Nelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten.

In 1991, during his process with the IRS, Nelson was worried that Trigger (which he named after Roy Rogers' horse) might be auctioned off, stating: "When Trigger goes, I'll quit". He asked his daughter, Lana, to take the guitar from the studio before any IRS agent arrived there, and then deliver it to him in Maui. Nelson then concealed the guitar in his manager's house until his debt was paid off in 1993.

The version of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" Willie recorded for his 1975 concept album Red Headed Stranger, which was about a fugitive preacher on the run from the law after killing his wife, was lauded by country music historian Bill Malone as "a fine example of clean, uncluttered country music." Rolling Stone noted the song was delivered with his "jazz-style phrasing" and was "the beating heart of Red Headed Stranger."

Partly due to the genre-blending nature of the song, "Crazy" has been covered by dozens of artists in several genres over the years (Nelson's own version appears on his 1962 debut album), but it remains inextricably linked with Cline, whose version was a No. 2 country hit in 1962.

While Trigger carries a plethora of signatures, the first person to sign Willie's guitar was Leon Russell, who asked Nelson initially to sign his guitar. When Nelson was about to sign it with a marker, Russell requested him to scratch it instead, explaining that the guitar would be more valuable in the future. Interested in the concept, Nelson requested Russell to also sign his guitar.

"The life I love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again"

BioWillie diesel fuel is made from vegetable oil (mainly soybean oil), and can be burned without modification in diesel engines. "There is really no need going around starting wars over oil," Willie has said. "We have it here at home. We have the necessary product, the farmers can grow it."

After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems.

In 1972, Nelson paid $14,000 to buy out his contract so that he could retire to Austin, Texas. But his retirement didn't last long. Within a year, he was back on the charts with the album Shotgun Willie.

Nelson has been inducted into many esteemed Halls of Fame, including the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2001), the Grammy Hall of Fame (2008), and the National Agricultrual Hall of Fame (2011), but the Country Music Hall of Fame (1993) claimed him first.