Texas Music Thread (Houston, Dallas, Austin: summer, Polish, American)

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

I have to vote for this as one of the most uninformed statements I have yet seen at Wikipedia, i.e. "Texas country's roots lie in the Outlaw country movement of the 1960s and 1970s." This statement is found under Wikipedia's entry for Texas Country Music.

I wonder if the author of this article, obviously very young, ever heard of Bob Wills, Gene Autry, Ernest Tubb, Dale Evans, Tex Ritter and a multitude of other pre-Waylon/Willie Nelson Texas country artists? And before there were recording studios and electricity, there were barn dances with at least one fiddler. They weren't playing blues or rock.

I would say Texas country music roots are deeper than Statehood. The roots of outlaw music arose in the 1960s but Texas country music certainly did not.

I agree--that's also the problem with Wikipedia--depends on the source, and not always reliable, if ever.

"Outlaw Country" is relatively recent.

But outside of Bob Wills (1930s) and Marty Robbins (1950s), my favorite country music was from about 1960 to 1985 or so.

Tex Ritter was very hard to listen to....LOL!!

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

But outside of Bob Wills (1930s) and Marty Robbins (1950s), my favorite country music was from about 1960 to 1985 or so.

Tex Ritter was very hard to listen to....LOL!!

I agree. I never got into Tex Ritter's music either but he was definitely a country musician.

According to the Wikipedia's article, Wanda Jackson, Carl Perkins and all the other rockabilly folks fed no roots into Texas' country music scene as well it dismisses by omission the early bluegrass, western swing, rockabilly and honkytonk sounds that also lent roots to what we now call country music. These "roots" were well coalesced long before Waylon and Willie were in diapers. The author of the Wikipedia article apparently doesn't remember when Waylon and Conway were "rockers."

BTW, my great great great grandfather was a Scottish fiddler in Moore County, North Carolina in the late 1700s. I'm fairly sure his music would have been considered a country sound. But that's just another sound that probably fed roots into the country sound. Nowadays, Scottish, Irish and English country stars are singing our tunes. Some do a very good job at it too.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

I agree. I never got into Tex Ritter's music either but he was definitely a country musician.

According to the Wikipedia's article, Wanda Jackson, Carl Perkins and all the other rockabilly folks fed no roots into Texas' country music scene as well it dismisses by omission the early bluegrass, western swing, rockabilly and honkytonk sounds that also lent roots to what we now call country music. These "roots" were well coalesced long before Waylon and Willie were in diapers. The author of the Wikipedia article apparently doesn't remember when Waylon and Conway were "rockers."

BTW, my great great great grandfather was a Scottish fiddler in Moore County, North Carolina in the late 1700s. I'm fairly sure his music would have been considered a country sound. But that's just another sound that probably fed roots into the country sound. Nowadays, Scottish, Irish and English country stars are singing our tunes. Some do a very good job at it too.

I was surprised to read that some of our recent country singers did European tours--IIRC, I think the Beatles said that they were influenced by Buck Owens ("The Bakersfield Sound"), who was revolutionary for his time. Country musicians didn't usually play Fender Stratocasters!

Waylon always did lean to rock, but I don't remember CT as part of that!

Scottish/German and others did influence Texas music to a great degree--both country and Mexican/Tejano sounds.

What I like the best is when old stuff is brought in and re-recorded with relatively modern equipment. My dad grew up listening to Jimmie Rodgers. Like Willie and Kristofferson, a great songwriter, but painful to listen to! That old tinny off-key 1920s-30s stuff is not my thing!

So when Merle Haggard did "Same Train, Different Time" in the 1970s, I just loved it, and it became one of my favorite albums. Bob Wills' final album, "One Last Time" is also one of my favorites. The old stuff has been remastered and engineered with modern studio equipment.

Gotta love it!

[High_Plains_Retired]

RE: the European tours. They probably learned that from Slim Whitman. Make the dollar, or pound, wherever you can.

