Waylon Jennings's 1977 hit 'Luckenbach, Texas' turned a tiny Hill Country hamlet near Fredericksburg into a country music pilgrimage destination.
At Lubbock's KDAV Radio, Waylon Jennings worked for Buddy Holly, who arranged his first session in 1958 and hired him for the Winter Dance Party tour.
At 14, Waylon Jennings landed his first radio show on KVOW in Littlefield — the gig that set him on a path to reshape country music.
Waylon Jennings was born on June 15, 1937, near Littlefield, Texas — the West Texas town whose water tower still proclaims his name.
Joe Ely was expelled from Monterey High School in Lubbock after singing 'Cherry Pie' at a school assembly — the rebel act that launched a legendary career.
Lubbock's Buddy Holly Park hosted the Tornado Jam in 1982. Joe Ely headlined before 25,000 fans with Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, and Joan Jett.
The Cotton Club at 50th Street in Lubbock opened in 1938 and became the room where Elvis performed in 1955 and an MCA scout discovered Joe Ely in 1975.
CB Stubblefield's Lubbock BBQ joint on East Broadway launched Sunday jams where Joe Ely, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Willie Nelson shared the same small stage.
Joe Ely was born in Amarillo on February 9, 1947, along the Route 66 corridor that sparked a restless, roving spirit woven through his music.
The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage opened in 1997 in the deep pine timber of Panola County. Cindy Walker was a charter inductee — and her 1946 Martin guitar is still on display today.
In 1936, an 18-year-old Cindy Walker danced in the chorus at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth — and while she was there, her song played on national radio. It was the first performance that showed her what a song could do.
At 114 S. Brooks Street in Mexia, Cindy Walker spent the most productive decades of her career writing songs at home.