Season 242 - South Texas Musicians

Hello everyone, welcome to Seasons of the Ukulele 242. I would like to give credit for inspiring the theme of this season to two different Seasonistas: Turtledrum, for her Long Island Music Hall of Fame season; and UkingViking for his Think Global, Play Local season.

The theme for this week is: South Texas Musicians. I was originally going to make the theme for this week the South Texas Music Walk of Fame, but I decided to expand it and make it for any musicians from South Texas.

So, what is "south Texas"? The Walk of Fame's definition is to draw a latitudinal line through San Antonio and everything south of that is "south Texas." However, they also include some Houston musicians, so for this week we are going to say that the latitude of Houston is the northern limit.

Anyone from south of that line is included. This means that Austin-based musicians are not included in this season, unless he/she was born in south Texas. You can cover any musician who was born in south Texas, even if they now live somewhere else, or any musician who was born somewhere else but now resides in south Texas, or were doing so at the time they passed away.

I have made a list that is based on the list that I did find for the Walk of Fame, but which I have added to. However, this list is just to get you started and you are not limited only to this list. Anyone who is from south Texas as described above is eligible. Many of these musicians were members of bands who were not necessarily from south Texas, however since they were in the band, any songs by that band is allowed. For example, Stevie Ray Vaughan's band Double Trouble were based in Austin, but his drummer, Chris Layton, was from Corpus Christi, so all Double Trouble songs are allowed. I would like to ask that if you feel the need to do more songs by the Monkees, please stick to the ones that were written by Michael Nesmith, since we just recently did a Monkees season.

Since I have found that the themes I choose tend to be somewhat self-limiting, there is no song limit for this week.

Original songs: the original song theme for this week is My Favorite Picture, and is inspired by a Guy Clark song "My Favorite Picture of You" which he wrote about a photograph of his wife. Write an original song about a picture. It can be a photo that you own or any picture of any kind (painting, artwork, etc.), that strikes you. Please show everyone the picture you are writing about. Provide a link to it, include it in your forum post, or just hold it up in front of the camera for a few seconds so we can all see it.

There will be some familiar names on the list, and many names that are not familiar. I hope everyone enjoys learning about some new musicians and new songs. Have fun!

country musicians from Texas
folk musicians from Texas
musical groups from Texas
musicians from Houston, Texas
old-time musicians from Texas
musicians from San Antonio, Texas
singers from Texas
songwriters from Texas
Texas blues musicians

Remember these links are for Texas musicians in general, so remember to check and make sure they are from south Texas before covering! Thanks.

Playlists:
South Texas Musicians (covers)
My Favorite Picture (originals)

Is the list in the video?

You've mentioned a list, Alan but you seem to have forgotten to post it.

