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Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Here are 10 lesser-known facts about Willie Nelson:

Nelson wrote his first song at the age of seven while taking music lessons from his grandmother. The song was about losing a gold star for good behavior.

1

Before becoming a full-time musician, Nelson worked as a cotton picker, disc jockey, and even a Bible salesman.

2

Nelson once ran into his burning house to save his stash of Colombian grass.

3

In 1972, Nelson paid $14,000 to buy out his contract so that he could retire to Austin, Texas. However, his withdrawal from the music business didn't last long, and he was back on the charts within a year.

4

Nelson has been playing the same guitar, which he named Trigger, since 1969.

5

In 1990, the IRS raided Nelson's house and seized his assets for non-payment of taxes. The $32 million bill, one of the largest in IRS history, was eventually negotiated down and settled in a creative way: Nelson would record a new album with the IRS receiving at least 15 cents of every dollar made.

6

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.

7

He is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Advisory Board.

8

Nelson has been married four times and has seven children.

9

He is a co-founder of Farm Aid, an annual benefit concert to raise funds for family farmers in the United States.

10

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