Los Lonely Boys will perform, and about 20 more acts will be announced over the next month.

“Willie takes such an interest,” said Pam Minick, marketing director for Billy Bob’s Texas, which helps organize the picnic. “He picks every artist according to who he likes, and he negotiates the contract. Last year he wrote on a brown paper bag how much each one was going to get.”

This year’s picnic will honor the memory of Rick Smith of Fort Worth-based Smith Music Group, who died in August of complications from a heart attack.

Smith, a friend of Nelson’s, convinced the Texas country music singer that the picnic should be in the Fort Worth Stockyards. His brother, Randy Smith, now runs the Smith Music Group, also an organizer of this year’s event.