Texas Musicians Who Deserve to Be In a TX Music Hall of Fame

You've heard of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you've heard of the Country Music Hall of Fame, but did you know there's a Texas Music Hall of Fame? There is & it's located in Houston & if you look at the names included on their website, there are some huge names like Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Selena... but you'll probably notice a lot of names missing. Well in honor of saluting Texas Music & with Texas Independence Day coming, I think it's only fair to admire some amazing musicians from Texas who absolutely belong in a Texas Music Hall of Fame.

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ZZ Top: Let's start with one of the most obvious omissions from the website... ZZ TOP. No one from the band is in there! ZZ Top is arguably the first thing what people think of when you SAY Texas bands. Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard & Dusty Hill (R.I.P.) have all represented Texas for over 50 years & they will continue being a staple in rock music.

Dimebag Darrell: One of the greatest metal guitarists of all time, Dimebag was born in Arlington & his legacy is forever cemented in music history. When you get buried with one of Eddie Van Halen's guitars, you are OFFICIALLY knighted in rockdom. His life was tragically cut short but he gave us some amazing songs with Pantera & not to mention all the guitarists he has & will continue to inspire.

Don Henley: Yes the iconic drummer from The Eagles is a Texan: Born in Gilmer, raised in Linden. The Eagles were formed in 1971 & have released many songs that have become rock classics. Like Take It Easy, Life In the Fast Lane, One Of These Nights and of course, the very unknown & obscure...

(and yes that was sarcasm)

Meat Loaf: Another rock legend, Michael Lee Aday aka Meat Loaf, was born in Dallas in 1947 & became one of the only musicians to incorporate theater & rock music and...make it work. He'd be known not just for his songs but his acting in movies & Broadway musicals. Tragically we lost Meat Loaf earlier this year back in January. He wasn't a member of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame so perhaps, to honor him, maybe we should...

Stephen Stills: One third of Crosby, Stills & Nash & one quarter of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stephen Stills was also born in Dallas, in 1945. Fun fact: he became the first person to get inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame TWICE on the same night: in 1997 with Buffalo Springfield & Crosby, Stills Nash & Young. However... he's not in the TX Music Hall of Fame. I think being inducted TWICE in the RnR HoF should be reason enough...

Billy Preston: Not many people can say they got to play with The Beatles, but Houston's very own Billy Preston DID. He's played many greats like Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles & he's the only non-Beatle to get a song writing credit on a recording for "Get Back" (Not even Eric Clapton got a credit for his solo in While My Guitar Gently Weeps). His work would earn him the nickname: the "Fifth Beatle".

George Strait:

Yes. The "King of Country" is NOT on the Texas Music Hall of Fame website. Born in the small town of Poteet, just outside of San Antonio, George is one of the biggest selling-music artists in the world. Not to mention his final concert was held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas

Beyoncé:

Representing Houston, Beyoncé is one of the most recognizable names in pop & at the time I'm writing this, she's only 40 years old. She's been making music since the late 90's with Destiny's Child & he all know her solo work so she'll definitely be up for a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Bobby Fuller:

Born in Bayland, Bobby Fuller had an unfortunately short career (less than 10 years between 58-66) but it left a HUGE mark on Texas music. He DID join the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, but not the Texas Music Hall of Fame. He would later start the Bobby Fuller Four, becoming the "Rock n Roll King of the Southwest" by playing a lot of shows in El Paso.

And speaking of El Paso...

Jim Ward:

Yes I had to throw in our very own Jim Ward in the mix. While he hasn't been around as Henley, Stills or ZZ Top, he IS one of the biggest figures who helped El Paso's music scene grow. Without his work in At The Drive-In (which would later spawn Sparta or The Mars Volta), the El Paso music scene possibly wouldn't have reached secular success as quickly as it did.

Here are some honorable mentions:

Gary Clark Jr:

Gary's music career really started to take off in 2010 & he's quickly becoming one of the best guitarists from Austin. I think in another decade or so, he could very EASILY be a candidate for being inducted into a music hall of fame. That also can be said about...

Khalid:

An artist that has EXPLODED onto the pop charts & he's from right here in El Paso. Like Gary, Khalid only REALLY started his career a few years ago but the way he's been skyrocketing, he's definitely going to be a shoe-in for musical legendary status.

Tito Larriva: 

If you've seen From Dusk To Dawn, you know exactly who Tito is. From Tito & Tarantula, Tito was born in Juarez & grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska & right here in El Paso. Tito & Tarantula have been featured in two Robert Rodriguez films: Desperado & From Dusk To Dawn.

Because Tito's done quite a bit of acting as well in many films & his music is so iconic I HAD to make a mention to Tito.