At 89 years old, Martha Matthews — the first wife of country music legend Willie Nelson — has spoken publicly for the first time in decades. Long shrouded in silence, her story has now emerged with a deeply emotional reflection on the turbulent marriage that began before Nelson became a household name, the painful unraveling that led to their divorce, and the reason she chose never to remarry.
Martha and Willie married in 1952, when Nelson was just beginning his career as a struggling musician in Texas. Together, they weathered years of hardship, chasing a dream that seemed impossible at the time. Money was scarce, fame was a distant hope, and their young marriage bore the brunt of both ambition and uncertainty. “We were so young, and we didn’t know what we were walking into,” Martha admitted in her recent statement. “Willie was chasing music, and I was chasing a life we couldn’t quite hold together.”
The couple had three children — Lana, Susie, and Willie “Billy” Nelson Jr. — but their relationship was marked by volatility. Nelson’s long absences on the road, combined with the mounting pressures of his career, placed enormous strain on their union. Martha described moments of love and joy, but also acknowledged that their marriage was marred by conflict. “It wasn’t just one thing that broke us,” she said softly. “It was the years, the distance, and the way music took him one direction while I stayed behind in another.”
By 1962, the marriage had collapsed, ending in divorce. For Willie, it was the beginning of a journey that would see him rise to become one of country music’s most enduring icons. For Martha, it was the start of a quieter, more private life, far from the glare of fame.
Now, after decades of silence, Martha has revealed why she never remarried. “It wasn’t because I was bitter,” she explained. “It was because I had given my heart away once — and even though it didn’t last, I never wanted to give it away again. Willie was my great love, and that never really leaves you.”
Her words carry both sorrow and grace, a testament to a woman who lived her life in the shadow of a man who became a legend. While Nelson went on to remarry three more times and build an empire of music, Martha chose a life of simplicity. “I watched from a distance as he became the Willie everyone knows,” she reflected. “But to me, he was always just the boy I married, the one with a guitar and a dream too big for Texas.”
For fans of Nelson, Martha’s voice adds a poignant layer to the story of the man who wrote songs about love, heartbreak, and the open road. It is a reminder that behind the legend lies a history of real lives touched, changed, and sometimes scarred by the demands of music and fame.
As she approaches 90, Martha Matthews has chosen not to rewrite the past but to honor it. “I don’t regret the life we had,” she said. “It gave me my children, and it gave him his music. That was enough.”
In her quiet confession, Martha has revealed not only the pain of a broken marriage but also the enduring truth of love — that even when it ends, it leaves a mark that shapes a lifetime.