This weekend is all about the legendary Willie Nelson. We are playing a double shot of Willie Nelson’s music every hour, twice an hour. Download the Mustang 107.1 mobile app or command Google Home or Alexa to play Mustang 107.1.
Willie Nelson is a singer of a good ole country song. But not only that, Willie Nelson is also a writer, actor, and activist. Nelson was born in 1933, during the Great Depression. After he was born, his parents went their separate ways, leaving Nelson to be raised by his grandparents. In the small rural town of Abbott, Texas almost everyone picked cotton. Nelson did not like to pick cotton. So in his spare time, he focused his energy on music. His grandfather had given him a guitar when he was six and by the time Nelson had turned seven, he had already written a son. When Nelson got a little older, he performed in local taverns and dance halls to earn money.
After working numerous odd jobs and joining the Air Force for a year, Nelson finally started focusing again on music. After years of moving from Texas to California to Washington and back to Texas. He finally moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and spent time performing in Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, a bar where many stars tended to hang out. Nelson became friends with people like Hank Cochran and Patsy Cline’s husband, Charlie Dick. Nelson played his song, “Crazy,” for him and Dick played it for Patsy.
Willie Nelson currently lives in Maui, Hawaii but still owns a ranch in Austin, Texas. Many see Willie Nelson as an icon of American music. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993. He is also a member of the National Agricultural Hall of Fame for his work in helping farmers.
