Crazy

Country's most affable outlaw, Willie Nelson first gained recognition in Nashville during the early 1960s as the writer of such evergreen songs as "Crazy," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "Hello Walls" and "Night Life." Yet his early attempts at a recording career yielded only ... moreminor hits, and the native Texan left the country music capitol to "retire" to Austin. There, an emerging counterculture and vibrant local music scene inspired him to resume performing, and the Music Row hopeful re-emerged in the '70s as a distinctive artist whose music encompassed rock, western swing, jazz and folk elements. A gifted guitarist and charismatic singer, Nelson helped define "outlaw country" through his critically acclaimed solo work and collaborations with Waylon Jennings, Tompall Glaser and the Highwaymen. A long-time activist, he is also a co-founder of Farm Aid and a "green" entrepreneur who's invested in biodiesel fuels.