Willie Nelson was not a musician.
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment ( SME ) , a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America , Inc. . Willie Hugh Nelson ( born April 29 , 1933 ) is an American musician , singer , songwriter , author , poet , actor , and activist . During high school , he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player . During that time , he wrote songs that would become country standards , including `` Funny How Time Slips Away '' , `` Hello Walls '' , `` Pretty Paper '' , and `` Crazy '' . In 1960 he moved to Nashville , Tennessee , and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price 's band as a bassist .