Iconic performer Willie Nelson will perform at FirstBank Amphitheater in Franklin on Friday, May 6th. Here are some things to know about Willie Nelson.
He Wrote a Song at Age Seven
Rolling Stone reported in 2004: “Back when we used to take music lessons from our grandmother, we’d go through lessons, and if we’d get the lesson right that day she’d take a gold star—a little star, about the size of your finger, with glue on one side—and she’d stick it on the sheet of music, which meant you’d done well. So I wrote this song with the line ‘They took a gold star away from me when you left me for another, long ago.’ I’d never been left by anybody, so it was kind of funny.”
Other than Songwriting, He’s had a Host of Jobs
Nelson was in the Air Force. Other jobs he held include a cotton picker, saddle maker, disc jockey and door-to-door salesman. He sold Bibles, vacuum cleaners, and encyclopedias, reports purplecloverlittlethings.
His Guitar is Almost as Famous as Nelson
Nelson named his Martin N- 20 guitarTrigger and it’s been with him for 50 years and played 10,000 shows reports country thang daily.
A Sickness Bag on an Airplane was the Origin of One of His Greatest Hits
“On the Road Again” got its beginnings on a sickness bag (or barf bag) on an airplane. The song won a GRAMMY for the Best Country Song in 1981, shares Southern Living.
Nelson Has a Black Belt
Nelson has always been a jogger and swimmer. He’s also been taking martial arts since he was a boy. In 2014, he was presented with his fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do at the age of 81, reports purple clover little things.
He Owns a Golf Course
Nelson owns a nine-hole course, the Pedernales Country Club, in Texas. It is known as Willie Nelson’s Cut-N-Putt, adjacent to his recording studio in Spicewood, Texas. There is no dress code, and visitors can play the course, see more here.
He Had to Settle a $32 Million IRS Bill
In 1990, Nelson had a $32 million IRS bill (one of the largest in history). The IRS raided his house and seized his assets. His agreement to settle with the IRS involved a new album – The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories. It sold for $19.95 on cassette or CD and was purchased by dialing 1-800-IRS-TAPE. Fifteen cents of every dollar made on the album went to the IRS, reports Mental Floss.
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