Judy Collins Reflects on Death of Husband Louis Nelson After 46 Years Together: ‘We Had the Most Wonderful Life’

Nelson, who designed the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., died in December at age 88

Judy Collins is reflecting on a life well lived with her late husband Louis Nelson — and revealing how a new book of poetry has helped her process her grief.

The “Both Sides Now” singer, 85, spent nearly 50 years with Nelson before he died of cancer at age 88 on Dec. 4. In the wake of his death, Collins is releasing a book of poetry that she says was Nelson’s brainchild.

“This is part of my grief group, because I lost my husband three months ago. And we had the most wonderful life. We had 46 years together, and that’s very good for an old hippie like me,” she told NBC New York on Thursday, March 6. “This marriage was incredible.”

Collins described Nelson, an industrial designer best known for designing the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., as a “brilliant, wonderful man.” and recalled an inspirational conversation they’d had back in 2016.

“I said, ‘I’m gonna start writing poems again for my new songs, and I’ll write one every day, 90 days.’ And he said, ‘Why don’t you write 365 and then you’ll have a whole book at the end?’” she recalled. “And I did it, I wrote 365 poems. And that’s what constitutes this book.”

The tome, called Sometimes It’s Heaven, is set for release on March 25. 

Collins and Nelson met in 1978 at a fundraiser for the Equal Rights Amendment, though she told PEOPLE in 2022 that she was “not interested in meeting anybody” at the time (A previous marriage to Peter Taylor had ended in divorce in 1965). Still, fate had its way, and she and Nelson tied the knot in 1996.

“We’re very opposite: He is absolutely organized and needs this pile of papers to be this way, while I can trash a room so fast,” she said. “But he’s such a steady guy. He had determination. He has persistence. He’s absolutely present, and he’s supportive.”

The singer also revealed their rather unusual key to a happy life together: sleeping in separate spaces.

“It’s the snoring!” she joked. “We do all kinds of things and are always together. He’s just an amazing person. We love to walk, and we’ve walked Central Park and along the Hudson River a lot in the past couple of years. We love to go to the movies and to the theater. We love to go to museums, and we love socializing with our friends. We do this as much as possible.”

Collins, who will turn 86 on May 1, is celebrating her 85th birthday year on Saturday, March 8 with a concert in New York City featuring pals like Stephen Stills (who famously wrote the Crosby, Stills and Nash song “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” about her), Paula Cole and more.

“It’s my birthday all year, that’s what’s going on,” she told NBC New York. “And 85 is the new 27, I’m telling you.”