At the age of 90, legendary singer Willie Nelson recalled his life in the spotlight in the new Paramount+ documentary series Willie Nelson & Family. Although the icon spent the majority of his adult life in the spotlight, the four-episode series takes a plunge into the turbulent lifestyle that seemed to follow the singer. Unfiltered, the series accompanied Nelson on a trip through the past as he recounted his love for women, alcohol, and music. While a must-watch, below are just some of the most shocking moments shared by the timeless musician.
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[Watch the Willie Nelson & Family Docuseries Now on Paramount Plus]
Loving The Ladies
It is not breaking news that Nelson enjoyed the company of females. During his life, he divorced three women and had countless relationships with others. While not shocking, the trouble his love often brought him is. Married to his first wife, Martha Matthews, the singer recalled how they got married early, without her parents knowing, and enjoyed a time of love until she stabbed him with a fork. He explained, “We had a lot of fun together but we fought, and we both were drinking a lot in those days. One morning we got in this argument, and she picked up this fork and threw it across the table and it stuck in my side. It sounded like a tuning fork.”
Willie Nelson Saved His Daughter And Some “Good Pot”
Eventually marrying his second wife, Shirley Collie, after they found a liking for each other while recording the 1962 hit “Willingly,” Nelson welcomed a daughter, Paula Carlene. The only problem—it wasn’t Shirley’s. Still a part of the singer’s life, in 1970 a housefire ripped through Nelson’s house in Ridgetop, Tennessee. Smelling fire, he ran into Paul’s room and saved her. He was sure to also save his favorite guitar, named Trigger, and what he called “a bag of primo Colombian pot.” He insisted, “I wasn’t about to lose a couple of pounds of good pot.”
Drinking And Suicide
Trying to find his footing in Nashville while supporting a family, Nelson struggled when it came to alcohol. Mixing drinking and a tense marriage with Matthews, the singer said, “She and I were fighting worse than ever, and I started drinking more than ever. I would get drunk every night and go home with someone different every night. [I was] slowly self-destructing. I really didn’t care.” He added, “I tried to commit suicide a couple of times. One time in the dead of winter I was so down on myself I laid down in the middle of the street hoping a car would run over me. No such luck. I had to get up off my ass and kept on trying to figure out how to make a living.”
[RELATED: Why Does Willie Nelson Celebrate Two Birthdays A Year?]
Breathing Life Back Into Willie Nelson
In 1981, Nelson enjoyed some time in Hawaii when he decided to take a run. After his exercise, the singer cooled off in the ocean, but due to the drastic temperature shift and the pounding of the waves—one of his lungs collapsed. Struggling to get back to his hotel room to call for help, the paramedics needed to stick a tube through his back and rib cage to inflate his lung. While successful, they had to return twice to perform the same procedure.
Not always beautiful, Willie Nelson & Family features more than revelations but a display of resilience that has withstood time. Be sure to check out the docuseries on Paramount+
(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/WireImage)
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