Texas Country Music

"Texas Music" is a style of music that has it's own unique sound. It's roots oriented, no frills country music, with a harder edge to it. It encompasses many diverse sounds such as honky tonk, western, traditional country, western swing, folk, rock, blues, as well as the varied regional ethnic sounds such as Tejano, conjunto, polka, and Celtic. Some artists choose to concentrate their music on one or two of these particular sounds, and others incorporate several or a little bit of them all.

That being said, one needs not be a native Texan to be considered a "Texas Music" artist. Texas has adopted many fine artists that play music in keeping with the tradition of "Texas Music", from all over the country, and even the world, and calls them "honorary Texans". Most headed for Texas to persue their careers because Texas, and particularly Austin, is well known for embracing all kinds of music and promotes artistic individuality and freedom.

Some of the best known artists associated with Texas and it's music are not from Texas at all.

Ray Benson hails from Pennsylvania, and that's where Western Swing band Asleep At The Wheel was born. Ray and the original band, actually wound up playing in Virginia before heading to Austin, which they've called home since the early '70's.

'70's "Texas outlaw" Jerry Jeff Walker was born and raised in upstate New York, and his first few albums were recorded in New York City, before he headed off to Texas.

Likewise, two other well known "country outlaws", closely associated with the Texas music scene, Johnny Paycheck and David Allen Coe, both hail from Ohio.

Tompall Glaser, one of the "original outlaws", who along with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Jessi Colter appears on the landmark '70's album "Wanted! The Outlaws", comes from Nebraska.

Famed cowboy singer, Don Edwards, was born and raised in New Jersey.

The incomparable (and sometime sideman for Merle Haggard), Redd Volkhaert, hails from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Charlie Pride was born and raised in Mississippi, but splits his time living in his homes in both his home state and in Texas.

Steve Earle spent his early life in Virginia, before his family settled in San Antonio.

Dale Watson was born and spent his childhood growing up in Alabama, before his parents moved to Texas when he was a teen.

Monty Holmes, of Monty and the Pythons, is a native Texan, however the Pythons hail from all points, including England.

David Ball, Jim Lauderdale and Hank Williams III (North Carolina), Reckless Kelly and The Derailers (Oregon), Marti Brom and Dallas Wayne (Missouri), Lucinda Williams and James Intveld (Louisiana), Kieran Kane (Queens, NY), Slaid Cleaves (Massachusetts), Roger Wallace and BR5-49(Tennesee), Bill Kirchen (Michigan), Fred Eaglesmith (Canada), John Prine (Illinois), Davin James (Mississippi), Casey Chambers (Australia) and Hot Club Of Cowtown (New York City and California).