WILLIE NELSON | 1933

Another music icon on the list is Willie Nelson. The critical success of his 1973 album Shotgun Willie, coupled with another critical and commercial success of the 1975 album Red Headed Stranger and 1978’s Stardust, brought him to new heights. This series of successes instantly made him one of the most recognized artists in the US. He also became one of the most prominent figures in the outlaw country music genre.

Nelson is also an actor who has appeared in more than 30 movies, an author, and an activist. He has been fighting for the use of biofuel instead of the common gas. He owns the biodiesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, and his products are made of vegetable oil. He also has a seat in the music industry as the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project.