Willie Nelson

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor Willie Nelson recently released two new albums. With "Spirit," Nelson is the first country musician to record with Island Records. He recorded "How Great Thou Art" with his sister, Bobbie Nelson. That CD is a collection of gospel standards, like "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee."

Nelson grew up picking cotton, and got his start as a musician playing in local Texas bars. Before finding fame as a singer, he sold songs he wrote to other performers, which later became hits. Nelson has a new memoir, called Willie, and an album of standards titled What a Wonderful World.

He reviews Crazy: The Demo Sessions (Sugar Hill records), a collection of songs Willie Nelson wrote and recorded between 1960 and 1966, hoping to sell them to the big stars of the country era.

Rock historian Ed Ward on the burgeoning Austin, Texas music scene. The SXSW (South by Southwest Music & Media Conference) is meeting at the Austin convention Center March 13-17.