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Willie Nelson
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Miami Vice Character
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Texas Ranger Jake Pierson ("El Viejo")
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Born
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April 30, 1933, Abbott, Texas
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Active
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1956-present
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Spouse(s)/Children
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Martha Matthews (1952–1962, divorced, three children)
Shirley Collie (1963–1971, divorced) Connie Koepke (1971-88, divorced, two children) Annie D'Angelo (1991–present, two children) |
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933, Abbott, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter and actor who appeared as retired Texas Ranger Jake Pierson in the episode "El Viejo" of the series Miami Vice.
Career[]
Nelson began his career writing songs covered by other artists, including "Night Life" (sung by Ray Price), "Crazy" (sung by Patsy Cline), "Pretty Paper" (sung by Roy Orbison), and "Hello Walls" (sung by Faron Young). In 1965 he joined the Grand Ole Opry, and recorded several albums, produced by Chet Atkins, but did little better than mid-chart before retiring and moving to Austin, Texas, in the 1970s, but returned to music due to Austin's burgeoning "outlaw country" scene, later recording his album, Red Headed Stranger, featuring his first #1 single, "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain", later teaming up with fellow "outlaw country" singer Waylon Jennings for a partnership that lasted for years, which resulted in the album Waylon and Willie and their hit singles "Good Hearted Woman" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys". His 1980 album Stardust became one of his biggest sellers. He then began acting, appearing in the movies The Electric Horseman, Honeysuckle Rose (with Pepe Serna), Thief (directed by Michael Mann and including Chuck Adamson, Dennis Farina, John Santucci and Tom Signorelli), Where The Hell's That Gold!? (with Gregory Sierra and Annabelle Gurwitch), Gone Fishin' (with Lynn Whitfield), The Dukes of Hazzard, and Beer For My Horses (with Ted Nugent, and the TV shows Nash Bridges (with Don Johnson) and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. In the 1980s he recorded the singles Midnight Rider, On The Road Again, Always On My Mind, To All The Girls I've Loved Before (with Julio Iglesias), formed The Highwaymen with fellow country artists Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and Jennings, performed on the We Are The World single, and was one of the founders of the Farm Aid concert series. His assets were seized by the IRS in 1990 due to his failure to pay taxes (later determined that his accountants failed to pay for him). Nelson still occasionally makes cameos on TV shows and movies and continues to perform in concert, and his last three albums reached the country top 10: To All The Girls... (duets with female country singers including Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Loretta Lynn), Band of Brothers, and God's Problem Child. In 2023 Nelson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Personal life[]
Nelson has been married four times, first to Martha Matthews from 1952 until their divorce in 1962, they have three children; Lana (born 1953), Susie (born 1956), and Billy (1958-1991, suicide), then married Shirley Collie from 1963 until their 1971 divorce, he next married Connie Koepke in 1971 until their 1988 divorce, they had two children; Carlene (born 1959) and Amy Lee (born 1973), Nelson is currently married to Annie D'Angelo since 1991, they have two children; Lukas Autry (born 1988) and Jacob Micah (born 1990).