Texas Music Journal » Texas Music History

Universal Message from International Stars for Texas Music

Sam Moore — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:25:57 +0000

Stevie Ray Vaughan has influenced thousands of stars, including the Little River Band.

By Sam Moore

No matter how many superstars you see over how many years of performances, one thing is clear: musical roots almost always run through Texas.

This weekend, I have been attending the Wildflower Festival in Richardson TX. Yesterday, I had a chance to talk with one of the founding members of the Little River Band. The group was one of the most successful acts of the ’70s and ’80s, with hits such as Lady, Reminiscing, Cool Change and Lonesome Loser. They formed in Melbourne, Australia. But their success can be traced to many American acts, including at least one from Texas.

“I have been with the band a few years now,” said Greg Hind, singer and guitarist. “Our early songs especially have a heavy Stevie Ray kind of blues influence. Of course, as we developed, we had many more bands help shape our sound.”

The Little River Band is by no means alone in this assessment. Other Texas musicians, from Buddy Holly to Willie Nelson, have helped shaped the sounds of many of the superstar acts of our era.

Last night, at the conclusion of the LRB show, I walked to the Texas Songwriter stage, where I was able to catch a part of Joe Ely’s show. It was a great feeling when the usher at the door informed me that it was standing room only. It’s good to know that fans in Texas really do appreciate great Texas talent. And it struck me at that point. There is a very good chance that the Joe Elys, Pat Greens, Jack Ingrams and Randy Rogers of the world will be influencing future generations of musicians. That’s a lot of power from one state!

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Historical Texas Music Manuscript on Display at Library

Sam Moore — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:29:21 +0000

Do you know where the original manuscript for “Texas, Our Texas” is kept? If you guessed somewhere in Austin, guess again! The manuscript is part of the Texas Federation of Music Clubs Music Manuscript Archive (the state’s official Texas composers archive) at the Dallas Public Library.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the manuscript has recently received careful conservation treatment at The Center for Art Conservation. The donor learned of the manuscript and its condition through a recent Dallas Morning News article.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/0525dnmetourtexas.22f963a9.html

or http://tinyurl.com/24d6mzl

The manuscript will be on display September-November in the Central library’s Fine Arts Division (4th floor). In addition to the manuscript itself, visitors will be able to see other historic documents and mementos related to the state song and its composer William J. Marsh.

Last Drifting Cowboy Dies

Sam Moore — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:58:03 +0000

Bill Lister played rhythm guitar. For the last year of Hank Williams’ life, Lister was the rhythm guitarist in the icon’s “Drifting Cowboys” band. Tuesday, Lister became the last to go.

The 86-year-old musician died Tuesday in San Antonio. He was a native of Brady, TX.

Lister was known as radio’s tallest singing cowboy. That came from the fact that he was 6 feet, 7 inches tall. Until just a few months ago, Lister still performed. He would play every night on a Caribbean cruise that originated from Galveston.

Lister’s wife was responsible for one of Hank Williams Jr.’s most enjoyable hits. In 1988, she found a demo of Hank and the Cowboys singing “There’s a Tear in My Beer.” No one until then knew the recording existed. Lister gave it to Williams’s son, who took it and made it a number-1 duet with his father.

Bill Lister is survived by one son.

Rusty Wier Loses Battle with Cancer

Sam Moore — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:43:41 +0000

Texas music legend Rusty Wier died today, losing his two-year battle with cancer.

Along with Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphy, Wier was considered one of the original Austin Cosmic Cowboys. His biggest hit was “Don’t It Make You Wanna Dance,” which was covered by Bonnie Raitt on the Urban Cowboy soundtrack.

Wier was diagnosed with cancer in November 2007. He had been undergoing chemotherapy and was homebound. Wier was 65.

Jazz Mavericks Topic of El Paso Discussion Tonight

Sam Moore — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:41:46 +0000

TEXAS MUSIC HISTORY LECTURE SERIES — El Paso Museum of History, 510 N. Santa Fe. RSVP: 351-3588. Author Dave Oliphant will present “Jazz Mavericks of the Lone Star State,” 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, OCT. 8.

