Meet Willie Nelson's children from four different marriages
Willie Nelson’s children are: Renee Barley, Lana Nelson Fowler, Susie Nelson, William Hugh Nelson Jr., Paula Carlene Nelson, Amy Lee Nelson, Lukas Autry Nelson and Jacob Micah Nelson. So, what do they do, and who are their mothers?
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Willie Nelson’s children are Renee Barley, Lana Nelson Fowler, Susie Nelson, William Hugh Nelson Jr., Paula Carlene Nelson, Amy Lee Nelson, Lukas Autry Nelson and Jacob Micah Nelson.
- Willie Nelson was married to four women: Martha Matthews, Shirley Collie Nelson, Connie Koepke and Annie D'Angelo.
- Willie's son, Billy Hugh Nelson Jr., took his life on Christmas morning in 1991.
- Lukas Autry Nelson won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media for A Star Is Born.
- In 1978, Susie Nelson published a book, Heart Worn Memories: A Daughter's Personal Biography of Willie Nelson, about her and her father.
Who are Willie Nelson’s children?
Willie Nelson has been married four times. His first marriage was to Martha Matthews, resulting in three children. However, they divorced in 1962, and in 1963, he married his second wife, Shirley Collie, and had three children.
After eight years, they divorced, and Willie married Connie Kopeke, with whom he had two daughters. Similarly to his previous marriage, he divorced and remarried. In 1991, he entered his fourth and current marriage with Annie D'Angelo. They have two sons. Here’s more about them.
1. Renee Barley
Source: Facebook
Willie Nelson’s daughter, Lynda Renee Barley—known as Renee—was born on January 22, 1953, in Texas, United States. She is the singer’s oldest daughter, born to his friend Mary Haney."
Willie did not realise he was his daughter until 2012 when he reconnected with Haney. Willie revealed this in his memoir, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die:
I lost touch with an old friend, Mary Haney, but met her again after decades. It turns out Mary and I had a child named Renee.
Renee attended Sam Houston High School and graduated from the University of Houston. Later, she launched her company, Graphics Productions, where she was a graphic designer. She was also an artist, poet and writer.
In 1976, Renee married Joel and lived in Spring, Houston, Texas. They had a daughter, Noelle Ward, whom the singer is proud to call her granddaughter.
Despite meeting when she was 59, Renee seemingly developed a close relationship with him. On Father’s Day 2016, she posted a heartwarming message expressing her admiration for him.
This is also my dad, and I love him so much. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I know I am a lucky girl to have two of the finest men in this world be dads to me.
Unfortunately, Renee died in August 2017 due to breast cancer.
2. Lana Nelson Fowler
Source: UGC
Lana Nelson Fowler was born on November 11, 1953, to Willie’s first wife, Martha Matthews. She grew up listening to her father on the radio and called into his radio show to request songs.
I was probably about three when I first heard the song, 'Red-Headed Stranger.’ Dad was a disc jockey at KVAN radio station in Portland, Oregon. He had the noon show, and we called when we had a phone. The secretary answered and made a request. So I called in and requested “Red Headed Stranger,” because it was my favourite.
Despite her love for his music, Lana has maintained a relatively low profile while contributing to his father’s legacy. She was a costume designer in the 1986 film 'Red-Headed Stranger’, telling the story of a preacher who became an outlaw and later searched for reconciliation by fighting for justice.
Other films she has worked on include Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O (1993), celebrating Willie Nelson’s 60th birthday, the producer, editor and cast member of the Willie Nelson Presents: King of the Roadies, directed by Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson: Pancho & Lefty and the King of the Lefties (2011).
Regarding her love life, Lana married George Fowler in June 1976. They had two children: a son named Bryan and a daughter named Rachel.
3. Susie Nelson
Source: UGC
Susie Nelson is Martha and Willie’s second daughter, born on May 23, 1956. She experienced tragedy in her early years; she struggled with teenage drug addiction, was divorced and lost her first husband.
Despite that, she engaged in productive activities such as entertaining the U.S. and Canadian Indian residents through music and her story. Additionally, Susie obtained her high school diploma at 27 and remarried to writer and editor Bob Rosenbaum.
Despite the ups and downs, Susie maintained a close relationship with her father. Recalling her childhood association with him, she confessed finding it hard to speak to him because she felt he was too strong and the timing was off.
I had all these things I’d want to talk to him about, like how I felt and what was happening in my life. I would have my speech lined up and go to him and say, ‘Hi, Dad.
Consequently, Susie wrote a book, Heart Worn Memories: A Daughter's Personal Biography of Willie Nelson, published in 1978. In it, she offers insight into her father and herself, noting she is harder on herself because “Nobody can say anything about me because I have already said it.”
In 2012, she co-hosted Susie’s Gospel Hour on the SiriusXM channel.
4. William “Billy” Hugh Nelson Jr.
Source: UGC
Born on May 12, 1958, in Fort Worth, Tarrant, Texas, USA, William Hugh Nelson Jr. is Willie and Martha’s third and last child. He shared his love of music with his father, who explained that he enjoyed gospel music and was an aspiring star.
In 1987, Billy and his father began working on a gospel album and performed with him on stage. He wrote the Family Bible and In God’s Eyes, and his father was amazed by its outcome.
I was working on an album with my son, Billy, in Nashville. We did not know how it would turn out, and what we would do afterwards.
