Buddy Holly
The name Buddy Holly is as iconic to Texas as the Alamo or the flag itself. Buddy, born Charles Hardin Holley on September 7, 1936, was from Lubbock, Texas and the youngest of four children. In his early days as …
Category: Artifacts of Texas Music
Joe Tex
Joseph Arrington Jr. was born in Rogers, Texas in 1933. He moved to Baytown, TX and grew up there, following his parents’ divorce. During his high school days, he sang in both the school choir and his church choir. In …
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson was born April 30, 1933. He and his older sister Bobbie were raised by their grandparents in Abbott, Texas after his parents separated. Willie was exposed to music from a very young age due to the influence …
Pantera
The confederate flag has different meanings to people depending on where they are from and how they feel about it. To many, the flag represents hate, bigotry, and racism. But to some it can be seen as a symbol of …
Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison, the rock legend originating from Vernon, Texas, had a musical career that was pushed and pulled by his environment at every turn. At the age of six, he asked his parents for a harmonica for his birthday, and they gave …
DJ Screw
Artifact 1: Pictured above is Screwed Up Records and Tapes, a record shop on 7717 Cullen Blvd in Houston Texas. This one picture has quite the history involving a pioneer in the genre of hip hop; DJ Screw. There is a rich …
13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators are often credited as being one of the earliest dedicated Psychedelic Rock performing groups. The band was formed in 1965 after founding member Roky Erickson dropped out of high school to play rock music. The formation …
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings, a well-known purveyor of the outlaw country scene in the 1960s and 70s, was known as the ‘Nashville Rebel.” Born in a small town outside Lubbock, he exemplifies the true Texas outlaw spirit, and his music shows this. …
Destiny’s Child
Destiny’s child was formed in Houston Texas in 1990 comprised of 4 key members, Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, LeToya Luckett, and LaTavia Roberson. The group was formed by their manager and Beyonce’s father Matthew Knowles. The group originally debuted on …
Geto Boys
Geto Boys was a Houston based rap group that formed in 1986 and were the first to put Houston on the hip-hop map. Not only did they formulate a spotlight on hip-hop in the south, but they also introduced a new style of music, the genre of “gangsta rap”. The rappers grew up in …
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender is a country and Tejano artist born in Texas. Some of his other genres include rock n’ roll and honky-tonk music. The chosen artifacts depict how he is important to two distinct cultures and this interaction translates into …
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1944, to one of the founding families of his home city and into great fortune. His parents had hopes of him attending law school and joining the family’s oil …
Barbara Lynn
Barbara Lynn loved music from the day she was born in Beaumont, Texas. As a child, she was learning piano and enjoyed it. However, she decided to switch to guitar due to Elvis but struggled to find a guitar. Lynn was born left-handed and left-handed guitars were hard to …
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band that was formed in Houston, Texas in 1969. The band consisted of three members with Billy Gibbons (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Dusty Hill (Bass/Vocals), and Frank Beard (Drums) This band raised into prominence in the …
Selena Quintanilla
Selena Quintanilla Perez, known to fans simply as Selena, was a young, lively spirit with a personality larger than life. She grew into her adult stardom after a childhood performing with her siblings. Selena’s passion for music and genuine zest …
