Willie Nelson Kids: Introduction To The Country Legend's Eight Children

Jun 18, 2020

Most people have at least heard of Willie Nelson, but a large number of people don't know or realize he has eight children. They've all been involved in their own things and have created lives for themselves. Here are some interesting facts about the Nelson kids.

Lana is Willie's first child and her mother is his first wife, Martha Matthews. Most people have probably seen her across different social media accounts because Willie is always sharing awesome memories with her, such as the time she signed his cast, and when she was supporting his business. These photos really show how close they are and you can tell that he keeps their relationship close to him.

In 1986, Lana had a small part in Willie's film titled Red Headed Stranger. She was actually the reason that his nickname started and everyone started calling him Shotgun Willie, according to WillieNelson.com. The nickname stuck after Nelson threatened one of Lana's boyfriends who was abusing her.

William is the third child from Nelson's marriage to Matthews. Willie loved calling him Billy, and the name just stuck. Sadly, on Christmas Day in 1991, Billy took his own life and was found dead at home in Davidson County, Tennessee, according to APnews. Billy's passing came two years after his mother died.

Willie was in Abbot, Texas when he was notified of Billy's death, according to the Associated Press. It gave him many emotions, including shocked and absolutely devastated. It was so bad that some have said that it was the darkest time in his life. Billy was a very talented musician living right outside of Nashville who struggled quite a bit.

He was planning to release a gospel album that he made that includes the songs My Body’s Just a Suitcase for my Soul and I Can Live Forever. It also includes a duet that he worked on with his father. Nelson went ahead and released the album to cherish his son's memory in 1994 called Peace in the Valley.

Paula was born out of wedlock to Willie and Connie Koepke. This happened while he was married to another country singer named Shirley Collie Nelson. She divorced him once she found out about everything.

She was sent on tour with Willie when she was just a kid and actually sang a duet with him in 2013. They did a cover of the song Have You Ever Seen the Rain?, which is on his duet album that's called To All the Girls… For four years now, she was the DJ on KDRP-LP aka Sun Radio in Texas, according to The Mountain Jackpot News. She also used to host a show called The Paula Nelson Show that was on the Outlaw Country channel on Sirius XM.

Lukas is the first child from Willie's current marriage to Annie D’Angelo. Out of all the Nelson children, Lukas is probably the most famous because he's a member of the American country-rock band called Promise of the Real or POTR. He's been with this band in 2008 and has been touring with famous artist Neil Young.

He was also Bradley Cooper's inspiration for the movie A Star is Born. Cooper originally wanted to just base his character off of Lukas but they started spending more time together, and Lukas asked to write songs for the movie and actually make an appearance.

Willie didn't know about Renee until 2012. He has talked about having an old friend named Mary Haney who he had lost contact with, according to The Express. Once they reconnected, they started talking and figured out Renee was Willie's daughter. Renee has a daughter named Noelle and a granddaughter named Jordan. During his long career and three marriages, Willie Nelson has fathered many children. Some have followed in his footsteps and some have created their own legacy.

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