Willie Nelson is not only one of country music’s most legendary performers, but also a devoted father of eight. Over the decades, the 92-year-old welcomed five daughters — Lana, Susie, Paula, Amy Lee, and Renee — and three sons — Billy, Lukas, and Micah — through three marriages, and in 2012, he discovered another daughter he hadn’t known about. Sadly, not all of Willie’s children are still living: his son Billy died in 1991, and his daughter Renee passed away in 2017.
Family has remained central to his life and music, with several of his kids performing alongside him, including on his 2021 album The Willie Nelson Family. Read on to learn more about Willie’s children, their mothers, and the remarkable lives they’ve led.
Find out more about the kids, their moms, and the interesting lives they lead below!
Lana Nelson is the firstborn child of Willie and his first wife Martha Matthews, to whom he was married from 1952 until 1962. Lana was born in 1953 and has stepped into the spotlight every once in a while. She appeared in Willie’s 1986 film Red Headed Stranger and also worked in the film’s costume department as a costume designer. She is also credited as a producer for the upcoming documentary Lovey: King of the Roadies, which is about one of the world’s first roadies, Benjamin Holladay Dorcy ll. She and her father also appear in it.
When she’s not working on projects with Willie, she’s helping promote his other projects. In the above photo, she can be seen smiling alongside some products from Willie’s marijuana line called Willie’s Reserve.
