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Willie Nelson
Actor, Composer, Producer
Born April 30, 1933 (89 years)
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
| 2021 | Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute · as Unknown |
| 2018 | Paradox · as Red |
| 2018 | Waiting for the Miracle to Come · as Jimmy Riggs |
| 2014 | Billy Mize & the Bakersfield Sound · as actor |
| 2014 | Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years · as Performer |
| 2014 | Country Kings at the BBC · as Unknown |
| 2013 | Willie Nelson: Have You Ever Seen the Rain? · as Willie Nelson |
| 2012 | Angels Sing · as Nick |
| 2011 | Get a Job · as Wedding Band Member |
| 2008 | Swing Vote · as Willie Nelson |
| 2008 | Beer for My Horses · as Charlie |
| 2008 | Surfer, Dude · as Farmer Bob |
| 2007 | The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning · as Jesse Duke |
| 2007 | Fighting with Anger · as Will |
| 2007 | Opry Video Classics: The Hall of Fame · as Unknown |
| 2007 | Blonde Ambition · as Pap Paw |
| 2006 | Willie Nelson: Live from Austin TX · as Compositeur, Guitare, Artiste principal, Voix |
| 2005 | The Dukes of Hazzard · as Uncle Jesse Duke |
| 2004 | Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company · as Unknown |
| 2004 | The Big Bounce · as Joe Lurie |
| 2002 | Monk (TV Series) · as Willie Nelson |
| 2001 | The Journeyman · as Samuel Hancock |
| 1999 | Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me · as Willie Nelson |
| 1999 | The Long Kill · as Lee Walker |
| 1998 | Half Baked · as Historian Smoker |
| 1997 | Wag the Dog · as Johnny Dean |
| 1997 | Gone Fishin' · as Billy 'Catch' Pooler |
| 1997 | King of the Hill (TV Series) · as Willie Nelson |
| 1996 | Nash Bridges (TV Series) · as Earl Dobbs |
| 1994 | Dust to Dust · as Unknown |
| 1993 | Bob Dylan: 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration · as Unknown |
| 1993 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1993 | Space Ghost Coast to Coast (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1992 | Adventures in Wonderland (TV Series) · as The Troubador |
| 1992 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1991 | Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind · as Billy Roy Rodriguez |
| 1990 | Highwaymen Live!!! · as Unknown |
| 1990 | Pair of Aces · as Billy Roy Barker |
| 1989 | The Simpsons (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1988 | Once Upon a Texas Train · as John Henry Lee |
| 1988 | Where the Hell's That Gold?!!? · as Cross |
| 1986 | Stagecoach · as Doc Holliday |
| 1986 | The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James · as Gen. Jo Shelby |
| 1986 | Red Headed Stranger · as Rev. Julian Shay |
| 1984 | Songwriter · as Doc Jenkins |
| 1984 | Miami Vice (TV Series) · as Unknown |
| 1982 | Barbarosa · as Barbarosa |
| 1982 | Coming Out of the Ice · as Red Loon |
| 1981 | Thief · as Okla |
| 1980 | Honeysuckle Rose · as Buck |
| 1979 | The Electric Horseman · as Wendell |
| 1979 | Willie Nelson's 4th of July Celebration · as Unknown |
| 1974 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) · as Charlie Strayhorn |
| 1969 | The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (TV Series) · as Unknown |