Inside Willie Nelson's 3 Tumultuous Divorces (And His Happy Marriage Today)

(*3*)

Willie Nelson has crammed a lot into his 88 years. The outlaw nation track celebrity started making song within the 1950s and has made 95 studio albums, he is been arrested too repeatedly to count (most commonly for marijuana possession, as you most likely already guessed), and he's toured the arena decade after decade with out a signal of preventing any time quickly. He's additionally been married four occasions and is the daddy of 7 children. How else would the octagenerian get his rugged, world-weary persona if he hadn't experienced fairly a lot of lifestyles?

Related: Willie Nelson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, And 8 Other Celebs Who Are Black Belts In Martial Arts

His lyrics range from romantic to despair, and he sings them in such earnest, it is simple to imagine he's really skilled the depths of all of those feelings. We must think the 4 main romances in his lifestyles have something to do with that. Unfortunately, a few of his relationships were reasonably tumultuous and even long gone into the territory of downright toxic. Despite it all, he turns out to have landed on the right one, having been fortunately married to his fourth spouse since 1991. Here's a historical past of the three toxic marriages that led as much as that, and the place he and his spouse are these days.

8 He First Got Married In 1952

Willie Nelson first tied the knot in 1952 with Martha Matthews, whom he met at a drive-in burger restaurant when he used to be 18 years previous and he or she 16. They married soon after. Willie Nelson has described it as his past love: "My first full blast of love, the kind of love where you lose your mind and let your heart lead the way." The marriage was abusive; Martha Matthews assaulted Willie Nelson and suspected him of cheating on her. They had 3 children in combination and divorced in 1962. She died in 1989.

7 He Lost His Son From His First Marriage

Willie Nelson and Martha Matthews had two daughters, Lana and Susie, earlier than Martha gave birth to his son Willie "Billy" Hugh Jr. Two years after his mother died, Billy tragically passed away on Christmas Day of 1991. His suicide changed Willie Nelson without end. They had been working on album with duets in combination, which Willie later launched as a way to in finding catharsis in the lack of his son.

Related: Who Is Willie Nelson's Son, Lukas Nelson?

6 His Second Wife Was A Country Singer Too

Willie Nelson married his second wife Shirley Collie just a year after his divorce from Martha Matthews was finalized. The marriage used to be happy for eight years, all the way through which era they'd no children but had a thriving courting with one another. They had previously collabored on a duet, "Willingly".

Related: Willie Nelson Rescued 70 Horses From A Slaughterhouse And Gave Them A New Home On His Ranch

5 He Was Caught Cheating When His Mistress Had A Baby

Though all had apparently been positive in his 2d marriage, Willie Nelson was caught cheating on Shirley Collie. She found a medical institution invoice from the maternity ward of a sanatorium in Houston that indicated his mistress Connie Koepke had given beginning to his daughter Paula. Shirley Collie filed for separation in 1971 and they were divorced quickly in a while.

4 His Mistress Became His Third Wife

After his divorce from Shirley Collie, Willie Nelson married his mistress Connie Koepke, a Los Angeles movie producer, and the couple had any other daughter Amy. But this marriage soon came to an end too, catalyzed through his meeting Annie D'Angelo in 1986 at the set of Stagecoach, a movie he starred in with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. He used to be unfaithful to Connie with Annie. "I messed up another marriage," he said. "My wandering ways were too much for any woman to put up with. I'll always love Connie. I'll always love all my wives." He and Connie divorced in 1988.

3 He Married Annie D'Angelo In 1991

Willie Nelson married his now-wife Annie D'Angelo in 1991. They had two sons Lukas and Jacob and are still luckily married lately. Willie Nelson writes in his book, Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band, a joint memoir which he co-wrote with his sister Bobbie: "My love for Annie was all-consuming, but winning her over wasn't easy. She had to be sure my marriage was over and that I was truly free. She didn't care about me being a celebrity. She was whip-smart, with a keen appreciation for all forms of art. It didn't hurt that she was pretty and radiated enough energy to light up any room she entered. She also had a sharp political sense."

2 ...But Paternity Surprises Weren't Over For Him

Despite having been happily married, Willie Nelson was 20 years into his marriage with Annie D'Angelo when he found out about another daughter he had with some other girl. That lady was his friend Mary Haney, and they had misplaced contact for many years. Fortunately, Willie Nelson and his exes and childrens are all at peace with one some other and remain close as a circle of relatives.

1 He Still Considers His Ex-Wives Part Of His Family

Willie Nelson defined that he nonetheless cares for his exes as a part of his family. "You don’t have to be selfish because your ambition and drive is for your family members as much as for yourself. Along the way you pick up wives and kids and you are responsible for them. You don’t discard them. There is no such thing as ex-wives, only additional wives."

Next: Ed Sheeran Did Shots Out Of Johnny Cash's Grammy With Russell Crowe

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoqScnrJuusSlqqimo2KxqsLOq5qeq12ptbOxxGafmqigrnqurdGroJqflWLBsLDAsmY%3D