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Willie Nelsonhad atumultuous love lifeprior to meeting his wife Annie D’Angelo.
Nelson offered her more praise in a May 2023 interview with PEOPLE. “I call her my pet rattler,” he said. “She’smy lover, my wife, nurse, doctor, bodyguard.”
So, who is Willie Nelson’s wife? Keep reading to learn more about Annie D’Angelo.
She worked as a makeup artist
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In the 1980s, D’Angelo worked as a makeup artist behind the scenes of movies likeBachelor PartyandThe Rosary Murders, and her work would eventually lead her to her future husband.
She met Nelson on the set of a movie
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According to theNew York Times,Nelson and D’Angelo first bonded over his hair; she agreed that he shouldn’t have to cut his signature braids for the role. D’Angelo was 30 at the time, and Nelson was 53.
“My love for Annie was all-consuming, but winning her over wasn’t easy,” Nelson wrote in his memoirMe & Sister Bobbie.“She had to be sure my marriage was over and that I was truly free.” Nelson officially divorced his third wife Connie Koepke in 1988.
She’s a mom of two
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D’Angelo and Nelson share two sons: Lukas and Micah. Lukas Autry was born on Dec. 25, 1988, with Jacob Micah following on May 24, 1990. Like their father, both Lukas and Micah are musicians, and both have played with their father as well as pursued their own musical careers.
Nelsonspoke about his musical sonsduring an interview with PEOPLE in May 2023. “We’ve got a couple of great kids,” Nelson said. “I am proud of them and all they’re doing on their own. It’s great to have your kids with you at any time, but if they’re on the stage singing with you and they’re good, that makes it even better.”
In December 2023, Lukas and Micah performed alongside their father during the televised celebration of his 90th birthday which was filmed earlier that year.
D’Angelo is also a stepmother. Nelson hassix other childrenfrom previous marriages and relationships: Lana, Susie and Billy with first wife Martha Matthews; Paula and Amy with Koepke; and daughter Renee with Mary Haney.
She and Nelson married in 1991
After welcoming their sons, Nelson and D’Angelo made it official on Sept. 16, 1991, saying their vows among friends and family in Nashville.
Reflecting on his previous marriages and his life with D’Angelo, Nelson said in a 2010 interview withParade, “I’m not easy to live with. I’m pretty temperamental, you know. I’ve been used to doing things my own way for so long that I’m not interested in any suggestions … There was friction with my other wives. But it seems like Annie and I did okay with each other. It takes a special person to live with me.”
She has served as the inspiration for his music
Given that he’s been writing and making music since the ’50s, Nelson’s musical catalog is enormous, but nestled in his 1998 albumTeatrois an instrumental called “Annie,” which fans have deduced is an ode to his wife.
She splits her time between Texas and Hawaii
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She had her own line of edibles
D’Angelo launched her own line of high-quality, strictly dosed and clean edible chocolates in 2017 under theWillie’s Reservelabel, including flavors like Maui Espresso Bean and Roasted Cacao Nibs. “Partnering with the very best growers and retailers is a win-win,” she shared of her line at the time. “Our partners put the same love and care into their businesses as we put into our Infused Chocolates with healthy ingredients and the finest chocolate available.”
“The thing about edibles is you need to know what you’re getting into. Annie’s chocolates are clean, I trust the dosage and I happen to love them,” Nelson, who is well known for hislove of marijuana, said in a statement.
She played the role of chef and nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic
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D’Angelo kept the Nelson compound running during the earliest days of quarantine; she served as the grocery-getter, egg-collector and main chef, coming up with a weekly meal schedule for her family, and “turned the house into a hospital” when Nelson contracted COVID-19 in May 2022.
When Nelson got sick, D’Angelo sprang into action. “I had a nebulizer on the bus,” she told theNew York Times. “I started everything I could at that point, including Paxlovid. He had the monoclonal antibodies. He had steroids.” The couple then left the tour and went back to their Texas home.
“We turned the house into a hospital,” she shared. “There were a couple of times when I wasn’t sure he was going to make it.” Thankfully, the then-89-year-old icon recovered, but D’Angelo set up strict guidelines to keep her husband protected. “If I have to be the bad guy to keep him safe, I’ll be the bad guy,” she explained of testing and masking rules implemented after he fell ill. “A virus doesn’t care who you are, what you believe, how famous you are.”
source: people.com
