Blue Mountain is led by the husband and wife team of Cary Hudson and Laurie Stirratt; the roots rockers drew their name from a small town near their home base of Oxford, MS, where the bandmembers first began soaking up the country, blues, and rock influences that informed their distinctive sound. Blue Mountain was founded in 1993 by... [+] Read More

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Named after a local rodeo rider, Darden Smith grew up in Austin, TX. In the 1980s, the rootsy singer/songwriter began building quite a following, and his independent 1986 debut was snapped up by Epic. Three of its cuts were re-recorded for 1988's Native Soil; the single "Little Maggie" placed on the country charts. Trouble No More -- a... [+] Read More

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Though other performers sold more records and earned greater fame, few left as profound an impact on contemporary music as Emmylou Harris. Blessed with a crystalline voice, a remarkable gift for phrasing, and a restless creative spirit, she traveled a singular artistic path, proudly carrying the torch of "Cosmic American music" passed down by... [+] Read More

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Although a Georgia native, Eric Taylor found fame in Texas, where his folksinging influenced both Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith (both of whom have recorded his songs). Taylor got a ride to Houston in 1970, and after seeing Lightnin' Hopkins and Townes Van Zandt, was convinced to stay. He emerged from the Houston folk scene of the '70s along... [+] Read More

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With his warm, warbling tenor voice and folksy, friendly approach to both his music and his audiences, Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an easy guy to like. His music is a rich blend of traditional country, folk, blues, and rock styles, and his lyrics reflect both his philosophical interests and his inherent down-home nature. Since moving to Austin, TX,... [+] Read More

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For years, Jon English was the lead singer of the indie phenom Plow Monday. Now, after a long break he has resurfaced as a solo artist with a new sound, a new outlook, and one song, Texas Brought Us Here, that is destined to make Texas Music History.

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Singer/Songwriter/TEXAN
This "trucker's son", to quote his song 'This Is the Life' has a sound that comes from a wide range of influences. When you listen to Lonny's music you might be reminded of Steve Earle, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakum, Pat Green, old trucks, whiskey & a smokey bar somewhere in TEXAS. His influences give him an edge... [+] Read More

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Striding the fine line between folk and country music, Nanci Griffith has become as well-known for her brilliant confessional songwriting as her beautiful voice. A self-styled "folkabilly" singer, Griffith began as a kindergarten teacher and occasional folksinger. The country scene took her to heart in the mid-'80s, giving her a reputation as a... [+] Read More

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This husky-voiced country-folk singer/songwriter is very much in the mold of the Lubbock, TX, school of mavericks, including Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Richard Buckner is actually based in San Francisco, but the Lubbock connection is no accident. His debut album, Bloomed, was recorded in Lubbock, for one thing, with... [+] Read More

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While Rodney Crowell first gained widespread recognition as a leader of the new traditionalist movement of the mid-'80s, he in fact was a singer, songwriter, and producer with roots and ambitions extending far beyond the movement's parameters. Born to a musical family on August 7, 1950, in Houston, TX, Crowell formed his first band, the... [+] Read More

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In the strictest sense, Steve Earle isn't a country artist, he's a roots rocker. Earle emerged in the mid-'80s, after Bruce Springsteen had popularized populist rock & roll and Dwight Yoakam had kick-started the neo-traditionalist movement in country music. At first, Earle appeared to be more toward the rock side than country. He played... [+] Read More

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As a songwriter and a performer, Willie Nelson played a vital role in post-rock & roll country music. Although he didn't become a star until the mid-'70s, Nelson spent the '60s writing songs that became hits for stars like Ray Price ("Night Life"), Patsy Cline ("Crazy"), Faron Young ("Hello Walls"), and Billy Walker ("Funny How Time Slips Away")... [+] Read More

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