Per a digital Christmas card, 89-year-old Willie Nelson and his wife, Annie D'Angelo, had a Willie nice Christmas surrounded by three dogs, two sons and a daughter-in-law.
An Instagram post by son Lukas Nelson shows not just him and his parents but also brother Micah Nelson and Micah's wife, who has lived a relatively private life since marrying into the Nelson clan in 2019. Lukas and Micah are Willie's two children with D'Angelo. The brothers are accomplished musicians in their own right —Lukas as the leader of Americana outfit Promise of the Real and Micah with rock-leaning project Particle Kid— and have recorded and toured with their famous father. In addition, Lukas rose to prominence through his on-screen and behind-the-scenes contributions to 2018's A Star is Born— co-writing seven of the film's songs and serving as Bradley Cooper's vocal coach.
Willie's love story with D'Angelo began on the set of the film Stagecoach, which co-starred fellow Highwaymen Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. She was a makeup artist for the 1986 movie. D'Angelo joined the family on Sept. 16, 1991.
"I now understand a lot more than I did," the country legend told Parade about his fourth marriage. "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."
In 2021, D'Angelo and country artist Margo Price became the first women added to the board of Farm Aid, an annual fundraiser concert co-founded in 1985 by Willie.
As for his happy New Year prospects, Willie will be up for four Grammy awards on Feb. 5: Best Country Solo Performance ("Live Forever"), Best Country Song ("I'll Love You Till The Day I Die"), Best Country Album (A Beautiful Time) and Best Roots Gospel Album (The Willie Nelson Family).
