Here are some legendary Texas musicians, whose music we will seek to preserve and promote.
Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
Bob Wills combined frontier fiddle playing with jazz and blues, to help create the genre of Western Swing (Western Swing is the official state music of Texas!). Here is the hit song that Bob Wills said got him “off of hamburger and on to steaks,” San Antonio Rose.
Ray Price
Hailing from Wood county Texas, Ray Price had a huge effect on Texas Country, particularly with his use of the 4/4 shuffle (often called a Texas Shuffle) on his hit Crazy Arms. Ray Price shuffles constitute a large chunk of the repertoire that are played in Texas dancehalls and honky-tonks.
Johnny Bush
Often referred to as the “Country Caruso,” Johnny Bush got his start playing drums for Ray Price before fronting his own band, the Bandoleros. Johnny’s powerful voice set the standard for Texas singers, and the Bandoleros helped to define the Texas honky tonk sound with their masterful musicianship. Johnny and the Bandoleros kept Texas audiences dancing until Bush passed away in 2020 at age 85.
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings got his start playing bass with Buddy Holly, and wound up giving up his seat on the fateful plane flight that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper. Although he was plagued with survivor’s guilt for years after losing his friends that fateful night in 1959, Jennings would go on to become one of country music’s most famous stars, and was associated with the “outlaw” country music scene of the 1970’s, along with his friends Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson. The effects Waylon’s bluesy, rock-inspired country style can still be felt in honky-tonk bars across the state of Texas.
Johnny Rodriguez
A Sabinal, Texas native, Johnny Rodriguez rose to country music stardom in the 1970s. He blended country sounds with Tejano and Latin music, and often sang at least one verse of his songs in Spanish.
Freddy Fender
Born in San Benito, Texas in 1937, Freddy Fender contributed several songs to the “must-know” list for gigging Texas country musicians, including “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” and “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” Similar to Johnny Rodriguez, Fender blended country music with elements of latin music.
George Strait
George Strait has a deep connection to Texas State, as he was an agriculture student here on campus in the 1970s. It was at Texas State (then Southwest Texas State) that Strait responded to a flyer he saw on campus and joined the band Stoney Ridge, which soon changed its name to the Ace in the Hole Band. Strait’s style was heavily influenced by traditional country and western swing, and even took a Bob Wills song from the 1930s to #1 on the charts with “Right or Wrong.”
Barbara Mandrell
A native Houstonian, Barbara Mandrell got her start in the music industry as a pedal steel guitarist, sharing the stage with such stars as Little Jimmy Dickens, Tex Ritter, and Red Foley. Mandrell went on to become a star singer, whose style combined elements of country and R&B.