Music In Texas

The timeline from the University of Texas At Austin is of musicians who are from Texas, or lived in Texas. They have influenced the musical world in one way or another. There are quite a few names that I was not aware of their ties to Texas, and I bet it'll surprised other readers too.

The timeline starts at the 1800's to present. Several facts (quoted) from the timeline:

1831. Mary Austin Holley, a cousin of Stephen F. Austin, writes the first folk song composed in the colony, "Brazos Boat Song."

1899. Texarkana native Scott Joplin, the "King of Ragtime," creates a living language for jazz, R&B, and rock n' roll with the publication of his "Maple Leaf Rag." Within a decade, a half-million copies are sold. Seventy-two years after its circulation in 1902, his tune "The Entertainer" charts at number three, a testament to his genius and staying power.

1931. Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter, a Beaumont native, acts in a Broadway production, Green Grow the Lilacs, and hosts a series of radio roundups in New York City. He enters the studio in 1933 to record songs such as "Rye Whiskey." "Get Along, Little Doggie" is a favorite in 1935.

1936. Santiago Jiménez of San Antonio, called the Father of Conjunto music, releases his first record, "Dices Pescao/Dispensa el Arrempujon." Conjunto (Musica Norte) from Mexican-American folk heritage grows in popularity throughout the late 1930s and 40s.

1963. Jimmy Dean debuts a variety show on ABC, with regulars Roger Miller (of Fort Worth) and Jim Henson’s Rowlf, the piano-playing dog.

1970. Janis Joplin records her masterpiece LP, Pearl, before heroin use takes her life. The work showcases her unique blues stylings on "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Mercedes Benz."

University Of Texas At Austin - Musicians Of The Record's Timeline
http://motr.communication.utexas.edu/timeline/index.htm