Oliphant will discuss Jack Teagarden, Eddie Durham, Kenny Dorham, Jimmy Giuffre, Ornette Coleman, Scott Joplin’s ragtime the work of Dallasite Red Garland, pianist for the 1950s’ Miles Davis Quintet and more. Oliphant has written extensively on Texans in jazz in his books “Texan Jazz,” “The Early Swing Era, 1930 to 1941” and “Jazz Mavericks.”

Meet and greet, food and music is 5:30 with lecture at 7 p.m. and party on patio a 7 p.m. Beverages available for purchase. Admission: $4 members, $8 nonmembers. Seating is limited, please RSVP.

Johnny Horton Joins Louisiana Music Hall of Fame

Sam Moore — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:33:58 +0000

Johnny Horton was known as one of the country’s earliest crossover artists, with a rockabilly style that also earned pop music fan praise. Now Horton, who was killed after a performance in a 1960 car crash, has earned another crossover award. The east Texas native has been inducted into the neighboring Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Horton was inducted during a weekend ceremony in Shreveport, as part of the James Burton International Guitar Festival. Burton, a Shreveport native, is best known for his work with Elvis Presley. Burton was also inducted into the Hall Saturday night, along with longtime record retailer Stan Lewis. This brings the total number of Louisiana Music Hall of Fame members to 44.
Horton was born in Los Angeles, but was raised in Rusk, Texas. His family trekked back and forth from California often as migrant fruit pickers but always returned to the Rusk/Gallatin area in Texas. After graduation from Gallatin High School in 1944, he attended Lon Morris Junior College, in Jacksonville, Texas, on a basketball scholarship.
Thereafter, he worked in California and Alaska. He returned to Texas and won a talent contest hosted by then-radio announcer Jim Reeves at the Reo Palm Isle club in Longview. He soon starred in the popular Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. He remained a Hayride member until his death.
Johnny Horton epitomizes the power of the Louisiana Hayride to break artists into the national spotlight. The influence of the home-bred talents around him was evident in the style and theme of his greatest hit “The Battle of New Orleans.” He scored 13 additional chart hits including “North to Alaska,” “Sink the Bismarck” and “Honky Tonk Man.”

Horton was one of many legends who found either a starting point or a home with the Louisiana Hayride. Others include Presley, Hank Williams, Kitty Wells, Johnny Cash and Lefty Frizzell.

For more information about The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, visit www.LMHOF.org.

Luckenbach Prepares for Shot at Guitar Record

Sam Moore — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 15:50:42 +0000

Luckenbach residents like to believe they live in the center of the Universe for guitar players. One week from today, they try to prove it.

Next Sunday, August 23, Luckenbach Texas Events is organizing what they hope will be the world’s largest guitar ensemble. They need 2,000 guitar players in order to break the Guinness Book record.

The registration fee is $10. Each participant will receive commemorative dog tags, t-shirt and bragging rights. Organizers say the best part of the event is they are supporting American troops and their families.

Participants will perform two songs: This Land Is Your Land, and – of course – the Luckenbach song (Back to the Basics of Love). Each song must be played for a total of five minutes to qualify for the record. The event will be recorded by both video and audio.

The party will definitely last more than just 10 minutes, however. The day begins at noon with an acoustic performance on an outdoor stage. At 2pm, the record breakers will assemble on the hill between the creeks (there’s a song title) and perform the songs. Playing will then continue throughout the afternoon.

To register to participate, visit http://www.voicesofagratefulnation.org.

