American singer-songwriter Lukas Nelson is well-known both as a solo performer and with his band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. Nelson and Lady Gaga collaborated to produce the A Star Is Born soundtrack, for which Nelson received a Grammy. Additionally, he is the son of Willie Nelson, a country music artist.
Early Life & Education
Lukas Nelson is the son of country music artist Willie Nelson and his wife, Annie D’Angelo. He was born in Texas in 1988. Nelson, one of Willie’s seven children, followed in his father’s footsteps after spending his early years skating and surfing.
He was raised between Texas and Hawaii and went to the Montessori school his mother maintained in the Austin region. After that, he attended Maui’s junior and high schools.
Nelson developed a passion for music at a young age; at the age of eleven, he even wrote a song that appeared on Willie Nelson’s album It Always Will Be. Nelson relocated to Los Angeles in 2007 for a short time to attend Loyola Marymount University.
Lukas Nelson’s Music Career
After meeting drummer Anthony LoGerfo at a Neil Young show in 2008, Nelson founded the band Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real.
“Some get stoned, some get strange, sooner or later, it all gets real.” This line from Neil Young’s song “Walk On” is the inspiration for the band’s name.
Actor Bradley Cooper saw Nelson’s band at the Desert Trip Festival in California in 2016 and asked Nelson to participate in the 2018 version of A Star Is Born. Nelson ultimately collaborated with Cooper and Lady Gaga to write eight songs for the movie.
Nelson’s band, Promise of the Real, declared an indefinite sabbatical on Monday, June 3rd, 2024.
Nelson released the single “Ain’t Done” and his debut solo album, American Romance, on March 21, 2025. Shooter Jennings is producing the record, which will be released on June 20, 2025.