However, two years later (1989), his life changed drastically. Billy lost his mother, Martha, and divorced his wife, Janet Caldwell, who was granted full custody of their daughter, Rae Lynn. The following year, he sank into alcoholism, was arrested four times on a DUI charge and underwent a 30-day program for alcohol abuse.
Unfortunately, in 1991, Willi Hugh took his life on Christmas morning. According to the report, he was intoxicated at the time of his death. His friend, Lou Mullins, said, “The only problem he had was with what killed him [alcohol]," and acknowledged that his father did everything for him.
Three years after his death, his father released the album they worked on, Peace in the Valley: The Gospel Truth Collection, which included a duet with Billy, "My Body's Just a Suitcase for My Soul."
5. Paula Carlene Nelson
Source: Instagram
Paula Carlene is Willie Nelson’s first child with Connie Koepke. She was born on October 27, 1969, in Houston, Texas. Her father was married to his second wife, Shirley Collie, who did not know about his affair until she found a hospital bill from Koepke.
As a result, in 1971, Willie and Collie divorced, married Connie and lived in Colorado, Texas. However, in 1988, Willie ended their marriage after falling in love with Annie Marie D'Angelo, his fourth wife.
I messed up another marriage. My wandering ways were too much for any woman to put up with. I will always love Connie. I regret the pain I caused Connie — and Martha and Shirley before her — and have no excuses.
Paula moved to Austin with her mother and attended Westlake High School. However, he admitted that the transition was difficult because the change was overwhelming.
It was tough going to Westlake. I was 16 and had lived in Colorado since grade school, where being Willie Nelson’s daughter did not matter. But in Texas, it was huge. [By 12th grade], I was doing a lot of coke, anything I could get my hands on. Adolescent angst. I got tired: tired of the scene and tired of it all.
Despite all, Paula received medical help at the San Diego treatment centre and later graduated with a high school diploma. She went on to work as a counsellor in balmy Southern California.
After Paula moved back to Colorado, she got married and divorced. She also pursued several activities, including working as a massage therapist and earning her black belt in tae kwon do.
Eventually, Paula launched a music career and released five albums. She collaborated with her father on songs like "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?"
6. Amy Lee Nelson
Source: Instagram
Amy Lee is Willie and Connie’s second daughter, born on 6 July 1973. Amy is a cinematographer and producer known for films like Super Troopers 2, Willie Nelson Presents: King of the Roadies, Kinky Friedman: Resurrection, and Saving America’s Horses: A Nation Betrayed.
Similarly to her siblings, Amy followed her family’s musical footsteps. She is one half of the band, Folk Uke, with Arlo Guthrie's daughter, Cathy Guthrie. Away from her creative pursuits, Amy is an animal activist.
She works at Willie Kids Organisation, a non-profit dedicated to protecting American horses and raising awareness to safeguard their lives.
7. Lukas Autry Nelson
Source: Instagram
Lukas Autry Nelson is Willie and Annie D’Angelo’s first child. He was born on December 25, 1988, in Austin, Texas. He grew up between Texas and Hawaii and was involved in skateboarding and surfing.
Regarding his education, Lukas studied at an Austin-area Montessori school and did his junior high and high school in Maui. For his higher education, he briefly attended Loyola Marymount University but left to pursue music full-time.
Lukas grew up surrounded by music and engaged in it from a young age. At 11, he reportedly wrote a song for his father's album, It Always Will Be. In 2008, he started his band, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real and have six albums.
They worked with Neil Young, and in 2018, Bradley Cooper approached them to work on the remake of A Star Is Born. He wrote eight songs and won two awards: a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music and a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. In the aftermath of this collaboration, Lukas wrote more music with Lady Gaga.
Beyond this, Lukas has worked with his father, Willie, who wrote a song for his band’s first album in 2010. Two years later, he worked on Willie’s album, Heroes, and toured with him.
8. Jacob Micah Nelson
Source: Getty Images
Jacob Micah Nelson, born on May 24, 1990, is Willie and Annie’s youngest child. In 2012, he began making music under the name Particle Kid, stemming from his father’s referring to him as Particle Kid instead of Prodigal Son.
He collaborated with his father on the song “Amerikan Lyfe” when making his seventh album, Time Capsule. In 2022, they also worked on another song, “Die When I'm High (Halfway to Heaven)’, a piece he wrote after hearing his father use this phrase in a chess game. Away from his career, Micah got married in 2019.
FAQs
- How many children does Willie Nelson have? Willie Nelson has eight children.
- Is Lukas Nelson Willie Nelson's son? Yes, Lukas Nelson is Willie Nelson's son.
- How many biological children does Willie Nelson have? Willie Nelson has eight biological children.
- What happened to Willie Nelson's son? Willie Nelson's son, Billy, took his life in 1991.
- What is Micah Nelson's illness? Micah Nelson is ailing from severe vertigo.
- What is Willie Nelson's ailment? Willie Nelson was diagnosed with emphysema. Additionally, he underwent surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Is Willie Nelson still with his wife? Yes, Willie Nelson is still married to Annie D'Angelo.
- How many times did Willie Nelson marry? Willie Nelson married four times.
Final word
Willie Nelson's children followed in his footsteps into the music industry, even though they also engaged in other activities such as book writing. They share great memories of collaborating, carving their paths, and achieving success. Despite marrying four times, Willie speaks lovingly about his children and wives, and shares close bonds with them.
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