Bobbi Nelson: Out of her brother's shadow

In a world full of musicians who want to be famous and live the dream of a rock star, it’s rare to find one who keeps her sanity and class while inspiring generations of people. But Bobbi Nelson has managed to keep her music alive in past, present and future generations.

Nelson, who is 76 years young, released her first solo album in September 2007. With the help of her brother, music icon Willie Nelson, she was finally ready to step from behind Willie’s shadow and present her own music to the world. Brought up in true Southern fashion, with a thick Southern drawl and loaded with charm and grace, Nelson speaks about her passion of music, her brother, and how she got to this point in her life and career.

“I have been playing with Willie and traveling with the band since 1971,” she said. “I grew up playing with him; our first band was back in high school. I think I was 16, and Willie was 14.”

Nelson continues to perform with Willie Nelson and Family Band. They will be make a stop in San Luis Obispo at the Alex Madonna Expo Center located behind the Madonna Inn at 8 p.m. Friday.

Before going on the road with her brother, Nelson was a music teacher who played at other venues, such as churches and cocktail lounges, on the side. But then she received an offer from Willie that she couldn’t refuse.

“Willie was playing in Nashville, and we missed playing with each other,” Nelson said. “Those record people had their own musicians to fill the piano player, and when Willie signed with Atlantic for a gospel album, he wanted me to come help him. I was elated. I was so excited to do the record, which was ‘Troublemaker,’ and we also recorded ‘Shotgun Willie’ in the same session.”

Prior to making those albums, Nelson had never even been on an airplane. Born to a young mother and father who were married at 16 to stay together when Nelson’s paternal grandparents moved from Arkansas to Texas, she was born when her mother was just 17. Willie came along two and a half years later. Their grandparents had studied music and instilled the love for it in both of their grandchildren at a young age.

“Willie and I grew up listening and watching them every night,” Nelson said. “We studied with our grandparents, and they bought us mail-order music courses. My grandfather bought me my first piano when I was 5; he died a few years thereafter. My grandmother kept the music alive in us. I was so in love with the piano. This woman who played for our church started teaching me to read music. Willie started playing guitar with grandpa before he died, and we learned music even before we went to school.”

After decades of playing music, inspired by her brother and her son, Nelson wanted to leave an imprint of what music had gotten her started. During a session at their studio in Texas, Nelson was warming up on her piano before fellow Family band member Jody Payne arrived, and together they recorded a song. Willie listened to it and mentioned to her that she should do her own album.

“It was nice to play music that I love and haven’t played in a long time, and this is how I decided my legacy would be left to my son and granddaughter, and those who want to remember me,” Nelson said.

The album is rightfully titled “Audiobiography,” and carries influences from music that Nelson grew up listening to on the radio and tunes she played when she and Willie were in their first band.

“We lived in a little town, and I was one of the few who knew how to play the piano. I played everything from the boogie-woogie era,” Nelson said. “This album is a memory of my younger years and growing up. The soulful songs on this album, such as ‘Stardust’ and ‘Deep Purple,’ are songs I truly love. ‘Sabor a mi,’ (roughly translated it means, ‘Be true to me’) is a song on the album and is an old standard from Mexico that influenced me in Latin music.”

“‘Back to Earth’ is such an overwhelmingly beautiful song, and the way Willie sings it just catches my heart strings every time I hear it,” Nelson said.

Willie has been Nelson’s biggest fan and supports her completely with her debut album.

“It’s long overdue, and whenever our band plays, Sister Bobbie is the best musician on the stage,” Willie said in an interview on a recent television appearance with his sister.

Alexis Hiney, banquet and expo manager at the Madonna Inn, said, “We are very excited to be hosting Willie Nelson and Family Band, and look forward to hearing Bobbi’s songs. We expect a great turnout and an awesome event.”

Nelson enjoys performing,no matter what the venue or city is like. “We are so fortunate to have the nicest crowds at all the venues and everyone is so receptive. We have been doing this a long time and in this time of new artists, it’s nice to know we still hold our own,” Nelson said. “This is my contribution to the world, and anyone who wants to hear it has to know this is the real love of my life. I am blessed I am still able to perform and travel.”