Object Details
- associated person
- Nelson, Willie
- Description (Brief)
Born in Abbott, Texas in 1933, Nelson began writing songs at early age and soon started playing local dancehalls. After moving to Nashville in 1960, his singing career languished while his songwriting skills gained immediate notoriety: songs such as his bluesy ode to bright lights and barstools, “Nightlife”, and his brokenhearted lament, “Crazy,” became immediate timeless standards. By the early 1970s he bristled at the conformity required to succeed in Nashville and relocated near Austin, Texas. Growing out his hair and famously celebrating cannabis, Nelson and his band developed a following that included hippies, honky tonk two-steppers, bikers, and college students. After becoming the face of the “outlaw” country scene, Nelson soon gained global success through chart-topping albums that ranged from the sparse Western concept album, Red Headed Stranger, to the Booker T-produced tribute to the classic American songbook, Stardust. In 1985 he organized support for family farmers who were tragically suffering from dire economic conditions by playing the first of his since annual benefit concerts, Farm Aid.
This bandana was donated by Willie Nelson in 1983. First brandishing bandanas on stage in the early 1970s to shield his brow from sweat, they quickly became as associated with Nelson’s iconic look as his pigtails and legendary guitar, Trigger.
Red bandana worn by Willie Nelson. Black and white print. Decorated with picture of WIllie Nelson, some of his song titles, the state of Texas, etc.
Inspired by Live Aid, the international benefit concert for Ethiopian famine victims, Willie Nelson and other singers established Farm Aid in 1985 to support family farmers in the United States.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Willie Nelson
- ca 1980s
- ID Number
- 1983.0551.02
- accession number
- 1983.0551
- catalog number
- 1983.0551.02
- Object Name
- bandana
- Physical Description
- cotton (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 11 1/2 in x 12 in x 3/4 in; 29.21 cm x 30.48 cm x 1.905 cm
- See more items in
- Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
- Music & Musical Instruments
- Popular Entertainment
- Exhibition
- Entertainment Nation
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of American History
- Record ID
- nmah_679316
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-f98f-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
