Died On This Date (January 27, 2010) Shirley Collie Nelson / Country Singer; Former Wife of Willie Nelson
themusicsover Shirley Collie Nelson (Born Shirley Simpson)
March 16, 1931 – January 27, 2010
Shirley Collie Nelson was a country singer who, over the course of her career, released a handful of hit country singles. An ambitious kid, she left home at the age of 14 to start a career in radio. By the late ’50s, Collie Nelson was a regular on the popular television program, Ozark Jubilee. During the ’60s, Collie Nelson released three hit country singles, “Dime a Dozen,” “Why Baby Why” (with Warren Smith), and “Willingly” (with Willie Nelson). That duet was actually Nelson’s chart debut. The two got married in 1963 and divorced in 1971. Following their divorce, Collie Nelson retired from music. In 2009, she released her memoirs, Scrapbooks in My Mind: Featuring Shirley and Willie Nelson and Many Others. On January 27, 2010, Shirley Collie Nelson passed away at the age of 78.
Cliffie Stone was a country singer, musician and songwriter as well as a producer and A&R man for Capitol Records during the label’s early years. As a bassist, he played in big bands that became popular throughout Southern California thanks to appearances on local radio shows. In 1946, he was hired by Capitol where he signed 
Carl Smith was a country music singer who was so respected that he was nicknamed, “Mr. Country.” A musician since grade school, Smith formed his first band at 15, and by the time he returned home from a term in the Navy, he was well on his way to a storied music career. Smith made his mark on country music during the ’50s, when he began releasing hits like, “Hey Joe,” “Ten Thousand Drums,” and “Wicked Lies.” During that decade, he scored over 30 Top-10 hits, five of which went to #1. In 1951, he married 
Jimmy Wyble is best remembered as a guitarist who made significant contributions to worlds of jazz and Western swing. During the early days of his career, Wyble played country-western, most notably in 
