Was raised by his paternal grandparents: William Alfred Nelson and Nancy Elizabeth Smothers.

Children: Lana (b. 1953), Susie (b. 1956) and Billy (who died in 1991), with Martha; Paula Carlene (b. 1959) and Amy Lee (b. 1973), with Connie; Lukas Autry (b. 1989) and Jacob Micah (b. 1990), with Annie.

Son of Myrtle Greenhaw and Ira Nelson.

He was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in March 2002 in Austin, Texas.

Formed the 1980s country music supergroup "The Highwaymen" with Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

He was the subject of the Toby Keith song "I`ll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again".

When the IRS seized his possessions to sell at auction to try and collect money to pay his tax debt, many of Willie`s fans bought his stuff and then gave it back to him. (It`s been said that the fans did this as a way of saying thank you for all the free concerts Nelson performed in support of Farm Aid). The only major possessions not seized by the IRS was Willie`s guitar and his tour bus so he could earn a living.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001.

There is a guest character named after him in an episode of "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" (2000) (titled "The Shaving").

One of the three "outlaws" of country music, named because of their wild personalities, free spirits, and liberal politics. The other two are Merle Haggard and the late Waylon Jennings.

Toby Keith asked if he wanted to record a duet with him. Willie agreed after simply hearing the title of the song without even reading the lyrics: "Whiskey For My Men, Beer For My Horses".

Attended Baylor University for one year

He was a member of Ray Price`s Cherokee Cowboys during the fifties.

In addition to being a successful country singer, he is also a songwriter and wrote hits for many other singers, including "Crazy" for Patsy Cline.

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

His character of Billy "Catch" Pooler in the 1997 movie Gone Fishin` (1997) was inspired by a real person, Loren "Totch" Brown of Chokoloskee, Florida. "Totch" had a small role in the 1958 movie Wind Across the Everglades (1958), portraying "One-Note" and acting under the name Totch Brown.

Married 4 times.

Born in Abbott, Texas, USA