Willie Nelson has welcomed four daughters and three sons over the course of three relationships and learned about a fifth daughter in 2012. Find out more about them here.
Willie Nelson, 88, may be known as one of the most talented country singers in the music industry but he’s also the proud dad of eight children! The talented star has five daughters, including Lana, Susie, Paula, Amy Lee, and Renee, and three sons, including Billy, Lukas, and Micah. He welcomed the brood throughout three marriages over the years and found out about one years later in 2012. His new album release, The Willie Nelson Family, which came out Nov. 19, features songs with some of his children.
Find out more about the kids, their moms, and the interesting lives they lead below!
Lana Nelson
Lana Nelson is the first born child of Willie and his first wife Martha Matthews, whom he was married to from 1952 until 1962. She was born in 1953 and has stepped into the spotlight once in a while. She appeared in Willie’s 1986 film Red Headed Stranger and also worked in the flick’s costume department as a costume designer. She is also credited as a producer for the upcoming documentary Lovey: King of the Roadies, which she and her dad appear in.
When she’s not working on projects with Willie, she’s appearing in his pics on social media. She can be seen smiling while promoting one of her dad’s products in the pic above.
Susie Nelson
Susie Nelson is the second daughter of Willie and Martha. She was born in 1956 and made headlines when she wrote a book based on her life as one of the most popular singers in history’s daughter. Heart Worn Memories: A Daughter’s Personal Biography of Willie Nelson was published in 1987.
Susie also worked with Willie when she was the co-host of Susie’s Gospel Hour on his Sirius XM channel Willie’s Roadhouse in 2012 and she likes to sing.
Billy Nelson
Willie “Billy” Nelson Jr. was the third child of Willie and Martha. He was born in 1958 but sadly passed away in 1991. Although a coroner ruled the death a suicide, the cause was later questioned and it was noted that he had reportedly undergone treatment for alcohol abuse a month before his passing.
Billy recorded a gospel song with Willie called “My Body’s Just a Suitcase for My Soul,” which can be heard in the video above, before his death and Willie released it in on a gospel album called Peace in the Valley in 1994. “I’ve never experienced anything so devastating in my life,” Willie told PEOPLE about his son’s death.
Paula Nelson
Paula Nelson is Willie’s first child with his third wife Connie Koepke, whom he was married to from 1971 until 1988. She was born in 1969 when Willie was still married to his second wife Shirley Collie Nelson, whom he divorced in 1971, and has followed in her dad’s footsteps as singer. As of 2021, she’s released five albums with the Paula Nelson Band and has worked as the host of her own Sirius XM show on the Outlaw Country channel.
Like Billy, she also recorded a duet with her father. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” appeared on his 2013 album, To All the Girls…, and on the soundtrack to the HBO show Big Little Lies.
Amy Lee Nelson
Amy Lee Nelson is the second child of Willie and Connie. She was born in 1973 and has also become a singer. She’s part of the group Folk Uke with Cathy Guthrie, the daughter of singer Arlo Guthrie, and as of 2021, they’ve released at least three albums and appeared on others. Amy and Cathy’s famous dads have made guest appearances on their records and continue to be an inspiration in their lives.
Lukas Nelson
Lukas Nelson is the first child of Willie and his current wife Annie D’Angelo, whom he married in 1991. He was born in 1988 and like his dad and some of his older siblings, he’s chosen a career in music. His band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, has released seven albums as of 2021, and also released an EP and collaborated with other musicians over the years. The band was also the backing band for Bradley Cooper in the 2018 film A Star Is Born and Lukas even served as the actor’s vocal coach and co-wrote several songs for the soundtrack.
Lukas is very active on social media and often shares videos of himself playing music acoustically, like the one above.
Micah Nelson
Micah is Willie and Annie’s youngest son. He was born in 1990 and is also a musician. His rock band, Particle Kid, has gained popularity over the years and they’ve toured with his dad and brother as well as other popular musicians like Flaming Lips, so they’re definitely making a mark in the music industry.
Renee Nelson
Renee is a daughter Willie found out about in 2012 but her age has never been publicly revealed. Her mother is reportedly his friend Mary Haney. “I have an old, dear friend, Mary Haney, who I’d lost touch with but recently met again after decades. Turns out Mary and I had a child together called Renee,” Willie said in an Express article while also apparently confessing the big news in his 2013 book Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die: Musings From the Road.
“It also turns out Renee has a daughter, Noelle, who has a daughter, Jordan, who I am happy to now call my great-granddaughter,” he added. “My newly discovered family sure took some time to surface.”