Nelson was abandoned by his mother when he was six months old. His father ran a pool hall in Austin, Texas, and he was raised by his grandparents in the village of Abbott, Texas. His grandfather taught him to play the guitar. He began performing in public when he was four years old.

Since he came to prominence in the 1970s he has made numerous best-selling albums, won three Grammy awards, and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

References

Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia, 1993-97
Who's Who in America, 1996
Nelson, Susie. Heart Worn Memories: A Daughter's Personal Biography of Willie Nelson. (Eakins Publications, 1987)
Willie. (Austin: Eakin, 1987)
"The Official Willie Nelson Website." Available at: http://www.polygram.com/polygram/artists.html
Nelson, Willie, and Shrake, Bud. Willie: An Autobiography. (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988)

Indexes

European
USA
20th Century
21st Century
Music and Dance
Birth or Infancy
Unmarried Mother, Single Parent (Mother or Father) Unable to Cope
Child Abandoned or Rejected by Birth Parent(s)
Grandparents
Both Parents Unable or Unwilling to Care for Child