Topix — The heat of early July in North Texas and the sounds of real country music - that must be Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic right on the horizon. more info

USA Today Music — See a preview of a concert in honor of the musician's 80th birthday, airing this weekend. more info

Starpulse — Willie Nelson, Annie Lennox and Carole King have been handed honorary doctor of music degrees for their lengthy careers. The trio received the honours from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, ... more info

USA Today Music — Willie Nelson, Maroon 5, Jimmy Cliff headline the fifth day of the New Orleans JazzFest. more info

Starpulse — Legendary Country music star Willie Nelson celebrated his 80th birthday on Monday by auditioning to replace actor Ian McKellen in the two upcoming sequels to The Hobbit. The singer hopes to usurp ... more info

L.A. Times - Pop & Hiss — Last week, country music -- indeed, the world of music overall -- lost a giant in George Jones, who died Friday morning in Nashville at the age of 81. more info

CNN Showbiz — Does the singer come first? Or the songwriter? more info

Aquarium Drunkard — On Tuesday, Willie Nelson will turn eighty years old. If you happen to have caught him live lately, that might take you by surprise. Willie won’t be the first touring octogenarian — Ralph Stanley’s still on the road at 86; Chuck Berry, who is t... more info

L.A. Times - Pop & Hiss — George Jones reminded Andrew Dalton of his dad, for better and for worse. "I came out of your typical teenage punk past, and though I liked Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, I didn't really 'get' George Jones until I was about 22 or 23," said Dalton, a... more info

ContactMusic — Next week (either April 29 or April 30, depending on who you listen to), Willie Nelson will celebrate a landmark birthday. The legendary country... more info