The South by Southwest music festival has lined up a major songwriting icon as keynote speaker for its 20th anniversary campaign. Neil Young will participate in a conversation with Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme, who recently filmed a pair of Young concerts in Nashville, on March 16. Demme's documentary "Heart Of Gold" is expected be shown during SXSW's film counterpart, but organizers would not confirm that Thursday.

Young was locked in Wednesday evening, about three months after his manager was approached by SXSW co-director Louis Black, who's a longtime friend of Demme's. "This is huge," says SXSW director Roland Swenson, who ranks confirming Young with snagging Johnny Cash as keynoter in 1994. "Johnny Cash was the first concert I ever went to and Neil Young is one of my all-time heroes." Swenson says it's "highly unlikely" that Young will perform.

Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders are among the earliest confirmations of the music fest, which will host more than 1,000 acts from March 15-19. Speakers previously announced include Kris Kristofferson, Billy Bragg and Judy Collins.

— Michael Corcoran