Bobby Nelson - a pianist, singer and sister of country music icon Willie Nelson - has died. She was 91 years old.
Nelson died Thursday morning "peacefully and surrounded by family," according to an obituary provided to USA Today. No cause of death was given.
According to a family statement shared on Willie's official Facebook account, "Her beauty, beauty, elegance and talent have made this world a better place."
"Our hearts are broken and she will be greatly missed," Nelson's family continued. "But we are so lucky to have her in our lives. Please keep her family in your thoughts and give them the privacy they need at this time."
Born on January 1, 1931, Nelson grew up with her brother Willie in the small town of Abbott, Texas, and her grandparents introduced her to music at an early age.
"My grandfather told me when I was learning to play the piano: 'You know, if you really work at it, you can make a living playing music one day,'" Bobby said. "And I never forgot it."
His grandfather was right, but it would take some time. As a teenager, Nelson played in a band with Willie, her father Ira Nelson, and husband Bud Fletcher, but dropped out of business school classes after her husband's death in a car accident, leaving their three young sons. For him she became a mother.
But Nelson kept up his musical skills, quitting his job performing business school organs at the Hammond Organ Company. She eventually worked as a pianist in restaurants, lounges and clubs.
"It was a great thing, because I was actually playing music again, not just performing and selling organs," she said. "I was so happy to be able to sit down and just play with my heart and soul."
In 1972, Willie invited Nelson to join his iconic family band, where she became a major fixture of their stage shows and albums.
"I was so happy to be playing music with Willie again," she said.
Most recently, Nelson played with his brother on the 2021 album "The Willie Nelson Family" and the siblings also collaborated on the memoir "Me and Sister Bobby: True Tales of the Family Band" published by Random House in September 2020. did.
In a joint interview with Nelson on "Today" at the time of the release of the memoir, Willie said, "My little sister was always doing good music on the piano." "I would sit next to her on the piano stool and try to figure out what she was doing."
In turn, Nelson claimed that "Willie has the most musical talent of the two of us; he was just born with it."
Willie took exception. "Sister Bobby is a 10 times better musician than me," he said. "I think I'm a little better con man," he said, laughing around and asking for Bobby's quick confirmation: "He's a great con man!"