My dad (Irish descent) was not much into country music I think. About all I recall him listening to was Lawrence Welk every Saturday evening. However, my father-in-law (German descent) was a church organist (Catholic) who also played the piano and, to a lesser extent, a guitar. He enjoyed many of the old 2 & 3-chord country tunes of his youth, so if I wanted to play with him, I learned to listen, and play, many of them. He and I played both the old hardcore country as well as Southern gospel which I was playing at the time in my own church.

I don't want to change the topic of this thread from Texas music but regarding European influence on America's music, and vice versa, here's a current English lady who does a great job with an old Harlan Howard tune. Let me see if I can post just the YouTube link without the pic that slows everyone down.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

RE: the European tours. They probably learned that from Slim Whitman. Make the dollar, or pound, wherever you can.

My dad (Irish descent) was not much into country music I think. About all I recall him listening to was Lawrence Welk every Saturday evening. However, my father-in-law (German descent) was a church organist (Catholic) who also played the piano and, to a lesser extent, a guitar. He enjoyed many of the old 2 & 3-chord country tunes of his youth, so if I wanted to play with him, I learned to listen, and play, many of them. He and I played both the old hardcore country as well as Southern gospel which I was playing at the time in my own church.

I don't want to change the topic of this thread from Texas music but regarding European influence on America's music, and vice versa, here's a current English lady who does a great job with an old Harlan Howard tune. Let me see if I can post just the YouTube link without the pic that slows everyone down.

Harlan Howard did indeed write some great, great songs! Interesting rendition, but I like Buck Owen's version much better.

Some of my old favorites that he wrote: Songwriters Hall of Fame - Harlan Howard Detailed Song List

Excuse Me (I think I've got a heartache)--Buck Owens (who co-wrote several with HH)
Heartaches by the Number--Ray Price
I Fall to Pieces--Patsy Cline
She's Gone Gone Gone--Jack Greene
Too Many Rivers (don't remember)
Pick Me Up Your Way Down--Hank Thompson

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

Pick Me Up Your Way Down--Hank Thompson

Lol! Last week I broke out an old turntable I had it in the closet to play an old Hank Thompson album I also dug out of the closet. Alas, it has been too much time since it the turntable was played and too much west Texas dust. Chubby Checker and David Houston didn't fare any better.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

Lol! Last week I broke out an old turntable I had it in the closet to play an old Hank Thompson album I also dug out of the closet. Alas, it has been too much time since it the turntable was played and too much west Texas dust. Chubby Checker and David Houston didn't fare any better.

LOL! I have a turntable, but no major amplifier nor any vinyl left!

[High_Plains_Retired]

But back to Texas musicians, here's one fellow I even forgot on my Lubbock Musicians thread and I've met him. This is Sonny West born July 30, 1937, near Lubbock, Texas. As the writer of these two following songs, Sonny's releases never made it big but Buddy Holly took them and ran with them.


Orig. Vers. of RAVE ON! by Sonny West Atlantic 78RPM - YouTube


SONNY WEST All My Love (aka Oh Boy) - YouTube

[High_Plains_Retired]

Heard this one today on a Lubbock station. Nice tune.

Kacey Lee Musgraves was born August 21, 1988, in Mineola, Wood County, Texas.


Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round - YouTube

[Vintage Life]

We have very unique artist , many legends. Texas has lots to be proud of! Here is my list of those who have inspired and enjoyed through the years

Janis Joplin
Edie Breckell
Barbara Mandrell
Mickey Gilley
Meat Loaf
Don Henley
Roy Orbison* obsessed with in 20's
Buddy Holly
George Strait
Kenny Rogers<3 My favorite in 5th grade.
Willie Nelson

One of my favorite bands formed in New Braunfels, Sixpence None The Richer.

I also love Addison Road, Leeland, David Crowder and The Afters on the christian scene.




My taste revealed.