Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is a country music legend. Not only is he a great musician but he also penned some of country music’s biggest hits. Before he became a solo artist he wrote familiar tunes such as “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Hello Walls,” “Pretty Paper,” and most famously Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.”

Willie Nelson has recorded seventy-seven studio albums. A staggering number of albums produced chart topping hits. Willie has had over twenty-one number one singles in the US.

He was the musician behind country’s first platinum album, a collaborative effort with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glasser called “Wanted! The Outlaws.” His most notable achievement is his 1975 release of “Red Headed Stranger.” This album went platinum twice and featured his first number one single, a cover of the classic “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

The late seventies were a productive time for Willie; he hit the chart with a number of popular singles including “Good Hearted Woman,” “Remember Me,” “If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got the Time,” “Uncloudy Day,” and the duet “Something to Brag About.”

In 1978 Willie scored two more platinum albums: Waylon and Willie and Stardust. Many people felt that Stardust was going to be a flop but it turned out to be one of his top selling albums going platinum four times. Waylon and Willie featured the hit duet with Waylon Jennings “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys.”

The eighties also brought success to Willie; he had another hit single with a cover of the Allman Brother’s “Midnight Rider.” The famous “On the Road Again” came from the soundtrack to Honeysuckle Rose. And in 1982 he teamed up with Merle Haggard to produce Pancho and Lefty. He also teamed up with Waylon Jennings again for the albums WWII and Take It to the Limit.

During the mid-eighties he also joined the superstar group The Highwaymen, which included Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash. The legendary collaboration is still one of the most popular country albums of all time. Willie also has a mega hit with his live album Willie and Family Live, which has gone platinum four times as well.

Willie is still popular on the internet and his recent team up with Snoop Dogg has lead to a record number of downloads for their collaboration “My Medicine.” iTunes also noted that his 2006 release of “Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other” from the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack was one of the top downloads for that year.

Willie Nelson is an American icon that still contributes to many charities, including Farm Aid. He is also a big supporter of the environment, owning a bio-diesel company that is growing quickly in popularity. Willie continues to tour, saying that he will retire when his heavily played guitar, “Trigger” can play no more.