The children of country stars often go into the family business. However, Willie Nelson has a remarkable track record. Four of his eight kids have their own careers in music: Paula, 56, Amy, 52, Lukas, 36, and Micah, 35.
Videos by Wide Open Country
In a recent interview with GQ, Nelson reflected on the lessons he shared with his children about the music industry, and his words are pretty heartwarming.
Willie Nelson Never Discouraged His Kids From Going Into Music
Nelson probably knows better than anyone how people in the industry can take advantage of you or transform you into something you aren't.
For example, rather than following the traditional Nashville sound, Nelson integrated rock and folk influences into his music. He also once entrusted his finances to others, resulting in an IRS debt of $16.7 million in back taxes in the 1980s.
Despite all this, Nelson says he never discouraged his children from pursuing a career in music. He just helped them know what they were in for.
I encouraged them to be aware of [the pitfalls], and I had music instruments all over the house when they were growing up—a piano, guitar, drums, whatever," he shared. "They could play it if they wanted to or not. I gave them an opportunity to do what they wanted to do."
As Lukas' star continues to rise, you can see the joy Willie gets from seeing him perform. The duo delivered a moving performance of "Just Breathe" at the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid back in September. The original ballad appeared on Pearl Jam's 2009 album Backspacer.
Nelson Also Spoke About His Sister Bobbie
Nelson worked with his sister Bobbie on his album Workin' Man before her death in 2022. In the interview, he shared his first memory of playing with her.
"One of the first things I remember is sitting on the piano stool with her and listening to what she was playing, and I couldn't have been over four or five years old," he said. "She could play anything. She knew all the great gospel songs. She was amazing. She lived a life where she had a lot of heartaches and losses. A lot of people may not have made it through. She was tough, and she made it through until she was ninety-something. She worked hard."
