Willie Nelson first established himself as part of a new generation of progressive country songwriters in the early '60s. Here are the obscure and rarely heard demo recordings he made prior to signing to Liberty and before RCA.

With a mix of down-to-earth and relatable characters, knee-slapping comedic zingers, and jaw-dropping musical performances, HEE HAW captivated large portions of the country when it first premiered on television in the late 1960s. One-liners flew. Stars like Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton performed. The show's co-hosts were Buck Owens and Roy Clark, and, on June 15th, 1969, the two musicians and songwriters, Buck and Roy, introduced a national audience...