Skip to main content
Tags: bobbie nelson | willie nelson | dies

Bobbie Nelson, Sister of Country Music Legend Willie Nelson, Dies at 91

Bobbie Nelson, Sister of Country Music Legend Willie Nelson, Dies at 91

Bobbie Nelson performs at the Heartbreaker Banquet on Thursday, March 19, 2015, in Spicewood, Texas. (Rich Fury/Invision/AP)

By    |   Friday, 11 March 2022 12:14 PM EST

Willie Nelson's sister and bandmate, Bobbie Nelson, died Thursday at 91.

Although Bobbie and Willie shared a strong bond, she was known as much more than just being the country music legend's sister — she was also a talented pianist, singer, and member of the band Willie Nelson and Family.

Willie fondly boasted about it in 2007 during an interview with the Austin American-Statesman in 2007.

"There’s just no way to explain how lucky I am to have a good musician in the family," he said, according to Variety. "Whenever I’ve needed a piano player, I’ve had Sister Bobbie right there … Whenever our band plays, Sister Bobbie is the best musician on the stage.”

As teens, the siblings joined Bud Fletcher, who Bobbie went on to marry. However, Fletcher later died in a car accident, leaving Bobbie to raise three sons as a single mother. 

She gave up music and moved to Fort Worth to attend secretarial courses and eventually landed a job working for the Hammond Organ Company library, according to Fox News. Bobbie also performed around Austin and Nashville as a pianist but it was in the early '70s that she became fully immersed in music again — when Willie signed a record deal with Atlantic Records and invited her to join the band. 

The two performed alongside one another on stage as well as in the studio, playing professionally together for five years and teaming up at home for another eight. They played their last show on Oct. 9 at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, Texas, Variety reported.

"My little sister was always on the piano doing great music," Willie previously said of his sister, who was two years older, according to the outlet. "I would sit there on the piano stool beside her and try to figure out what the hell she was doing. … Sister Bobbie is 10 times a better musician than I am."

In a statement released Thursday, Bobbie's family noted that her "elegance, grace, beauty, and talent made this world a better place."

"She was the first member of Willie’s band, as his pianist and singer," the statement read. "Our hearts are broken, and she will be deeply missed. But we are so lucky to have had her in our lives. Please keep her family in your thoughts and give them the privacy they need at this time."

Zoe Papadakis

Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


TheWire
Willie Nelson's sister and bandmate, Bobbie Nelson, died Thursday at 91.
bobbie nelson, willie nelson, dies
397
2022-14-11
Friday, 11 March 2022 12:14 PM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 

Interest-Based Advertising | Do not sell or share my personal information

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Download the Newsmax App
NEWSMAX.COM
America's News Page
© 2025 Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved