Journal of Texas Music History
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/66
The Journal of Texas Music History is the first academic journal to focus on all aspects of southwestern music history, first published in 2001 and now with subscribers from around the world. The journal is published by the Texas State University Center for Texas Music History
Official Journal Site: Journal of Texas Music History
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Item The Accidental Texan: How Johnny Cuviello Became a Texas Playboy(The Center for Texas Music History, 2008-01) Lannon, DeirdreDrummer Johnny Cuviello had never been to Texas when he became one of Bob Willis's Texas Playboys in 1946. Neverthless, when Cuviello worked up a drum-oriented song for the band, Wills insisted on titling it "The Texas Drummer Boy." After the tune became a hit, Cuviello himself would come to be known as The Texas Drummer Boy, a nickname belying the fact that he had visited the Lone Star State only briefly while on tour with Wills. Cuviello never identified as Texan, but during his time with the Texas Playboys, the patina of a fabricated Texas cowboy image tinted his role in the band, and thus his professional identity. Ironically, the fact that he was not a true Texan, unlike many of the other band members, also may have played a role in the abrupt end of his tenure as a Texas Playboy.Item "Amarillo By Morning" The Life and Songs of Terry Stafford(The Center for Texas Music History, 2015-01) Specht, Joe W.In the early months of 1964, on their inaugural tour of North America, the Beatles seemed to be everywhere: appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, making the front cover of Newsweek, and playing for fanatical crowds at sold out concerts in Washington, D.C. and New York City. On Billboard magazine's April 4, 1964, Hot 100 list, the "Fab Four" held the top five positions. One notch down at Number 6 was "Suspicion," by a virtually unknown singer from Amarillo, Texas, named Terry Stafford. The following week "Suspicion" - a song that sounded suspiciously like Elvis Presley using an alias - moved up to Number 3, wedged in between the Beatles' "Twist and Shout" and "She Loves You." The saga of how a Texas boy met the British Invasion heads-on, achieving almost overnight success and a Top-10 hit, is one of the triumph and disappointment, a reminder of the vagaries that are a fact of life when pursuing a career in music. It is also the story of Stafford's continuing development as a gifted songwriter, a fact too often overlooked when assessing his career.Item The 'Baptist Beat' in Modern Jazz: Texan Gene Ramey in Kansas City and New York(The Center for Texas Music History, 2004-01) Addis, CameronGene Ramey never expected to earn a living playing the string bass, but he landed in the right places at the right times. Shortly after moving from Austin to Kansas City at age nineteen, he switched from tuba to bass and found work in one of the premier jazz cities of the 1930s. In 1942, he went to New York with his dance band, the Jay McShann Orchestra, just as swing crested in Harlem and modern jazz emerged on 52nd Street.Item The Blue Yodeler is Coming to Town: A Week with Jimmie Rodgers in West Texas(The Center for Texas Music History, 2001-09) Specht, Joe W.Jimmie Rodgers, often called the Father of Country Music, was born, raised, and buried in the state of Mississippi. But in the minds of many, he has long been associated with Texas, and well he should be. For the last four years of his life, 1929-1933, Rodgers resided in Kerrville and then in San Antonio. He recorded three times in Dallas and once in the Alamo City, and several of his songs make direct reference to the Lone Star State. During this period, he also traveled around the state on numerous occasions performing and making personal appearances in towns both large and small. As country music historian Bill Malone has pointed out, Rodgers’s link with Texas was such that noted folklorist Alan Lomax, almost thirty years after the singer’s death, still identified him as "a San Antonio railroad brakeman" and "this Texas brakeman." Rodgers’s biographer, Nolan Porterfield, has done an excellent job of documenting dozens of Rodgers comings and goings within the state, but as he acknowledges, the full extent of Jimmie’s outings in Texas remains incomplete. The following essay attempts to fill in a few of the gaps.Item The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum Celebrates Texas Country Music(The Center for Texas Music History, 2002-09) Hartman, Gary A.Since it opened in April 2001, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum has hosted a variety of exhibits and educational events designed to promote the understanding of the Lone Star State’s unique and complex history. The impressive four-story museum, located at the corner of Congress Avenue and Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard in Austin, includes 34,000 square feet of exhibit space, along with a 200-seat "Spirit of Texas" performance theater and a 400-seat IMAX theater. Although individual exhibit areas emphasize particular themes in Texas history, the collective focus of the museum is on telling "the Story of Texas" by celebrating the richly diverse traditions of the state and the many people who have made it their home over the past several centuries.Item Bob Wills: The King of Western Swing(The Center for Texas Music History, 2002-09) Evans, RushIn the 1930s, America was immersed in the great economic Depression, but it was also experiencing a technological and cultural explosion. The motorized transportation and the new electronic media would forever change the world. And yet, from the Midwest to the Pacific Ocean, we were still a developing, open, agricultural wild land. The music that had been carried through the folk tradition continued being passed down through the families that had worked the land, the families who had faced dust storms and other hindrances to their hard work west of the Mississippi.Item