Willie Nelson is known as a country singer and marijuana smoking icon, but he has also gotten into notable money problems.
Nelson was avoiding federal taxes and the IRS came looking for a tax bill of $16.7 million, including interest and penalty.
His lawyer negotiated the bill down to $6 million, but Nelson still couldn’t pay up. In 1990, the IRS raided his home and seized nearly everything Nelson owned – including twenty properties and most of his instruments and music collection.
Nelson recorded “The IRS Tapes: Who’ll Buy My Memories” and fans organized fundraisers for the down-on-his-luck musician to help him settle his debt. With the help of the tapes, Nelson was able to pay off his debt.
Today, Nelson is still recording music and as successful as ever.
