Annie D’Angelo is a makeup artist who has been married to famed country musician Willie Nelson since 1991. Before meeting Nelson, D’Angelo had established herself as a celebrity makeup artist. Through this, she worked behind the scenes in the production of works like Bachelor Party(1984). Together with the singer, they are the parents of two children Autry Nelson and Jacob Micah Nelson.
Her husband is notable for a career that spans more than 6 decades during which he sold more than 40 million albums.
Annie may not be as famous as her long-time husband, yet, he has described their union as ‘the smartest thing I ever did’. As it is, it is Nelson’s longest marriage after three failed marriages and that is what adds to the fascination about the woman who stole the legendary singer-songwriter’s heart.
Annie D’Angelo is 23 Years Younger Than Her Husband
Born on August 27, 1956, to parents whose identity is not revealed, Annie D’Angelo came to the limelight through her relationship with Willie Nelson. As such most of what we gathered about her is closely linked to his life. Starting from her age, she is 23 years younger than the Abbott, Texas-born country singer who was born on April 29, 1933.
Regardless of this wide age difference, the pair have continued to dazzle many with their relationship.
She was a Makeup Artist Before She Met Willie Nelson
These days, all that is known about Annie is that she is Nelson’s wife. However, she had a life and a career of her own before she met him. You heard that right, she was a makeup artist and if we are not wrong to assume, she was doing quite well.
Knowing how Hollywood works, one has to be good to beat the competition. She has credits for working behind the cameras on Bachelor Party(1984), The Rosary Murders(1987), and Gleaming the Cube(1989).
Eventually, her path would cross with Willie in 1986 during the production of the Western drama, Stagecoach. They found a common interest when they started discussing Willie’s hair which she suggested did not need to be cut short for him to play the role of Doc Holliday.
Considering that he was married to his third wife Connie Koepke at the time, a relationship between them seemed unlikely. Moreso, Annie had also vowed not to date celebrities with messy marital backgrounds.
As Willie later revealed, he loved Annie but convincing her was not easy. She had to be sure that his marriage was over. In 1988, he finalized his divorce from Koepke.
D’Angelo Has Been Married to Willie Since 1991
Annie walked down the aisle with Willie Nelson on September 16, 1991, in Nashville. This makes it his fourth marriage. However, this is not the same for Annie as there are no public records of her having been married before.
More on her husband’s previous marriages, Nelson was married to Martha Matthews from 1952 to 1962. This was followed by his marriage to Shirley Colley between 1963 to 1971. After it ended, he tied the knot for the third time with Connie Koepke.
Moving on, Annie and Willie have overcome so many challenges including the loss of his assets to the IRS in 1990 and several arrests over marijuana possession over the years.
Yet, they have remained loyal to each other and unlike his previous marriages, this one is the longest. No wonder the music legend described her as the love of his life.
She Gave Birth to Two Out of Willie’s Eight Children
The makeup artist is a proud mother of two children who are both adults now. She gave birth to her oldest son Lukas Autry on Christmas day in 1988. This was shortly before she tied the knot with the No Place for Me crooner. Also, Lukas was born the same year that his father divorced his third wife, Connie Koepke.
She gave birth a second time to Jacob Micah on May 24, 1990.
Notably, Annie’s two sons make up Nelson’s eight children and they have an interesting career taste. They took after their father and are now musicians in their own right. Though Annie likes to live quietly, her husband has made it clear that he is proud of their son’s career choice. According to Nelson, having his kids around is great but sharing the stage is even better. By this, it is safe to assume that Annie shares the same pride.
Aside from collaborating with their famed father, Lukas and Jacob have made quite a mark on their own.
Lukas is the lead singer of the California-based country rock band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. He won a Grammy for his work on A Star is Born in 2020. He has worked with several celebrities including Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Micah is also a musician like many members of the Nelson family. He sometimes joins his brother’s band when they sing with Neil Young. Under the stage name Particle Kid, he launched a solo career in 2012 and has since released materials including the 2022 track Die When I’m High(Halfway to Heaven) which he penned for his father, and more than five albums.
See Also: Jack Gilardi: Who Is He And Why Did His Marriage To Annette Funicello Fail?
Annie is the Step Mother to Nelson’s Other Children
Aside from the two children she shares with Nelson, Annie is also the stepmother of her husband’s other children from a previous relationship. So who are they?
Renee Butts is her oldest stepchild, she was born on January 22, 1953, to Nelson and his friend Mary Haney. Like Nelson, Annie also found out about Renee Butts in 2012 as Nelson did not know that he had fathered her. Through Renee, Annie is also the step-grandmother to Renee’s daughter Noelle and step-great-grandmother to Noelle’s daughter Jordyn. Well, enough with the long family tree and all the grants.
Annie’s other stepchildren are Lana, Susie, and Willie Billy Hugh Jr. who her husband had with his first wife, Martha Mathews. Unlike Renee’s story which ended up with the family size expanding, she lost her stepson Willie Jr. on Christmas day 1991 due to suicide.
Her other stepchildren are Paula Carlene Nelson and Amy Lee Nelson whom he had with his third wife, Koepke. Paula was born while Nelson was still married to Shirley Collie. Collie discovered that Nelson had fathered a child when she came across a bill from the maternity ward.
When she confronted The Storm Has Just Begun crooner, he revealed that Paula was his daughter and her mother his girlfriend. Like his 1955 track title about a storm, the marriage ended and he married Paula’s mom. They welcomed Paula’s younger sister the same year shortly after.
What is Annie D’Angelo Up To These Days?
Since she got married to Nelson, not much has been heard about her career. Some years back it was made known that she managed the Montessori school where Lukas attended.
She also shares a common interest with her husband when it comes to activism. Nelson is known for rescuing horses as well as fighting for the legalization of cannabis.
On her own, Annie keeps a low profile when it comes to the courses she fights for till a 2018 Maui News report updated her activities. Per the report, she joined marchers to protest several issues including the disapproval of abortion, feminism, liberalism, and homosexuality.
Taking to his Instagram, her son Micah expressed pride in his mother and also stated that nobody should f**k with her.