For more information, contact:

Luckenbach Texas Events
412 Luckenbach Town Loop
Fredericksburg, Texas 78624
830-997-3224 x 29

Cindy Walker Still Giving After Her Death

Sam Moore — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:20:50 +0000

She wrote “Bubbles in My Beer” for Bob Wills without ever been in a honky tonk. Now, in death, Texas songwriting legend Cindy Walker has done something incredible again.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum announced that Walker has left a very generous gift: her catalog of 500 songs, including many pop and country classics. The gift includes her share of the songs, including future royalties. This is the first donation of its kind to the Hall.
Walker’s two most famous works include Roy Orbison’s “Dream Baby” and Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me.” But her works also include many Western swing standards. Bing Crosby, Ernest Tubb, Eddie Arnold, Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson are among those who have recorded a Walker tune. Nelson even released a tribute album called “You Don’t Know Me: the Songs of Cindy Walker.”
Her lyrics were pure and plainspoken. They often talked of romance, heartbreak and picturesque prairies. She had top 10 hit songs in every decade from the ‘40s through the ‘80s.
A native of Mexia, near Waco, Walker was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997. In 1970, she became the first woman inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. She was 87 when she died in 2006.
The Country Music Hall of Fame has not yet announced what it plans to do with the donation.

Austin Studio Gains Historic Status

Sam Moore — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:45:25 +0000

There is no denying that Austin City Limits has carved itself a piece of music history. Now the studio is joining the show.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is designating the studio where the show is recorded, on the campus of the University of Texas, as a historic rock and roll site. Terry Stewart, president of the Cleveland hall, said the show site will be among nine other rock and roll landmarks throughout the country.

Audience members who attend the show in this, its 35th season, will be able to see a plaque signifying its historic significance, which will be placed in the studio.

Dallas Library to Host Texas Music Seminar

Sam Moore — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:16:32 +0000

The Dallas Public Library is hosting what sounds to be an outstanding free session on Texas Music next weekend.

The Texas Music Mini-Conference will take place at the J. Erik Jonnson branch on Young Street in downtown Dallas, Saturday May 30, from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free.

Twelve sessions will be offered covering a wide range of performers and styles, including Stamps-Baxter and Southern Gospel music, Texas blues, rock bands from the 60s, two noted women in Texas music, the Texas International Pop Festival, jazz in Texas, the Big D Jamboree, and more. Two film screenings will be included in the day: Teen-a-Go-Go and South Dallas Pop.

Among the sessions to be presented are: The Life and Legacy of Bob Wills; Texas Blues; the Big D Jamboree and the Light Crust Doughboys; and Where Do We Go from Here.

This event promises to be filled with history, with an eye to the future. Call first, because pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, contact the Fine Arts Division of the library at 214-670-1643.

Stephen Bruton Dies

Sam Moore — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:15:35 +0000

Photo by John Carrico

Texas has lost another musical icon. Stephen Bruton died Saturday from throat cancer complications. The 60-year-old guitarist and vocalist was in Los Angeles, working with T. Bone Burnett on the film “Crazy Heart.” He was acting as music producer and composer.Bruton is known for his work with Kris Kristofferson, Alejandro Escovedo and many others. He first worked with Kristofferson in 1972 on his “Border Lord” album. They had most recently collaborated on the upcoming “Starlight and Stone” CD.

Bruton’s songs were covered by a wide range of artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Patty Loveless.

Other highlights of his nearly forty-year career include guitar contributions and production credits on Carly Simon’s 1976 release “Another Passenger,” Bonnie Raitt’s mega-selling “Luck of the Draw” and numerous albums with Texas based singer-songwriter, Alejandro Escovedo.

Amazing Musician Fighting Through Broken Hip

Sam Moore — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:11:28 +0000

I have had the opportunity to get to know a lot of great people during the short time that I have been actively involved in the music industry. One of the most amazing men I have ever met is Harold Hudson. And right now, Harold needs our prayers.

I don’t know exactly how old Harold is, but I do know he is on the north side of 70. He is quiet, reserved, and plays some of the most emotionally mellow saxophone sounds anyone could ever hear.

I met Harold last year. He is the father of Randy Tredway of Tredway and Friends in Waxahachie. We were shooting a video piece on Randy and his internet radio show. Harold was there, watching us. He was quiet and patient as we moved around the room. He did say one thing. When my partner dropped a light, he issued a colorful word. Harold looked at him and said, “Nix the language, Sonny.”

