Today is the birthday of Dimebag Darrell. He would be 60 today. Darrell Lance Abbott was born in Arlington, Texas on August 20, 1966. He and his brother Vinnie Paul grew up in a musical household — their father Jerry Abbott was a country music producer. Darrell picked up guitar early and immediately went somewhere […]
Today is the birthday of Kenny Rogers. He would be 88 today. Kenneth Donald Rogers was born in Houston, Texas on August 21, 1938, in the Third Ward. His family was large and poor. He grew up singing in school choirs and started playing local clubs as a teenager. He joined the New Christy Minstrels […]
Kenny Dorham was born in 1924 in Fairfield — the bebop trumpet giant who co-founded the Jazz Messengers and wrote the standard "Blue Bossa."
Today is the birthday of Freddie King. He would be 92 today. If you've spent any time in a Texas blues club, you've heard Freddie King — whether you knew it or not. Fred Christian King was born in Gilmer, Texas on September 3, 1934, in Upshur County, the same pine country that produced Don […]
Today is the birthday of Beyoncé. She is 45 today. Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born in Houston, Texas on September 4, 1981. She grew up in the Third Ward and enrolled at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the same school that produced Donald Harrison, Robert Glasper, and Jazmine Sullivan. She was […]
Today is the birthday of Buddy Holly. He would be 90 today. Charles Hardin Holley was born in Lubbock, Texas on September 7, 1936. The South Plains city was dry and flat and about as far from rock and roll as geography could arrange. But Holly heard Elvis Presley at the Lubbock Fair Grounds in […]
Today is the birthday of George Jones. He would be 95 today. George Glenn Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas on September 12, 1931 — in Hardin County, deep in the Big Thicket country of Southeast Texas. His father played guitar and fiddle. George was already singing on the streets of Beaumont for coins at […]
Today is the birthday of George Jones. He would be 95 today. George Glenn Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas on September 12, 1931 — in Hardin County, deep in the Big Thicket country of Southeast Texas. His father played guitar and fiddle. George was already singing on the streets of Beaumont for coins at […]
Blind Lemon Jefferson was born in Wortham on September 24, 1893. Born blind, he invented the Texas blues and changed American music forever.
Today is the birthday of Gene Autry. He would be 119 today. Orvon Grover Autry was born near Tioga, Texas on September 29, 1907, in Grayson County, north of Dallas near the Red River. He grew up on a ranch and learned guitar from his mother and harmonica from a traveling musician. He worked as […]
Today is the birthday of Gene Autry. He would be 119 today. Orvon Grover Autry was born near Tioga, Texas on September 29, 1907, in Grayson County north of Dallas near the Red River. He grew up on a ranch and learned guitar from his mother. He worked as a telegraph operator for the Frisco […]
Today is the birthday of Stevie Ray Vaughan. He would be 72 today. Stephen Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas on October 3, 1954. He grew up in Oak Cliff on the south side of Dallas, where his older brother Jimmie was already playing guitar in the clubs. Stevie started playing at seven and […]
