Willie Hugh Nelson (; born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album
Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of
Red Headed Stranger (1975) and
Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. He was one of the main figures of
outlaw country, a subgenre of country music that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the
Nashville sound. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of
biofuels and the
legalization of marijuana.