Texas blues is a type of music that formed in Texas with important cities like Dallas, Houston, and Austin. As a style unique to the region, early versions had influences from jazz and swing. Later versions became more similar to blues rock and Southern rock.

History

Texas blues began to develop in the early 1900s among African Americans who worked in oilfields, ranches, and lumber camps. The sound of this music was shaped by African musical traditions that enslaved people in the South brought with them. One example is the use of call-and-response, a technique found in work songs and blues. In the 1920s, Blind Lemon Jefferson helped shape the style by using jazz-like improvisation and playing a guitar with a single string. His work became a major influence on future musicians, and some people credit him as the founder of Texas blues. During the 1930s Great Depression, many blues musicians moved to cities like Galveston, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. From these cities, new performers such as slide guitarist Blind Willie Johnson emerged. Later musicians, including Lightnin' Hopkins, Lil' Son Jackson, and T-Bone Walker, were inspired by these developments. Robert Johnson recorded two sessions in Texas, even though he was born in Mississippi.

T-Bone Walker moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s to record his most important music. His use of swing music style in his guitar playing helped shape electric blues. B.B. King once said that T-Bone Walker’s music made him want to play the blues. He also influenced Goree Carter, whose song "Rock Awhile" (1949) used a powerful electric guitar style and is considered a possible first rock and roll record.

In the 1950s, the R&B music industry in Texas was centered in Houston, with labels like Duke/Peacock. These labels supported artists who later helped develop the electric Texas blues sound, such as Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. Freddie King, a key influence on electric blues, was born in Texas but moved to Chicago as a teenager. His song "Hide Away" (1961) inspired British blues musicians like Eric Clapton.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Texas blues scene grew, influenced by country music and blues rock, especially in Austin. This style often included keyboards, horns, and focused on guitar solos. Notable artists from this time were Johnny and Edgar Winter, who blended traditional and southern styles. In the 1970s, Jimmie Vaughan formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In the 1980s, his brother Stevie Ray Vaughan gained mainstream success with his skilled guitar playing. At the same time, ZZ Top became famous for their Southern rock style.

Geography

The city of Dallas was a popular place for blues musicians from across the South to visit. This was because Dallas had many chances for musicians to perform and record music. A neighborhood called Deep Ellum, also known as Central Track because it was near the Houston and Texas Central train tracks, attracted many blues performers. Deep Ellum was mostly an African American community and hosted famous blues musicians like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, and Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter. The neighborhood had several theaters where both traveling and local musicians performed. One of these theaters was the Rose Room, which was once called the Rose Ballroom. Musicians like Jimmy Nelson, Aaron "T-Bone" Walker, and Zuzu Bollin performed there.

The city of Houston was a destination for blues musicians because it had a recording studio called Duke/Peacock Records. Peacock Records, which was owned by African Americans, was started in Houston in 1949 and later joined with Duke Records in 1952. A well-known artist from this record label was Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, an African American woman who originally sang the song "Hound Dog," later performed by Elvis Presley. Before Peacock Records was created, Houston already had places for blues musicians to perform and learn. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Wards of Houston were neighborhoods where African Americans lived. In each of these areas, blues musicians developed their skills. The Third Ward was home to Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins, the Fourth Ward to the Santa Fe Group, and the Fifth Ward to members of the George W. Thomas family. Each of these neighborhoods helped shape the unique sounds of the Texas Blues.

The blues scene in Austin grew more slowly than in Dallas or Houston, but it still contributed to the development of Texas blues. In Austin, musicians like Lavada Durst, Grey Ghost, and Robert Shaw played barrelhouse blues on piano. One reason Austin's blues scene was smaller was because it had fewer African American residents. Later, in the 1960s, more musicians began moving to Austin to perform and learn. This included artists like Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Kim Wilson. This movement helped make Austin's blues scene more active and brought more people to listen to African American blues musicians who lived and performed there. Musicians could play at places like Antone's and the Continental Club, reaching larger audiences.