As a hit songwriter, Bernie's songs have sold in excess of 25 million copies. With multi-platinum cuts on such artists as Randy Travis ("Walk Our Own Road"), Trace Adkins ("I Can Only Love You Like a Man"), Kenny Chesney ("It's Never Easy to Say Goodbye"), and the legendary Conway Twitty ("House on Old Lonesome Road"). He has had successful radio hits on country greats like John Anderson ("When Your Yellow Brick Road Turns Blue"), Neal McCoy ("Hillbilly Blue"), Pam Tillis ("Betty's Got a Bass Boat"), and Confederate Railroad ("Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind").
His country standard song "Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind" was a chart-topping hit for Confederate Railroad and is still one of the most played songs on country radio with over 3 million airplays, having stood the test of time. Other notable recordings include "Any Old Stretch of Blacktop" by Shenandoah, "Oh Heart of Mine" by Ricky Van Shelton, "Looking for America" by Mark Wills, "Damn Baby" by Montgomery Gentry, "The Ride" and "Heaven For a While" by Tracy Lawrence, and "Whiskey & Water" by John Daly featuring Willie Nelson.
Bernie was raised in mid-Michigan and was inducted into the Michigan Country Music Hall of Fame in 2023.
Bernie relocated to the Hill Country of Texas and quickly became a sought-after performer all over the great State of Texas. In Texas, he has had multiple #1 songs on the Texas Radio charts with hits from Kyle Park ("Rewind"), Kin Faux ("Honky Tonk in Heaven," "Plainview," and "Sunny and 72"), and Case Hardin ("Alcohol Abuse," "When You Roll That Way," and "Honky Tonk Highway").
His rich country voice has a uniqueness that is all its own. Bernie has shared the stage with the likes of Guy Clark, Steve Earle, John Prine, Michael Martin Murphey, Garth Brooks, Alabama, and many more. Bernie Nelson's songs are both timely and timeless.
Bernie's live shows make you feel close to the rich history of the Music Row scene during 90's country music. His most recent projects are deeply connected to his love of Texas music. Bernie Nelson's music is both timely and timeless-like new strings on a well-traveled guitar.