Willie Nelson statue | |
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Artist | Clete Shields |
Year | 2012 |
Type | Sculpture |
Medium | Bronze |
Subject | Willie Nelson |
Dimensions | 240 cm (8 ft) |
Location | Austin, Texas, United States |
30°15′54.6″N 97°44′48.3″W / 30.265167°N 97.746750°W |
The Willie Nelson statue, or simply Willie, is a bronze sculpture of singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, located in Downtown Austin, Texas. The statue was commissioned to artist Clete Shields by the nonprofit organization Capital Area Statues.
Following his move to Nashville in 1960, Nelson enjoyed success as a songwriter, but his career as a singer did not progress. After shortly retiring from the music business, Nelson moved to Austin in 1972, where his career found new success as a performer.
Knowing of the plans for the statue, Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell proposed to rename a portion of Second Street to Willie Nelson Boulevard. The unveiling of the statue took place on April 20, 2012 at 4:20 pm with Nelson in attendance.