Who's From Texas?

A common question that comes up at Texas Noise is, Who's a Texas singer, songwriter, or band and who's not?

For example, many would claim Janis Joplin is a Texas artist. She grew up in Port Arthur and went to school at the University of Texas in Austin. However, even the slightest research or quick read of her biography shows that she hightailed it for San Francisco after being treated poorly by fellow university students. (Wouldn't you, after being called "the ugliest male on campus?") If it wasn't for Kenneth Threadgill of Austin's Threadgills fame, Texans probably wouldn't have seen Joplin perform on Texas soil ever again, she so disowned the state of her birth. Is it fair to call her a Texas artist? Would she even want that distinction?

Then there are the artists who were pulled away under much better conditions. How many people realize that Barry White came from Carrollton, Texas? Glenn Campbell, Kenny Rogers, and Kris Kristofferson have spent much more time in California or Nashville than they have in Texas. Sure, there are references to Texas in their music, but they could just have well referred to childhoods in Illinois, Wisconsin, or Kentucky. And, does it really matter that Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child is from Houston, Texas?

Or course, this doesn't diminish these artists' accomplishments or their contributions to music. It just means there might not be anything distinctly Texan about their music, so can we claim them as Texas musicians?

Some artists, even those that travel extensively or live elsewhere, are still identified as Texas artists. Willie Nelson has performed nearly everywhere in the civilized world, it seems, but everyone knows he makes Texas his home, his Perdanales Studios is here, and that the Red Headed Stranger probably wouldn't consider taking up permanent residence outside of Texas. Lyle Lovett calls New York City home now, but is still referred to as "Texas singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett."

So, the question remains, Which singers, songwriters, and bands are from Texas and which are not?

When creating the playlist for Texas Noise, our decision is often made on simple terms such as, did this musician live in Texas? Or, Would it surprise someone to learn that this artist is from Texas? In any case, we look for musicians born in Texas or who now or ever resided in Texas. While these decisions have a basis in geographic fact, would they conform to a musicologist's definition of Texas music? Probably not.

In the strictest since, we probably should consider only those musicians who were born or lived in Texas, achieved most of their success while in Texas, and who contributed to a style or subgenre unique to or prevalent in Texas.

But, where's the fun in that? If we followed such a tight definition, we'd have to skip over The Sutcliffes (skiffle music in not unique nor prevalent in Texas), ignore the Old 97s (great music, but one could ask what's so Texas about it), and forget The Highway (only three members -- Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings -- were from Texas). What these musicians lacked in a strict connection to Texas they made up for in identity. That is, we see them and we say, They're from Texas!

That's probably the best answer for the non-musicologist (and good enough for Texas Noise). When we generally classify an artist as "from Texas," regardless of their current residence and contribution to a specific genre, then we've claimed them as our own.

Bill Good, a.k.a. djlonestar, is the owner and operator of Texas Noise, an online radio station playing rock, blues, R&B, alternative, country & rockabilly music from Texas singers, songwriters, and bands. When not seeing live music, browsing music stores, and playing very bad guitar, Bill can be found at Inceptual Inc., the e-commerce and intranet/extranet software company he founded in Dallas in 2001.

Bill can be reach at djlonestar@/.