Celebrating "Das Deutsche Lied" in Texas(The Center for Texas Music History, 2003-09) Heide, Jean M.Towards the end of the Republic of Texas and in the early days of statehood, German settlers began arriving at the Ports of Galveston and Indianola. They were coming to Texas largely because of promises made to them for a better political and economic life by the Society for the Protection of German mmigrants in Texas, the Adelsverein. The Adelsverein was an organization formed in 1842 by German noblemen who wanted to create prosperous new settlements in what is now central Texas. The first group of German settlers to arrive under the auspices of the Adelsverein was led by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. On March 21, 1845, the Adelsverein established its first community in central Texas and named it "New Braunfels" in honor of the Prince’s estate in Europe.Item Charlie Sexton: Too Many Ways to Fall(The Center for Texas Music History, 2019-01) Crouch, JasonCharlie Sexton’s story reads like the quintessential Texas music fable: raw talent and sheer determination tempered by frustration and missed opportunities, much of it lived in the public eye. Sexton’s career began as child prodigy guitarist in the Austin music scene, fostered by some of the most celebrated artists there. He became an international heartthrob in his teens, struggled with major label woes, and rubbed elbows and performed with jet-setting rock stars. He searched for his lyrical voice and found success in the recording studio as an acclaimed producer. The journey has been costly in many regards, but at this point in his life, Charlie Sexton is the essence of the Austin music scene distilled in one career and man. More than thirty-five years into his career, Sexton remains a vital guitarist, a commanding vocalist, and, now, an in-demand producer.Item Cosmic Cowboys, Thunderbirds, and Punks: From Austin Countercultures to the 'Live Music Capital of the World'(The Center for Texas Music History, 2016-01) Watson, JonathanThe complex musical traditions of the American Southwest reflect the vastly diverse ethnic cultures long present throughout the region. For hundreds of years, the Southwest has been a cultural crossroads for Native Americans, Hispanics, Anglos, African Americans, Germans, Czechs, and many others, all of whom have left an important imprint on the area's musical history. As historian Gary Hartman notes, "The number, variety, and placement of the state's ethnic communities are unique in all of North America, and they have allowed for a prolific cross-pollination of musical cultures that has given Texas music its special character." Today, music continues to be a vital cultural element in defining what it means to be Texan.Item Counterculture Cowboys: Progressive Texas Country of the 1970s and 1980s(The Center for Texas Music History, 2003-03) Lock, CoryCountry music undeniably forms a vital and prominent part of Texas culture. Texas country musicians have long been innovators, not only fashioning a distinctive brand of regional music, but also consistently enriching the music and general culture of the American nation as a whole. Artists such as Bob Wills, Gene Autry, Ernest Tubb, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, George Strait, and the Dixie Chicks have become national icons and have helped shape mainstream American perceptions of what it is to be "country."Item The Cowboy Song as Art Song(The Center for Texas Music History, 2014-01) Raessler, Daniel M.Among the iconic figures that emerged from the American West, the cowboy proved as irresistible as he was durable. And no wonder--with stories by Ned Buntline, Bret Harte, and others that began appearing during the 1870s, increasing numbers of readers found themselves drawn to adventures set in that vast region.Item Cowboys and Indians: The International Stage(The Center for Texas Music History, 2002-03) Hillis, Craig D.There are countless cultural innovations and popular products recognized around the world as uniquely American. Whether with the blues, the Big Mac, tailfins on Cadillacs, or the legacy of space travel, the United States continually astounds and, from time to time, confounds the world with its prolific cultural productivity. Things American are everywhere, at least anywhere a radio wave can reach a receiver or a satellite signal can touch a television set, and two of the most ubiquitous Yankee exports are the mythical cowboy of the Wild West and country music. Bob Livingston, an accomplished Austin musician, has helped to shape these singular institutions into an effective tool of American diplomacy. Since 1986, Livingston has toured extensively in South Asia and the Middle East as an emissary of the State Department of the United States presenting a musical program he calls "Cowboys and Indians." He describes his mission (with his tongue only partially in his cheek) as an attempt "to achieve world peace through cowboy songs and yodeling." Livingston’s ambitious crusade has touched the lives of thousands around the world by offering a refreshing and holistic view of American culture. His program, "Cowboys and Indians," is a testament to the practical and positive contribution that American music can make to a deeply troubled world.Item A “Cowboy’s Sweetheart”: Kathy Dell’s Musical Career in the Crossroads Region of South(The Center for Texas Music History, 2007-01) Brown, MelThe history of American country music is often thought of in terms of its many stars. But for every performer who has made it big in Nashville, New York, or Hollywood, there are many other singers, songwriters, and musicians with equal or even greater talent who never became famous but who had the same dedication, commitment, and desire to entertain as their better-known colleagues. The role of these less-well-known artists in the nation's musical history is as worthy of documentation as any, since they are perhaps the real heartbeat of the music.Item The Creation of "Texas Music": Doug Sahm's Atlantic Sessions and