Tragic Details About Willie Nelson
The following article includes discussion of suicide.
Legendary American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Willie Nelson has led one of the most successful careers in country music history. He overcame poverty in Abbott, Texas before rising to fame in 1962 after signing his first record deal and releasing some of his earliest records, "Touch Me" and "Willingly," both of which cracked country's Top 10 chart. But behind the scenes, he was grappling with a tragic life that saw a string of devastating losses and difficulties.
Decades into his career, Nelson lost his mother, Myrle M. Harvey, to cancer in December 1983. Seven years later, he suffered a shocking financial crisis when the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) seized his assets due to unpaid taxes. This led him to lose many of his possessions, including his beloved ranch, recording studio, and many of his instruments, which were all taken to satisfy a $32 million unpaid tax debt. This left the star forced to rebuild his life, but not without further tragedy plaguing him along the way.
Willie Nelson has lost two of his children
Willie Nelson is the father of eight children: Lana, Susie, Paula, Amy, Renee, Lukas, Micah, and Billy. Sadly, Nelson has already buried a son and daughter. Billy's death arrived first in December 1991: he died by suicide in his Tennessee cabin on Christmas day. As Nelson's first son, Billy seemingly faced pressure due to his father's fame. During the December 2023 Paramount+ docuseries "Willie Nelson & Family," Billy's sister Paula explained, "He really was a wonderful guy, but it's hard to be in Texas when your dad's Willie Nelson. You can't get away from it" [via People]. Heartbreakingly, Willie Nelson can relate, as he also tried to take his own life early in his career when he was struggling to find his footing in the music industry. In his 2022 memoir, "Me and Paul: Untold Stories of a Fabled Friendship," Nelson admitted he laid on a stretch of railroad tracks waiting for a train to strike him. Luckily, this didn't happen.
Decades later, Nelson would lose Renee. Unlike his other children, Nelson didn't know that Renee was his daughter until 2012. He fathered Renee with his friend, Mary, but they lost touch over the years. After learning Renee was his daughter, he welcomed her into the family, and the two seemed to grow close. Unfortunately, she died in 2017, though her cause of death remains unknown.
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Nelson buried his sister and longtime pianist, Bobbie Nelson, in 2021
Willie and Bobbie Nelson were close as kids and continued to have a tight bond even into adulthood. Even though they grew up poor, working in the cotton fields as small children, the siblings always had one another. Bobbie joined her brother on the road in the 1970s, and they spent half a century making music together, with Bobbie being the talented pianist present at Nelson's shows. Willie praised his sister in September 2020 in a chat with People, sharing, "She's my closest friend for a whole lifetime. I'm glad she's getting some recognition for what she's done with her life." The brother and sister performed their final concert together in October 2021 before their relationship was dealt a devastating blow when Bobbie died in March 2022 at age 91.
No cause of death was released, but a statement shared with Variety said Bobbie died "peacefully and surrounded by family." Since the passing of his sister, Nelson has continued touring, with concert dates planned for 2024. Even with so much sorrow throughout his life, Nelson hasn't allowed any of it to stop him.