The Truth About Willie Nelson's Four Marriages
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Willie Nelson is the 88-year-old country singer renowned for his hit songs like "Always On My Mind" and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before." He has acted in over 30 movies, penned several memoirs, and played country music tours throughout the U.S. for decades. But Nelson has also drawn attention for his numerous marriages filled with drama and scandal throughout his life.
Nelson's first marriage began in 1952. He and Martha Matthews married when she was 16 and he was 19 years old. They had three children together, Lana, Susie, and Billy (via Biography). However, the marriage was far from peaceful: Nelson and Matthews drank heavily and fought often, and they divorced in 1962 after a decade together.
In his next relationship, Nelson dated Shirley Collie, a singer/songwriter. They married in 1963, and the two musicians toured together. But the marriage was short-lived. Nelson cheated on Collie with Connie Koepke. When Koepke became pregnant with Nelson's child, Collie accidentally received the hospital bill for the birth. Collie was livid, and divorced Nelson soon afterward.
Marriages with 'friction'
By the time Willie Nelson married his third wife, Connie Koepke, he says he was "not noted for fidelity on my part," according to his memoir, "It's a Long Story." He and Koepke got married in 1963 after the birth of their daughter, Paula. They had a second child, Annie, and the couple stayed together for 16 years. Nelson has admitted that he still struggled to remain faithful, and was seeing women on the side while he was on tour. His third marriage ended in divorce in 1988.
By the time Nelson was ready for marriage for the fourth time, he had finally found a relationship with sticking power. He and makeup artist Annie D'Angelo met on the set of "Stagecoach" in 1986, and sparks flew immediately (via Hollywood Life). They got married in 1991. According to Parade, Nelson spilled the secret to his most successful marriage yet, saying, "There was friction with my other wives. But it seems like Annie and I did okay with each other. It takes a special person to live with me." After three decades of marriage, Nelson and D'Angelo currently live in Maui, Hawaii, with their two children, Lukas Autry and Jacob Micah.