melhor do Flash Back - 92 Clipes Para Recordar — Self (archive footage)
  • 2009The Obama Deception — Self
  • 2009Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis Play the Music of Ray Charles — Self - Vocals and Acoustic Guitar
  • 2008A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! — Self
  • 2008Elvis | Viva Las Vegas — Self
  • 2008Hempsters: Plant the Seed — Himself
  • 2008Merle Haggard: The Real Deal — Self
  • 2008The King of Texas — Self
  • 2007Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 — Self
  • 2007Glen Campbell | Good Times Again — Self
  • 2007Jerry Lee Lewis: Last Man Standing, Live — Self
  • 2007Last of the Breed: Live in Concert — Himself
  • 2007Opry Video Classics : Legends — Self (archive footage)
  • 2007Opry Video Classics: Hall of Fame — Self (archive footage)
  • 2006American Revolutions: The Highwaymen — Self
  • 2006Beerfest — Self (uncredited)
  • 2006Broken Bridges — self
  • 2006Celebrating the Man in Black: The Making of Walk the Line — Self
  • 2006It's Happiness: A Polka Documentary — Self
  • 2006Outlaw Country: Live from Austin, TX — Self
  • 2006Willie Nelson: Live from Austin TX — Self - Vocals (archive footage)
  • 2005Farm Aid: 20th Anniversary Concert — Self
  • The Colbert Report — Self (uncredited)
  • 2005Tootsie's Orchid Lounge: Where the Music Began — self
  • VH1 Storytellers — Self
  • 2004Be Here to Love Me — Self - Musician
  • CMA Music Festival — Self
  • 2004Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company — Self
  • 2004Willie Nelson & Friends: Outlaws & Angels — Self
  • 2004Willie Nelson - Live at Billy Bob's Texas — Self
  • 2003Emmylou Harris: From a Deeper Well — Self
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Musical Guest, Self - Guest
  • Real Time with Bill Maher — Self
  • 2003Ringo Rama — Himself
  • 2003The Highwaymen: On the Road Again — Self
  • 2003Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin' — Self
  • CMT Crossroads — Self
  • 2002Farm Aid 2001 - A Concert For America — Himself
  • 2002The Country Bears — Self
  • 2002The Country Bears Concert for America — Self
  • 2002The Willie Nelson Special - With Special Guest Ray Charles — Self
  • 2001America | A Tribute to Heroes — Self - Performer
  • Austin City Limits: Country — Self
  • 2001Kinky Friedman: Proud To Be An Asshole From El Paso — Self
  • 2001Last Party 2000 — Self
  • 2001Willie Nelson: Live in Amsterdam — Himself
  • 2000Chet Atkins: A Life in Music — Self
  • 1999A Tribute to Johnny Cash — Self - Performer
  • 1999Dill Scallion — Self
  • 1999The Story of Darrell Royal — Self
  • 1999Willie Nelson: Greatest Hits Live — Himself
  • 1998Willie Nelson at the Teatro — Self
  • 1997Anthem — Self
  • The View — Self - Guest
  • 1997Willie Nelson: Down Home — Self
  • 1996The Beach Boys: Nashville Sounds — Self
  • The Daily Show — Self
  • The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self
  • 1995Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II — Self
  • Space Ghost Coast to Coast — Self
  • 1994The World of Jim Henson — Self (archive footage)
  • 1993Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration — Self
  • 1993Kris Kristofferson: His Life and Work — Self
  • 1993Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O — Self
  • 1991WWE WrestleMania VII — Self - National Anthem
  • 1990Waylon: Renegade. Outlaw. Legend. — Self
  • 1989In the Hank Williams Tradition — Self
  • 1989Kenny, Dolly & Willie: Something Inside So Strong — Self
  • 1989Some Enchanted Evening With Willie Nelson — Self
  • 1988Baja Oklahoma — Self
  • 1988Irving Berlin's 100th Birthday Celebration — Self
  • 1988Walking After Midnight — Self
  • 1987Heartbeat — Himself
  • NWA World Championship Wrestling — Self
  • 1985We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song — Self
  • 1984The Stars Salute the U.S. Olympic Team — Self - Performer
  • 1983Hells Angels Forever — Self
  • 1983Playboy Video Magazine, Volume 4 — Himself
  • 1983Willie Nelson & Family: In Concert — Himself
  • 1983Willie Nelson Live at the US Festival — Himself
  • Champs-Elysées — Self (archive footage)
  • Solid Gold — Self
  • 1978Mickey's 50 — Self
  • The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
  • Austin City Limits — Self
  • Saturday Night Live — Self - Host & Musical Guest, Self - Musical Guest
  • 1974A Poem Is a Naked Person — Self
  • The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour — Self
  • CMA Awards — Self
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
  • Willie Nelson & Friends: Stars & Guitars — Himself
  • Willie Nelson - Austin City Limits '74 — Himself
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