{"id":1309605,"date":"2019-04-29T04:00:19","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T10:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1793975"},"modified":"2019-04-29T04:00:19","modified_gmt":"2019-04-29T10:00:19","slug":"photos-willie-nelson-through-the-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/music-news\/photos-willie-nelson-through-the-years\/","title":{"rendered":"PHOTOS: Willie Nelson Through the Years"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lauren Tingle<\/a><\/span> 23m ago<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n

Grammy winner Buddy Cannon is Willie Nelson<\/a>\u2019s longtime collaborator and producer. And when Nelson fans listen to his latest album, Last Man Standing<\/em>, it\u2019s Nelson text messages they\u2019re hearing.<\/p>\n

Texting song lyrics to one another is a practice they\u2019ve had since Nelson, 85, texted Cannon the idea for their 2012 hit, \u201cRoll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think Willie has ever considered how he writes. He just writes,\u201d Cannon tells CMT.com. \u201cWhen we\u2019re doing this stuff, it\u2019s without a plan, and sometimes Willie gets fired up to write and starts sending me stuff when he\u2019s been in Maui for about seven or eight days in a two-week stay over there. I guess he starts getting rested up, and his mind starts churning, and he just starts sending me stuff like he\u2019ll send me three or four lines. Sometimes he\u2019ll send me what is pretty much a complete song.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for as long as they\u2019ve known one another, Cannon isn\u2019t quite sure when to send Nelson a birthday card.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s either April 29 or 30,\u201d Cannon guesses. \u201cI think officially it\u2019s April 30. But there\u2019s some question. I think he said that his birth certificate says that it was something like 12:15 a.m. on April 30. But I believe he said it was one of his aunts who said he was born just before midnight. He doesn\u2019t know for sure. He just celebrates two days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Enjoy a series of photos of Nelson through the years:<\/p>\n

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    Willie Nelson signs with RCA Records in 1964<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson at Hotel Taft in 1967<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson live at Los Angeles\u2019 Palomino Club in 1970<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris and Joan Baez in 1974<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson And Waylon Jennings in 1978<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson live in Chicago in 1978<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson in 1984<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson in 1986<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson in 1988<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Jesse Jackson<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Kris Kristofferson<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Neil Young and Willie Nelson in 2003<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow rehearse for the Johnny Cash Memorial Tribute: A Celebration Of Friends and Family<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Willie Nelson at VH1\u2019s Willie Nelson and Friends<\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n
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