History of Texas Country

Country music has had several sub-genres over the years, some more popular than others. Nashville country is without a doubt the most widely listened to of these genres, but many people are beginning to discover a different genre commonly known as Texas Country or Red Dirt Music. Texas Country is becoming more widely known and quickly growing in popularity. But how did this sub-genre originate?

For that answer, we have to take a look back in the 1960s and 70s at what has been known as the Outlaw Country movement. “At the center of the outlaw movement was Willie Nelson who by 1968 had grown frustrated with Nashville's resistance to his more personal music approach”(Fabian). Willie Nelson moved to Austin, Texas where he could continue his music career in his own way, not bound by the norms of Nashville Country. Just like Nelson, another country artist, Waylon Jennings, also moved down to Texas to escape Nashville. Together, Waylon and Willie made an album called, “Wanted: The Outlaws…  The 1976 album gave a name to a country sound that rejected Nashville sweetening and took herd living, hard loving and confessional song-writing as an artistic and personal creed”(Decurtis). This was the first million selling country album. Effectively, Waylon and Willie began the Outlaw Country movement that paved the way for Texas Country.

Though this country music sub-genre derived in Texas, several artists from Oklahoma such as Cross Canadian Ragweed also had a lot of influence on its development. This Oklahoma influence is where the sub-genre got its other name – red dirt music. This term refers to the miles of red dirt that is common throughout Texas as well as Oklahoma.

A large part of the development of Texas country actually occurred right here in College Station, Texas. College Station has, and continues to be a hot spot for Texas Country artists from all around. Other cities vital to the growth of Texas Country include Austin, Houston, and Luckenbach. Waylon and Willie even wrote a song about Luckenbach, Texas.

Today, Texas Country artists are becoming more widely recognized. Though the majority of Texas Country artists have a hard time finding their way onto a predominantly Nashville Country radio, bands such as Cross Canadian Ragweed, Josh Abbot Band, Kevin Fowler, and Pat Green are making headway and expanding Texas Country to new audiences.

- By: Chase Mack

Sources:

Decurtis, Anthony. "WAYLON JENNINGS GAVE NASHVILLE ITS OUTLAW EDGE." . Rolling Stone. Web. 21 Nov 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=18&hid=25&sid=b2de6373-a831-406d-9ee1-d0b156903cbd@sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==

Fabian, Shelly. "Country 101: Different Types of Country."About.com. N.p.. Web. 20 Nov 2012. <http://countrymusic.about.com/od/history/a/country101_e.htm>.

Abernethy, Francis E. "Texas Folk and Modern Country Music." Texas Country: The Changing Rural Scene. Ed. Lich, Glene. College Station, TX: Texas A&M University Press, 1986.