Texas Music News — October 11, 2026
Willie Nelson endorsed Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate in a video released Thursday. The Abbott, Texas, native has spent six decades singing for outlaws, farmers, and underdogs. Now he is asking Texans to send a state lawmaker to Washington.
Nelson gave the video exclusively to the Houston Chronicle, and he keeps the pitch short and plain. It plays like a handshake across a porch rail. “He’s a good man who will be a good senator for the state of Texas,” Nelson says.
Talarico already knows the singer’s stage. He joined Nelson at the annual Fourth of July Picnic in Austin earlier this summer. Nelson has also recorded video endorsements for Gina Hinojosa for governor and Vikki Goodwin for lieutenant governor.
Willie Has Never Sat Out a Fight
Nelson never treated politics as a spectator sport. He backed Beto O’Rourke in earlier races, and he supported Kamala Harris in 2024. Meanwhile, Talarico faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton on November 3. The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, so every famous voice carries weight.
Nelson still carries his small-town roots like a worn guitar strap. You can see where they started at Willie Nelson’s childhood home in Abbott, Texas. At 93, he picks his fights the way he picks his notes: slowly, simply, and for keeps. Details at Texas Politics.
More Texas Music News
Austin guitar trio Texas Headhunters released their second album, Rise & Shine, on Friday. Ian Moore, Johnny Moeller, and Jesse Dayton self-produced the record for Hardcharger and Blue Élan. Moeller wrote the title track, “Rise and Shine,” and he says it sounds “like Stephen Stills playing a blues shuffle.” Details at BroadwayWorld.
The 46th Annual Tejano Music Awards added Ram Herrera and Luis Ayala’s Fiebre to its lineup. They join Jay Perez, Siggno, Gary Hobbs, Avizo, and Jenny B. The show lands Friday, November 13, at the Texas Rodeo Saloon in Katy, Texas, for a second straight year. Details at Tejano Nation.
The State Fair of Texas keeps its free concerts running through October 18. Clint Black, Toadies, and Muscadine Bloodline anchor the Chevrolet Main Stage, while local acts fill the smaller stages. So you still have a week to catch a set between the corn dogs. Details at CultureMap Houston.