A partial list of musicians from south Texas

Karen Abrahams - Americana (blues, rock, swing, country, bluegrass)
Bill Barr & The Sons of Texas - country, active in 1940s-50s(?)
Rocky Benton - blues, active until his death in 2009
Mike Blakely - country/western/cowboy songs
Ponty Bone - singer and accordion player, reggae/blues/conjunto/Cajun
Bubble Puppy - psychedelic rock, active in 1960s
Guy Clark - Guy Clark
Roger Creager - country
Christopher Cross - pop, popular mostly in the 1980s
Alejandro Escovedo - country/rock/punk/Tex-Mex
Freddy Fender - Tejano/country/rock, died 2006 (also with Texas Tornados)
Rosie Flores - rockabilly/country/western swing
Pat Grogan - country
Bill Haley - rock & roll
Terri Hendrix - Americana
Matt Hole - rockabilly/rock & roll
Flaco Jimenez - conjunto/Tex-Mex (also with Texas Tornados)
Esteban "Steve" Jordan - jazz/rock/blues/conjunto, known as "The Jimi Hendrix of the Accordion"
Jeremy Jordan - actor and singer, has performed in numerous Broadway musicals and TV shows
Kris Kristofferson - Kris Kristofferson
Stoney LaRue - country
Chris Layton - blues/rock, drummer, played with Double Trouble (Stevie Ray Vaughan's band)
Carl Lewis & The Deadbeats - blues/rock (now known as The Deadbeats since the death of Carl Lewis)
Oscar Martinez - Tejano/rock/polka
McKay Brothers - Americana
Jason McMaster - metal singer/guitarist
Augie Meyers - rock/Tex-Mex (also with Texas Tornados and Sir Douglas Quintet)
Sam Neely - country/folk/pop mosty active during 1970s
Michael Nesmith - Michael Nesmith
Michael O'Connor - blues/rock/americana
Pozo-Seco Singers - folk (country star Don Williams was a member)
Reverend Horton Heat - rockabilly, "psychobilly"
Ted Roddy - blues/rock
Doug Sahm - rock/country/Tex-Mex (also with Texas Tornados and Sir Douglas Quintet)
Max Stalling - country
George Strait - George Strait
Sunny & the Sunliners - pop/blues/tejano/mariachi. Originally Sunny & the Sunglows.
Geronimo Trevino - country
Two Tons of Steel - country/rock/rockabilly/swing. Originally The Dead Crickets.
Rusty Wier - rock/country rock
Walt Wilkins - Americana. Also plays with a band called The Mystiqueros.
Zakary Thaks - rock band active during the 1960s.
Johnny Rodriguez - country
Jarrod Birmingham - Americana
Allen Wayne Damron - cowboy, folk
Randy Garibay - blues
Dottsy - country
ZZ Top - rock
Moving Sidewalks - psychedelic rock, first group of Billy Gibbons (of ZZ Top)
Leon McAuliffe - Steel guitar player with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
Sons of Texas - metal
Ronnie Fauss - Americana. Born in Oklahoma but raised in Houston, so...yes!
Steve Earle - Born in Virginia but grew up mostly in the San Antonio area.
Kris Kristofferson - Kris Kristofferson.
Bobby Fuller - rock & roll (I Fought the Law)
Emilio Navaira - Tejano/country. Sang in both Spanish and English. Known as "the Garth Brooks of Tejano."
Robert Earl Keen - Robert Earl Keen.
Cory Morrow - Americana.
Janis Joplin - Janis Joplin.
Mary Jo Chelette - country.
Blas Elias - rock/glam metal. Drummer for the band Slaughter.
Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell - rockabilly. Born in Saspamco!? Saspamco is a town that no longer really exists, just a hop, skip & a jump away from where I live. Amazing!
Robert Johnson - blues. Not from south Texas, but he gets on the list because most of his recordings were made at the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio and it's my season.
Selena - Tejano superstar who sang mostly in Spanish, murdered at the age of 23, recorded a couple of English-language songs on her final album, I think. Did a Spanish-language cover of the Pretenders "Back On the Chain Gang."
Alan Haynes - blues.
Shifty Henry - blues and jazz.
Eddie Jackson - bass guitarist, co-founder of Queensryche.
Darren Jessee - drummer/songwriter/singer. Member of Ben Folds Five and Hotel Lights.
Mickey Jones - drummer for First Edition (Kenny Rogers' first band).
Kenny Rogers - pop/country.
Hamilton Loomis - blues.
Julie Mintz - alt country, indie rock, and gothic Americana, whatever that is.
Michael Morales - rock/pop.
Larry Norman - Christian rock.
Matt Oliver - indie rock.
Taylor Pie - folk. Another member of the Pozo-Seco Singers. Her photo at Wikipedia appears to show her playing a ukulele.
A.B. Quintanilla - Tejano, reggae, R&B. Older brother of Selena (also on this list).
Peter Reardon - punk. Singer for the punk band Crowd Control from Houston.
Elida Reyna - Tejano.
Rudy Robbins - Founded the western harmony band The Spirit of Texas, modeled after The Sons of the Pioneers.
Bob McDill - song writer.
George Jones - Born pretty close to Houston.
B.J. Thomas - Born in Oklahoma but grew up in Houston.
Nanci Griffith - Born in Seguin, about a half-hour drive from here.
Johnny Winter - blues. Born in Beaumont (Houston area).

Tootler said:

You've mentioned a list, Alan but you seem to have forgotten to post it.

Click to expand...

No, I was just working on editing it! I just wanted to bold all the names to make it easier to read. It's there now.

Thanks for posting the theme early and giving us time to cogitate - but I didn't need any time to select a number for this week. Hopefully I can get it done tomorrow, but I have a kickstarter for this theme from an earlier themed week - as a matter of fact, it was your week!

GOSH! I wonder what Moons will do.

Great theme, Alan! I can't wait to see what we Seasonistas come up with.

Thanks so much for the nod here, Alan!

I think you've a great theme and I look forward to the super music that's sure to appear!

When I was looking at those Wikipedia lists, I saw that Barry White was born in Galveston, and Jim Messina (of Loggins and Messina) spent his childhood in Harlingen.

uke4ia said:

When I was looking at those Wikipedia lists, I saw that Barry White was born in Galveston, and Jim Messina (of Loggins and Messina) spent his childhood in Harlingen.

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Cool. I tried to go through those pages and pick some out, but it was too much to do and I ran out of time! Barry White from Galveston. Wow!

ADDENDUM: I just noticed that one of my favorite song writers--Bob McDill--is from Walden, which falls within the Houston area.

Madi Diaz and Girl in a Coma are also from San Antonio, for all you punks out there.

uke4ia said:

When I was looking at those Wikipedia lists, I saw that Barry White was born in Galveston, and Jim Messina (of Loggins and Messina) spent his childhood in Harlingen.

Click to expand...

Oh, please please please, someone do some Barry White!:drool:

Working up a Ponty Bone song. Great name and the sort of music that sure pleases my ear. Thanks Alan!

Steve, REK Jr., Sir Douglas and Guy Clark...
I ought to be busy this week for sure. So totally stoked.

Jack Ingram....how do we live in a world where
Folks don't know that guy. Gonna be a fun week

Flat Town Boogie a Ponty Bone song.

Bukka White from Houston did this Blind Lemon Jefferson song.
and those white boys Kelly Joe Phelps and John Hammond did their own special versions.
You really need those low bass strings to get low down and dirty.

A song covered by Gene Autry, "The Singing Cowboy":