TEXAS — No offense to Matthew McConaughey or any other Texas-based celebrity, but Willie Nelson is the state’s most iconic resident, and on Thursday the country superstar is celebrating his 88th birthday.
Nelson wrote his first song when he was just 7 years old and went on to pen hits for Patsy Cline, Ray Price and others. By the 1970s, he was a bonafide superstar in this own right.
Born in Abbott, Texas, in 1933, following a period of critical acclaim but disappointing sales, Nelson in the early '70s retired and moved to Austin. Retirement didn't suit him, however, and in 1974 Nelson appeared in the pilot episode of PBS’s "Austin City Limits." In 1975 he released the massively popular concept album “Red Headed Stranger,” cementing his stardom.
Nelson’s collaborations and accomplishments are too lengthy to list here but, aside from a few health issues, the icon hasn't slowed down much recently. The singer recently authored a new book due out this summer and performed in McConaughey’s “We’re Texas” fundraiser in March.
While Nelson isn’t slated to perform on his birthday, ACL Live did announce a tribute show Thursday night.