After the taping, Randy led everyone in a jam session. That’s when Harold went to work. I could not believe that same man was playing sax the way he did. It was simply amazing. Since then, I have seen Harold many times. The most recent was during the Ennis Bluebonnet Festival. He sat in the shade of the stage, playing along with several acts for three solid hours. As I said, he was amazing.

Earlier this week, Harold was at his home in Denison, cutting grass, when he fell and broke his hip. He underwent surgery yesterday and will soon be moved to the Reba Mcentire Rehab Center. How ironic is it that he will rehab in a facility that exists because of the generous acts of a fellow musician.

Randy tells me that throughout the entire ordeal, Harold has maintained his good spirits and positive attitude. It is a lesson we can all learn from. Here is to Harold’s swift recuperation. May he be playing the saxophone again soon!

A Ride With Bob

John South — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:32:47 +0000

The premise is simple. You’re a very talented musician in your own right, and you have an opportunity to spend a few minutes talking to one of the greatest living legends in Texas music. That gentleman, however, is too tired to talk to you that night, but you’re promised that he will be available the next day. As fate would have it, the music icon has a stroke that night and passes into a coma from which he never recovers. One can only imagine how Ray Benson must have felt that day, and how that loss may have inspired his music.

This is the genesis of the story that Asleep at the Wheel and a troupe of talented musicians and actors bring to the stage with “A Ride with Bob: The Bob Wills Musical.” The show is a quick two and a half hours of wonderful music played by extremely talented musicians and actors, all focused on conveying the story of the life of Bob Wills. It was co-written by Anne Rapp (“Tender Mercies”) and Ray Benson.

Benson uses a number of intriguing hooks to pull the audience into the program. The story is told in flashback over Bob Wills’ life, by Bob Wills ( Marco Parella). Throughout the story, super talented musicians such as Ruby Jane Smith, the Quebe Sisters Band, and, of course , Asleep at the Wheel, highlight the music on Bob Wills. They even work Elvis and two astronauts into onstage cameos (trust me – it works into the story).

Jason Roberts (as himself and also as a young Bob Wills) and Steve Uzzell (Pappy O’Daniel) were integral parts of the entire show. Uzzell really sold himself as Pappy O’Daniel, but with a comedic approach – something of a Snidely Whiplash character. Jason Roberts showed that he is multitalented – fiddle player, singer and actor. Whereas Benson and Parella told the story of Bob Wills’ life, Roberts kept the musical aspects of the show flowing.

Tim Curry playing the part of Old Man Bridges was a treat for the audience. His acting was flawless; his singing was absolutely stunning. His deep booming bass voice filled the Eisemann Center with notes that reached deep into your soul. Curry, himself a multiple B. Iden Payne nominee and award winner, is recognized for both his acting and musical talents.

As the show opened to the strains “Bob’s Breakdowns” , the crowd was quick to join into the “swing” of things. For every song, “Misery,” “Bob’s Barbershop,” “Dr. Miracle’s Medicine Show,” “Milk Cow Blues” you could feel the anticipation building for the song that everyone was waiting for, “New San Antonio Rose.” When the musicians started the intro to the song, it took the audience only a couple of beats to begin clapping and singing along with the band. Audience participation was the order of the evening.

I sat in my seat pondering a question for most of the evening. What must it have been like to hear Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys in their prime? As the show progressed, the question kept coming to me. Apparently, Ray Benson anticipated this as he had one more hook for the audience – Leon Rausch. Leon, pushing well north of 80 years of age, still has the strong dulcimer tones that brought him into the Texas Playboys fold.

Leon joined the Texas Playboys in the late ‘50s when the popularity of Bob Wills and Western swing were starting to decline. However, Leon and the Playboys stuck true to the Bob Wills musical legend until the band’s final concert in 1986. Though Leon may not have played with Wills in the heyday of Western swing, he gave us a vision of how the music must have felt – and it was a good feeling!

