The story behind Willie Nelson’s celebrating his Birthday twice a Year
Fans have plenty of reasons to toast Willie Nelson on any given day, but there are only two days a year when he accepts birthday wishes!
The music legend, who was officially born on April 29, 1933, doesn’t limit himself to just one birthday a year. So fans who are excited to celebrate his 91st birthday this week and unsure on what day to do so can thank both time and the apparent inner workings of a county courthouse in 1933.
Why does Willie Nelson celebrate his birthday twice every year?
As Nelson explained on his SiriusXM radio show in 2018, he celebrates his birthday on both April 29 and April 30, thanks to how his birth was registered in 1933 in Abbott, Texas.
Nelson reported that although he was born before midnight on the 29th, his birth was not registered at the county courthouse until the next day, the 30th.
Nelson was celebrating his birthday on 29th April until he turned 18
According to Texas Monthly, which cited Willie Nelson’s daughter, Lana, the musician celebrated his birthday on April 29 until he joined the Air Force at age 18. At that time, he reportedly obtained a copy of his birth certificate and shifted the celebration to April 30.
The outlet says that, years later, Nelson’s cousin Mildred informed him that he was born on April 29 and that she was present for his birth (she was 13 at the time).
So while the first day is technically Nelson’s actual birthday, fans get an extra day to send their well wishes before it’s too late. Also read – Prince William may be jealous of Prince Harry’s independence and global influence.
As a result, his official date of birth was recorded as the 30th and he celebrates and enjoys both days.
While Nelson celebrates 91 years on Earth this week, last year’s 90th was one to remember.
More about Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson (born April 29, 1933, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) is an American songwriter and guitarist who was one of the most popular country music singers of the late 20th century.
Nelson learned to play guitar from his grandfather and was performing at local dances by the age of 10. He served in the US Air Force before becoming a disc jockey in Texas, Oregon and California during the 1950s.
Then he performed in public and also wrote songs. By 1961 he was living in Nashville, Tennessee and playing bass in Ray Price’s band. Price was the first of dozens of country, rhythm-and-blues and popular singers who scored hit records with Nelson’s 1960s tunes, including the standards “Hello Walls,” “Night Life,” and “Funny How Time Slips Away. In contrast, Nelson achieved only modest success as a singer in that decade.
Nelson moved back to Texas in the early 1970s and, along with Waylon Jennings, led the country music movement known as Outlaw Music. Beginning with the narrative album Red Headed Stranger (1975), which included the hit song “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”, he became one of the most popular artists in country music overall.
Nelson’s Top Song made it to Billboard Hot 100
1.Always on My Mind – #5
2.To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before – #5
3.On The Road Again – #20
4.Beer For My Horses – #22
5.Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain – #21
6.Let It Be Me – #40
7.Good Hearted Woman – #25
8.My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys – #44
9.Just To Satisfy You – #52
10.Remember Me – #67
11.Georgia On My Mind – #84
12.Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly – #52
13.Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up – #44
Willie Nelson has released the second single from his new studio album – “Made in Texas” – which will be released on April 26, 2024. The song was written by Shawn Camp and Monty Holmes after the release of the album’s first single ‘The Border’ which was released on March 14.