"Three chords and the truth — that's what a country song is."

• Born Willie Hugh Nelson on April 29, 1933, in Abbott, Texas
   
• During the 1960s, Willie Nelson wrote songs for the likes of Ray Price, Patsy Cline and Billy Walker. After aligning himself with Waylon Jennings in the early '70s, the outlaw country star found commercial success in 1975 with his critically acclaimed album, Red Headed Stranger and the song "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain."
   
• Nelson won his first GRAMMY for 1975 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain." 
   
• Did you know? Nelson's 1982 hit "Always On My Mind" was first recorded by Gwen McCrae. The single was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2008.
   
• Nelson performed Bob Dylan's "Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power)" at the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year gala in Dylan's honor. The annual gala raises funds for MusiCares, which provides services and resources that cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies for music people.

• Nelson teamed up with Neil Young and John Mellencamp to launch Farm Aid in 1985. The annual raises money for family farmers in the United States.