Another hook that Benson used in the show was to showcase young talent into the story. The first musician to hit the stage playing the part of a young Bob Wills was Ruby Jane Smith. Though still quite young (14 years old), the Mississippi fiddle player, singer and actress quickly showed that she is a bundle of talent. We will see a lot more from Ruby Jane in the future.

The other group showcased by the show was the The Quebe Sisters Band out of the Fort Worth area. To describe the band as good is an understatement of how you react when you first hear them. Throughout the audience you hear one word, “Wow!” Their magic is little bit 3-part harmony (much like the Andrew Sisters meet Sons of the Pioneers) mixed with 3-part fiddle accompaniment. The band consists of Sophia, Grace and Hulda Quebe with Joey McKenzie on guitar (himself a world champion fiddler) and Drew Phelps on the upright bass. The band is all ready making a splash in the Texas music scene recently being named the Group of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists. Additionally, QSB has been honored with the Western Music Association’s Crescendo Award.

Asleep at the Wheel and the other musicians put on a great mini-show after “A Ride With Bob” ended. One of the highlights, “Miles and Miles of Texas”, elicited spontaneous audience participation. As the audience filed out, many were talking how much fun the show was; the rest were humming or singing something from the show.

Though living as a small boy in Fort Worth during the last years of Bob Wills’ active radio days, I can’t remember ever directly hearing his music. However, Wills’ music must have been ingrained deep down into my subconscious. As I listened to the show, I felt a strong sense of pride. “A Ride With Bob: The Bob Wills Musical” presents the life and music of a true Texas music legend performed another true Texas music legend – Asleep at the Wheel.

The show performs next at the Long Center in Austin on March 13th and 14th. Ruby Jane Smith will be appearing with Asleep at the Wheel.

The Quebe Sisters Band next plays at the Morris Theater in Lakeway, TX on March 13th (6:30 PM and 9:00 PM) and the Best Little Cowboy Gathering in Texas in Lagrange on March 14th.

One Door Closes, Another Opens

John South — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 07:00:21 +0000

A flip of a coin, the flu, bad weather and an inexperienced pilot changed the face of music at 1:00 AM, fifty years ago today.

America woke up on February 3, 1959 to find that Charles Hardin Holley, Richard Steven Valenzuela and Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr. were killed in an early morning airplane accident. Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper) had played at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, the night before. Holly had rented a charter airplane to fly himself and his backup band to the next leg of their tour in Moorhead, MN. J.P. Richardson, suffering from the flu, took Waylon Jennings’ seat. A toss of a 50-cent piece gave Richie Valens the seat that Tommy Allsup was to have taken on the flight. This story was immortalized in Don McLean’s “American Pie” as “…the day the music died.”

The importance of Buddy Holly to the Texas music scene wouldn’t be realized for a number of years after his death. Even those musicians who grew up with and around Buddy Holly didn’t grasp his significance at the time. Lloyd Maines, the prominent Lubbock-born producer and musician, illustrated how Holly’s passing was understated.

“I didn’t really get a grasp on how much Buddy Holly, for instance, had influenced music worldwide until I started playing with Joe Ely; This was like 1973…But until I heard Joe doin’ his versions of Buddy Holly music, to tell you the truth, I had never even paid that much attention to Holly’s music. I always knew it was there but I never paid that much attention to it.” Interview of Lloyd Maines by Chris Oglesby at Cedar Creek Studios, November 21, 2000 http://www.virtualubbock.com/intLloydMaines.html (Accessed February 1, 2009).

Sam Moore of the Texas Music Journal visited Lubbock two years ago and found that the phenomenon that was Buddy Holly is still underwhelming.

I have always been fascinated in Buddy Holly. I was born in 1957, so his music has been around my entire life. I always thought he looked a little funny, with those black glasses. But I LOVED his music.

My appreciation for Buddy grew even more during a visit to Lubbock on business a couple of years ago. I took some time out from my day to look around town and see what I could find out about the music legend. I knew his songs, and I had seen The Buddy Holly Story. But I wanted to see if this could all come alive for me. Trust me, it did.

