In his new docuseries, “Willie Nelson & Family”, country music legend Willie Nelson reveals the highs and lows of his life, from his penchant for complicating relationships and how his marriages failed.
He also shares how he found his true love and partner in his fourth wife, Annie D’Angelo, with whom he raised their two sons, Lukas and Micah, who are also musicians.
Nelson, who turned 90 in April 2023, has overcome most of the challenges and tragedies he has faced, including the death of his son Billy in 1991.
Willie Nelson is one of the most influential and beloved figures in the history of country music. He has written and performed countless songs that have touched the hearts of millions of fans around the world. But his personal life has not always been as smooth as his melodies.
Nelson has faced many challenges, including the tragic death of his son William Hugh Nelson Jr., who was affectionately known as Billy, in 1991. Through it all, he has found solace and support in his fourth and last wife, Annie D’Angelo. D’Angelo has been more than just a spouse to Nelson; she has been his best friend, his confidante, and his co-parent to their two sons, Lukas and Micah.
Nelson, who celebrated his 90th birthday on April 29, 2023, has lived a life filled with personal and professional highs and lows. In his new docuseries “Willie Nelson & Family,” which is streaming now on Paramount+, Nelson opens up about his past, present, and future. He also shares how he met and fell in love with D’Angelo and how glad he is to have found her.
Nelson has been married four times and divorced three times. In his docuseries, he reveals how his second wife, Shirley Collie, found out that he was cheating on her when she received a hospital bill in the mail. The bill was for the delivery of a baby girl named Paula, who was born to Connie Nelson in Houston, Texas.
The baby’s mother was actually Connie Koepke, Nelson’s longtime mistress and future third wife. Nelson tried to play it off as a mistake, but Collie was not convinced. She confronted him and demanded an explanation. Nelson confessed that he had been having an affair with Koepke for several years and that Paula was his daughter. Collie was devastated and furious.
The pair separated two years after the birth of Paula, and They finalized their divorce in 1971. Nelson married Koepke later that year, but in the course of their marriage, Nelson started an affair with D’Angelo. Their marriage lasted until 1988. Nelson then married his fourth and current wife, D’Angelo, in 1991. Nelson has expressed regret for the pain he caused Collie and his other ex-wives.
He said, “I regret the pain I caused Connie, and Martha, and Shirley before her. I have no excuses.” But he wouldn’t change a thing in his past, Nelson confessed, as it would have consequences for his current situation. He admits that he used to make things difficult in his previous relationships, but marrying D’Angelo was simple.
He narrates, “Marrying Annie wasn’t complicated at all. It’s about the smartest thing I ever did.” Nelson and D’Angelo have been married for over three decades, and they are still going strong. They have faced many ups and downs together, such as the death of Nelson’s son.
Billy was the only son and the youngest child of Nelson and his first wife, Martha Matthews, whom he divorced in 1962. At the age of 33, Billy was discovered lifeless on Christmas day at his home in Davidson County, Tennessee. His death was ruled a suicide. Officials said he was legally drunk at the time of his death.
Billy’s death came as a shock to his family and friends, who said he seemed optimistic and hopeful in the days leading up to his suicide. Buddy Frank, a friend who had seen Billy just the day before, was taken aback by the news. He remembered Billy being cheerful, having gotten a haircut and new clothes. “We was kickin’ up like best friends do,” Frank recalled.
Billy had taken his own life after Frank left his home in the wee hours of Christmas Eve. Billy, who relied on his father for financial support, had been working on a gospel album. Billy had struggled with bouts of depression, and just two years earlier, his mother had passed away around Christmas in 1989.
Around the same time, Billy had separated from his wife, who had custody of their only daughter. Billy had a history of alcohol-related arrests and had sought treatment at a rehabilitation facility in 1990. Nelson later said that losing his son was the most devastating experience of his life.
He admitted in an interview that his work commitments often kept him away from his son during Billy’s formative years. “I was too busy trying to pay the rent,” he confessed. Three days after Christmas, Nelson performed his last act as a father, burying his son in the family plot.
Despite the hardships and heartbreaks he has endured, Nelson has never given up on his music or his love. He is grateful for his wife, D’Angelo, who has been by his side through thick and thin. He is also proud of his sons Lukas and Micah, who have followed in his footsteps and become successful musicians in their own right.
In recent times, Nelson, a well-known aficionado of cannabis, has given up both smoking and drinking. He believes this decision has added a few more days to his life. The signs of aging are evident — his hearing isn’t as sharp as it used to be, and his martial arts routines are now mostly mental exercises.
Even after stepping into his ninth decade, the thought of retirement is nowhere on his horizon. However, he acknowledges that he’s finally starting to slow down. Though there are many things he could pursue, he doesn’t want to overexert himself. He is fully aware that everything comes to an end eventually, but he’s in no hurry to hasten that process.