Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin [ tickets ] is set to release two new albums this year: "Steps to Heaven," due Sept. 16, and "Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs," out on Dec. 9, according to a press release.

"Steps to Heaven" was recorded live with a gospel choir, something Louvin had never done during his 60-plus years as a recording artist.

The December release, "Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs," was inspired by Tompkins Square's recent Grammy-nominated box set "People Take Warning! Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, 1913-1938." For his December release, Louvin pulled nine songs from the box set and re-recorded a couple of songs from the first Louvin Brothers' album, 1956's "Tragic Songs of Life."

The 81-year-old country/folk musician last year released his first studio album in 10 years, "Charlie Louvin," which sparked renewed interest in his career. The Grammy-nominated release featured several guest artists including George Jones, Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham and Elvis Costello, among others. Louvin has shared stages with Lucinda Williams, Ryan Adams and Neko Case, in addition to appearing at contemporary music festivals including Bonnaroo.

Through the years, Louvin's songs have been recorded by Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, and Uncle Tupelo, among others. In concert, The Raconteurs recently have been performing The Louvin Brothers' classic "The Christian Life," which was made famous by The Byrds.

• Get real-time updates on Twitter
• Visit us at Facebook