I was amazed how understated Buddy Holly is in Lubbock. And I think that’s a good thing, really. I picked up a map of sites to see that were important marks in his early career. I saw the house where he grew up. I saw the skating rink where he performed – if you saw the movie, you know how important that is. I saw the radio station that gave him his break to be broadcast during his live performances. But none of this is glitzy or flashy. Each location is, well, just there. And most of these sites project the image that make you feel like Buddy could walk around the corner any minute. It all feels very “real.”

I then went to the Buddy Holly museum. It is small, much smaller than I anticipated. But it was filled with information, memorabilia, and films about his life and times. Even though it has been two years since my visit, I still remember being impressed that everything he did musically – the impact he made on the music world, not only in his time, but for generations to come – was done in less than a two-year period. I couldn’t believe it.

Then finally, I decided to go find his grave site. It’s not easy to find. After visiting the cemetery office, I finally got some guidance and found it. The only thing that helps you realize who he really was is the guitar on the tombstone. Standing there in the quiet, looking at the grave, I found a new appreciation for “the day the music died.

In the music industry, the impact of Buddy Holly is not questioned. Though his recording and touring career lasted less than three years, his approach to rock and roll influenced a number of musicians, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Janis Joplin. The fiftieth anniversary of Holly’s passing may be as understated as the celebration of his life. There are some well written newspaper and magazine articles that mark the anniversary (see the Texas Music and Performing Songwriter articles in particular). There may even be some mention in television shows. But, the real tribute to Holly will be in the music that he inspired in countless famous and not so famous musicians.

Tribute from the local press: Iowans Remember Buddy Holly performance

Buddy Holly: Changing Game

Not Fade Away: Why Buddy Holly and the Crickets’ Music Still Matters Fifty Years after His Tragic Death

When Don McLean penned “…the day the music died” he may have had Buddy Holly in mind, but we have to remember that two other forces in the music industry also passed away in that accident, Richie Valens (“La Bamba”, “Donna”) and J.P. Richardson (“Chantilly Lace”). One can only wonder where Texas music would be today if the three had not taken that flight. With the loss of all three artists, February 3, 1959 was truly the day the music died. But, we also have to take pause and think about how music in Texas would have changed if Tommy Allsup and Waylon Jennings had not given up their seats on that flight.

One door closes, another opens.

Why Texas Music?

John South — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:47:45 +0000

A common misconception is that Texas music is the familiar red dirt sounds of musicians such as Cross Canadian Ragweed, Stoney LaRue or Jason Boland. It is also misclassified as the outlaw sound of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings or Billy Joe Shaver. The truth is that Texas music is much more complicated than any simple classification scheme can represent. All of these musicians are fine examples of Texas music, but each borrows from multiple musical styles including country, Western swing, musica tejano, zydeco, blues, and honky tonk to produce a Texas sound – some are not even Texans.

To reach a fuller definition of Texas music, we have to incorporate musicians who bring us many other musical styles – the fugues of Brahms, the operas of Puccini, the jazz saxophone of Ornette Coleman, the accordion of Clifton Chenier, the blazing piano of Marcia Ball, and the blues of such diverse figures as Blind Lemon Jefferson and the Vaughan brothers. And of course, Texas music includes the sounds of Buddy Holly and the Crickets who not only inspired such important musical groups as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but also launched a musical revolution. Texas music encompasses a multidimensional heritage where current musicians are the end products of over four centuries of blending cultural and musical styles – starting long before we even became a Republic.

It’s the dichotomies that exist which have always attracted me to our State’s music. We have fans of the Light Crust Doughboys and their brand of Western swing as well as fans of Janis Joplin. We have the fans of Selena as well as those of Townes Van Zandt. Though people may not always agree on which style of music they find most appealing, there is room for all. For those of us that enjoy a cross section of musical genres, we have the best of all worlds.

That is the philosophy that brought this site into existence. We want people to have a choice in their music. If they choose to stay focused in one area, say Texas blues, that’s great. However, we encourage everyone to participate in the other genres as well. Who knows? You may find out why the polka is alive and well in Texas!