Bobbie Nelson, the sister of country music legend Willie Nelson and pianist for his band for 50 more than 50 years, died peacefully on Thursday at her Austin home, according to multiple reports. She was 91.
“Her elegance, grace, beauty, and talent made this world a better place,” Bobbie Nelson’s publicist, Elaine Schock, said in a press release obtained by the Dallas Morning News. “She was the first member of Willie’s band, as his pianist and singer. Our hearts are broken, and she will be deeply missed. But we are so lucky to have had her in our lives.”
Born in Abbott, Texas, both Bobbie and Willie shared a passion for music from a young age, learning the chords for “The Great Speckled Bird” from their grandparents, according to an earlier tribute written by former Dallas Morning News journalist Michael Corcoran.
A naturally gifted pianist, Bobbie Nelson got her start as a professional musician playing at Fort Worth honky tonks. She stopped performing gigs after husband and band partner Bud Fletcher died in a tragic car accident, according to reports.
However, the skilled keyboardist couldn’t escape what she was born to do. After a brief musical hiatus, she was again bounding between Austin and Nashville, playing gigs at lounges and ice houses alike. She was signed by Atlantic Records, eventually becoming a founding member of the Willie Nelson and Family band.
Willie Nelson described his sister as his “closest friend for a whole lifetime” during a in 2010 People magazine interview, adding that he was “glad she’s getting some recognition for what she’s done with her life.”
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This article appears in Mar 9-22, 2022.