the Progressive-Country Era(The Center for Texas Music History, 2012-01) Stimeling, TravisSan Antonio native and progressive-country music icon, Doug Sahm, worked as a musician within the Mission City's ethnically diverse, working-class neighborhoods from the age of six, first as a multi-instrumentalist in the local country music scene and later as part of the area's blues and conjunto scenes. A third-generation German-American, Douglas Wayne Sahm was born on November 6, 1941. By his 30th birthday, he was widely recognized as a principal figure in the formation of a "Texas music" that brought together the vernacular styles of the Lone Star State's African-American, Anglo-American, and Tejano populations in order to articulate a Texan countercultural identity in the wake of the Civil Rights and Chicano movements, conflicts about the Vietnam War, and widespread economic change throughout the Sun Belt.Item Delbert McClinton: One of the Fortunate Few(The Center for Texas Music History, 2015-01) Hendricks, Diana FinlayDelbert McClinton, award-winning singer, songwriter, musician, and bandleader, is, as described in his song, "One of the Fortunate Few." Born in Lubbock and raised in Fort Worth, the Texas artist has risen to international acclaim, playing professionally for most of the past six decades. He has had a backstage pass to the evolution of Texas and American music, and most importantly, has played a significant role in helping shape that music. However, a major part of McClinton's legacy, which often goes unrecognized, is the fact that he has always ignored racial and ethnic cultural boundaries and blended together a wide range of musical styles into his own distinct sound.Item “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes": Slim Willet’s Idiosyncratic Chart-Topper Lives On(The Center for Texas Music History, 2009-01) Specht, Joe W.In the fall of 1952, and well on into 1953, the nation's radio airwaves and jukeboxes were filled with the sound of "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes." The song, penned by Abilene disc jockey Slim Wallet, was all the rage with four different versions in Billboard's Country & Western Top 10. On Billboard's Pop chart, Perry Como took the song to Number 1, selling over one million copies.Item Eddie Preston: Texas Trumpeter Fallen Through the Cracks(The Center for Texas Music History, 2017-01) Oliphant, DaveIdentifying a jazz musician's place of birth has interested me ever since my parents gave me a copy of Leonard Feather's 1962 The New Edition of The Encyclopedia of Jazz. Some thirty years later it became essential for me to know which musicians hailed from my home state of Texas, once I had taken on the task of writing about Texans in jazz history. As a result of this quest for knowledge, I discovered, among other things, that guitarist, trombonist, and composer-arranger Eddie Durham was born and raised in San Marcos, home to Texas State University.Item Eddie Stout, Dialtone Records, and the Making of a Blues Scene in Austin(The Center for Texas Music History, 2016-01) Pedro, JosepAustin, Texas, native Eddie Stout's dedication to the preservation and celebration of the blues over the past four decades has earned him tremendous respect and admiration within the local blues community. A performing bass player since 1972, Stout has been active in the global expansion of blues. He also has been a prolific producer of African-American roots music, including blues, gospel, and jazz, with the creation of labels such as Pee Wee Records (1984), Dialtone Records (1999), and Dynaflow Records (2014), Stout has served as an international representative, distributor, and publisher for several companies, such as Justice Records, Independent Artists, Doolittle, New West, Antone's Records, and Malaco Records. Because of his broad knowledge and experience in the field of blues, he is frequently invited to serve as a panelist and label representative at music conventions throughout the world, as well as a producer and director of forty episodes of the popular television show Songwriters across Texas (2012-2013).Item 'Far Out in Texas': Countercultural Sound and the Construction of Cultural Heritage in the Capital City(The Center for Texas Music History, 2018-01) Ruch, Jennifer E.This article is intended to highlight the ways in which collective public memory of 1960s-1970s counterculture forged contemporary applications of cultural heritage both in fact and in myth. Specifically, it explores the development of countercultural music scenes from the 1960s through the 1970s within the regional context of Austin, Texas. According to Dirk Spenneman, cultural heritage is the "result of human interaction with the environment and one another." Since the value that groups and communities assign to both tangible and intangible forms of culture cannot be systematically predicted, cultural heritage is a human construct.Item Gene Autry and The Phantom Empire: The Cowboy in the Wired West of the Future(The Center for Texas Music History, 2010-01) Briley, RonIn 1935, budding cowboy singing star Gene Autry appeared in the Mascot Pictures serial 'The Phantom Empire.' The film offers a blending of the Western and science fiction genres, and Autry employs such modern devices as aircraft, radio, television, and even laser rays to protect Radio Ranch from the predatory designs of evil scientists and business interests seeking to exploit the radium deposits found in the subterranean city of Murania, located below the ranch. Autry is able to save the ranch from these threats, both alien and domestic, by completing his scheduled radio broadcasts. The premise of the film is that the Western environment may only be preserved through an adaptation to modernism, which will reduce regional isolationism and ensure the overall survival of the American West. Thus, as the protagonist of 'The Phantom Empire' portraying himself, Autry appears as somewhat of a New Deal cowboy protecting the common people of the West from greedy outside business interests.