The Truth About Willie Nelson's Relationship With His Sister Bobbie

On March 10, country music icon Willie Nelson announced that his beloved sister, Bobbie Nelson, had died (via CNN). According to NBC News, she was 91-years-old and her cause of death was unspecified. Willie, however, stated that his sister had died in the presence of family and that she had gone peacefully. Heartbreakingly, he said that "Her elegance, grace, beauty and talent made this world a better place." Variety writes that Bobbie was a part of Willie's Family band for over five decades. Although her face was often obscured on stage, fans could recognize her by her signature long hair.

Per USA Today, Bobbie was born on January 1, 1931. She was older than Willie but that never stopped him from calling her his "little sister." The siblings were raised by their musical grandparents in Abbott, Texas. When she was 6 and Willie was 4, they were taught "The Great Speckled Bird." This song would mark the beginning of their musical bond. Texas Monthly reports that Bobbie was taught how to play the piano by her grandmother. She later recalled her grandfather saying that if she worked hard enough, she could eventually make it on stage. Both Bobbie and Willie did exactly that.

While Bobbie learned the piano, Texas Monthly writes that Willie would accompany her by singing and playing the guitar. The siblings used music as their escape from their harsh reality. Their parents abandoned them when they were infants and although they went to live with their grandparents, their grandfather died soon after. Per Variety, Bobbie said that when she received her piano, her first thought was, "I'll never be lonely again." Bobbie and Willie spent their childhood playing at their local church (seen above). As teens, they formed a band with their father, Ira Nelson, and Bud Fletcher, Bobbie's husband (via USA Today)

Bobbie and Fletcher married when she was only 16. The pair had three children together and they continued to tour as a band for five years. Rolling Stone reports that when Fletcher died in a car accident, Bobbie had no choice but to leave music behind to raise her children. She was subsequently hired as secretary for the Hammond Organ Company, where she would demonstrate their instruments. This brought her back to music and she began to work as a pianist at restaurants and clubs. Meanwhile, Willie had become a successful country songwriter but was disillusioned with the music scene in Nashville, Tennessee.

According to Texas Monthly, Willie left Nashville to be near Bobbie in Austin, Texas. This later became a turning point in both of their careers. NBC News writes that producer Jerry Wexler signed Willie for Atlantic Records. When he arrived in New York in 1973 to record, Wexler told Willie that he could hire anyone as a studio musician. All Music reports that he called his former bandmate and sister, Bobbie. The then 42-year-old got on her first flight and headed to New York. Together, they worked on the albums "Shotgun Willie" and "The Troublemaker."

Willie later said, "The Atlantic Records experience put me on a new course. Most important, it brought me back together with Bobbie." Per USA Today, he quickly asked Bobbie to join his band and she was more than happy to do so. Texas Monthly explains that she helped her brother get over a bad case of writer's block during their New York recording sessions and this was only the beginning of their prolific musical relationship. In 1975, they worked on "Red Headed Stranger." The album catapulted Willie into super stardom.

All Music writes that Bobbie and Willie began touring non-stop soon after the release of "Red Headed Stranger." Texas Monthly writes that the siblings spent hours on the tour bus strengthening their bond and discussing music. As Bobbie put it, "I was just so happy to be playing music with Willie again" (via USA Today). Although she worked with other musicians, including Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard, Bobbie spent most of her career with Willie. However, she did manage to release one solo album, "Audiobiography" in 2007. Rolling Stone reports that the album is primarily instrumental, but Willie did manage to make an appearance and sing two songs.

All told, Bobbie and Willie played together for more than 80 years. Other notable recordings the duo did include "Family Bible" and "How Great Thou Art" (per Variety). In addition, Willie has credited Bobbie for helping him conjure up the idea for what is believed to be his most successful album, "Stardust." Released in 1978, it sold over 5 million copies and came to be when Willie asked Bobbie what her favorite pop songs were. Most recently, Bobbie and Willie released "The Willie Nelson Family" in 2021.

Pitchfork writes that the siblings' talents go beyond music; they are also authors. In 2020 they penned the memoir "Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of The Family Band." In 2021, they released a children's book, "Sister, Brother, Family: An American Childhood in Music." Bobbie and Willie promoted their memoir on "Today," where they gushed about each other's musical abilities (via USA Today). Per the memoir's summary at Google Books, "Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of The Family Band," discusses their fraught childhood in Texas and delves into their professional and personal relationship throughout the years.

Per Texas Monthly, Bobbie and Willie had their fair share of tragedies. This includes both siblings losing children and Willie's public battle with the IRS. According to People, their book openly discusses these events at length. Both Bobbie and Willie admitted that this was something that was extremely difficult to do.

As Bobbie explained, she never had plans to publicly discuss her grief, but stated, "and now that it's happened, there's not anything for me to say except tell someone that you can survive." Bobbie's son Michael died from AIDS in 1986. Shortly after, her son Randy died in an accident. A year later, Willie's son Billy also died. Ultimately, they said that their losses brought them even closer together.

Before her death, Bobbie and Willie performed together one last time at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas, in October 2021 (via Variety). Rolling Stone writes that Willie has attributed his success to his sister. He has gone on to say, "If I was the sky, Sister Bobbie was the earth. She grounded me." To say their bond was unshakable is perhaps an understatement. People reports that Willie often referred to her as his best friend. Texas Monthly reiterates this and explains that Bobbie was crucial to Willie's career; she allowed him to experiment with his sound and supported any direction he took.

In one of the last shows that Bobbie and Willie played together, his daughter Paula noted that despite being in her 90s, her aunt was still sharp as a tack and could still perform like no other. When the Nelson family announced her death in March 2022, they stated, "Our hearts are broken and she will be deeply missed. But we are so lucky to have had her in our lives" (per NME).