Bobbie Nelson
| Bobbie Nelson | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bobbie Lee Nelson |
| Born |
January 1, 1931 Abbott, Texas |
| Genres | country, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | pianist |
| Instruments | Piano Organ |
| Years active | 1953–present |
| Associated acts | Willie Nelson, The Family Bud Fletcher and The Texans |
Bobbie Lee Nelson (born January 1, 1931) is an American pianist and singer, sister of Willie Nelson and a member of his band, Willie Nelson and Family. Her grandmother taught her to play keyboards at age five with a pump organ, and after successful appearances at gospel conventions held in Hillsboro, Texas, her grandfather bought her a piano.
She started singing in school acts and in church with her brother. At age sixteen she married Bud Fletcher, who formed his own band, The Texans. She joined on the piano, while her brother joined on vocals and guitar. The band was disassembled in 1955 after she divorced Bud Fletcher. In 1961, after suffering a breakdown caused by the death of Bud Fletcher, and the custody of her children was given to Fletcher's parents, she moved to Fort Worth, Texas where she worked for the Hammond Organ Company. After recovering her children, she moved to Austin, Texas.
In 1965 she moved to Nashville, Tennessee after her third marriage failed. She played in restaurants and different venues until she was called by her brother from New York in 1973 for a session. She joined Willie Nelson on the piano during his sessions with Atlantic Records, that produced The Troublemaker, Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. The same year she joined The Family full-time and began touring with her brother.
Bobbie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas on January 1, 1931 to Ira Doyle Nelson and Myrle Marie (née Greenhaw). Her mother moved to Portland, Oregon soon after her brother Willie was born in 1933 (Willie later relocated their mother when he reached adulthood). Her father remarried and also moved away, leaving them to be raised by their paternal grandparents. The Nelsons, who taught singing back in Arkansas, started their grandchildren in music.
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