Remembering Rockabilly Singer and Willie Nelson's Ex-Wife Shirley Collie Nelson

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Shirley Collie Nelson, a country-rockabilly performer and Willie Nelson's ex-wife, was born on March 16, 1931, in Chillicothe, Missouri. She had a successful music career in her own right, charting multiple songs both with and without Willie Nelson. The couple married in 1963 but divorced in 1971 after Shirley learned her husband had fathered a child with another woman. Shirley continued performing and working in Missouri until her death in 2010 at the age of 78.

Why it matters

Shirley Collie Nelson's life and career highlight the often overlooked contributions of female country and rockabilly artists, especially those who were overshadowed by their more famous husbands. Her story also provides insight into the personal lives of country music's pioneering couples during a time of changing social norms.

The details

Shirley Collie Nelson, born Shirley Angelina Simpson, grew up singing at local World War II bond rallies. She got her start in the music industry at age 14, replacing 'Sue' on the weekday morning Millie and Sue show at Kansas City radio station KMBC. In 1950, she moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, performing with big-name country artists like Bob Wills and Johnnie Lee Willis. She joined the popular Ozark Jubilee program hosted by Red Foley in 1955 and released her first singles the following year under her Jubilee stage name, Shirley Caddell. After recording with Lefty Frizzell and others, she married her first husband, Hall of Fame DJ Hiram 'Biff' Collie, and moved to California. There, she landed roles on the radio programs Country America and Town Hall Party, recording with Floyd Tillman, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, and Clyde Beavers. In 1961, Nelson made her chart debut with a cover of 'Dime a Dozen' and another song with the Warren Smith duet 'Why Baby Why.' That same year, she met Willie Nelson and the two collaborated on the 1962 hit 'Willingly.' They married in 1963 but divorced in 1971 after Shirley learned of Willie's infidelity.

• Shirley Collie Nelson was born on March 16, 1931 in Chillicothe, Missouri.
• In 1950, Nelson moved to Corpus Christi, Texas to perform with country artists.
• Nelson joined the Ozark Jubilee program in 1955 and released her first singles in 1956.
• Nelson charted her first songs in 1961 with 'Dime a Dozen' and 'Why Baby Why'.
• Nelson and Willie Nelson married in 1963 and divorced in 1971.