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

ContactMusic — Country icon Willie Nelson kicked off his birthday celebrations last week (18Apr13) by filming a star-studded Tv concert in Nashville, Tennessee.The... more info

USA Today Music — The musician turns 80 on April 30; record your birthday wish for him. more info

Topix — For this year's Southern Ground Music and Food Festival, the band tapped Willie Nelson & Family, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Eli Young Band, Kacey Musgraves, The Head and the Heart, and Trombone Shorty & Orl... more info