The ZZ Top co-founder, guitarist and singer Billy Gibbons was born in Houston, Texas back in 1949 and when he was a kid had the chance to see many incredible musicians playing live. Texas always had been a state where many incredible Blues musicians were born but also a place many Blues legends used to play live once in a while.
Sadly, most of those huge influential Blues players are gone nowadays but there are still a few Texan artists who are still alive and performing. Gibbons once revealed who are his favorite Texan musicians who are still active.
Billy Gibbons’ top 16 favorite Texan musicians who are still playing
Billy Gibbons first achieved some fame as a member of The Moving Sidewalks, a band that even toured with Jimi Hendrix in the 60s. However, things really changed when he formed ZZ Top alongside Dusty Hill and Frank Beard. It was the start of a really successful career in the following decades.
Although they played Rock and Roll and even experimented with other rhythms, ZZ Top was always a band with their roots in Blues Music. So in an interview with Matt Joyce in 2017, Billy Gibbons was asked who were his favorite Texan musicians who were still active. He named simply 28 musicians, “just to name a few” according to him. He said: “Sun Radio sends out a barrage of great sounds spotlighting a special preference to honor Texas players of all sorts. I’ve remained pals with so many players I have come to admire”.
Jimmie Vaughan
Jimmie Vaughan was born back on March 20, 1951 in Dallas, Texas and is the older brother of the late legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan. Besides recording with his brother, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and as a solo act he also collaborated with many other artists. Some of them are Eric Clapton and B.B. King.
Vaughan is a Grammy winner with the album “Do You Get The Blues?”, released in 2001.
Mike Flanigin
Also known as “the drifter”, Mike Flanigin is known as a master of the Hammond B3 Organ but also is a singer, songwriter and Grammy nominated producer. He collaborated with names like Jimmie Vaughan and Billy Gibbons, besides many others.
His first solo album “The Drifter” was released in 2015 and in 2024 he released his second solo effort. Called “West Texas Blues”, the album had 10 cuts of deep blues from the Lone Star State. To promote that record, Mike was ZZ Top’s opening act on a few dates.
Van Wilks
Born in Galveston, Texas, the guitarist Van Wilks was heavily influenced by the British Invasion. In the 70s he moved to Austin and played a lot there with his band Fools. He already released six solo albums and already toured as the opening act for bands like ZZ Top, Aerosmith, Heart, Van Halen and Journey.
Ruby Jane Smith
Born in Dallas, Texas back in 1994, Ruby Jane Smith plays Fiddle and is also a singer and songwriter of traditional bluegrass and America. She was the youngest fiddler to be invited to play the Grand Ole Pry and already played with names like Willie Nelson, Drake Bell and Ray Benson.
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson was born in Austin, Texas and started his career in 1969, the year that ZZ Top was formed. For years he was a member of many other groups and only released his first solo album in 1986.
But it was after the release of his second record “Ah Via Musicom” in 1990 that he achieved fame especially because of the track “Cliffs Of Dover”. The song became a hit and also was awarded with the Grammy for “Best Rock Instrumental Performance”.
Chris Layton
The drummer Chris Layton was born in Mathis, Texas back in 1955 and started his musical career in 1978. He first achieved fame as the drummer of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.
With his ex-bandmate, the bassist Tommy Shannon, he formed supergroups like Arc Angels, Storyville and Grady. Nowadays he is the drummer for Kenny Wayne Shepherd band.
Joe Ely
The singer, songwriter and guitarist Joe Ely was born in Amarillo, Texas in 1947 and started his musical career in 1970. He is considered one of the most important artists from the Texas “Progressive Country” scene in the 70s and 80s.
During his career, Ely released 16 studio albums and performed with bands like The Clash and Bruce Springsteen.
Gary Clark Jr
One of the most famous blues players from the past decade, Gary Clark Jr. was born in Austin, Texas back in 1984. He started his career in 1996 and released his debut album in 2001.
But he really became more famous in 2014 when he won the Grammy award for Best Traditional R&B performance for the song “Please Come Home”. In 2020 he also won the Grammy award, but this time for “Best Rock Song” and “Best Rock Performance” for the song “This Land”.
Willie Nelson
Probably the most famous artist from this list, Willie Nelson is one of the most influential American artists of all time. He was born in Abott, Texas in 1933 and started his career in 1956. Since then he released simply 102 studio albums.
Although he is known more as a Country musician, Nelson also explored other music genres like Blues.
George Rains
The drummer George Rains was born in Fort Worth, Texas and became more known for backing up the guitarist and singer Jimmie Vaughan since 1993. He was also the house drummer at Antone’s blues club for a decade and has played with many incredible other Blues players since the 80s.
Rosie Flores
The singer, guitarist and songwriter Rosie Flores was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1950 and started her career in 1968. But she resides in Austin nowadays and August 31 was declared Rosie Flores Day by the Austin City Council in 2006.
Her music is often described as a mix of Alternative Country and Rockabilly. Until now she has released 13 studio albums.
Stephen Barber
The composer and arranger Stephen Barber was born in Abilene, Texas in 1952. He has worked with many amazing musicians during his career. Some of them are David Byrne, Keith Richards, T Bone Burnett, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Stipe and John Legend.
Alejandro Escovedo
The singer, guitarist and songwriter Alejandro Escovedo was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1951. He curiously started as a Punk musician, as a member of the San Francisco band The Nuns and then moved to New York and joined Judy Nylon. It was in the 80s that he moved to Austin and adopted a roots Rock/Alternative Country style in the band Rank and File, then starting True Believers with his brother Javier.
His solo career really started in the early 90s when he released Gravity (1993), his first solo record.
Doyle Bramhall II
The guitarist Doyle Bramhall II was born in Dallas, Texas in 1968. He is the son of the late legendary Blues drummer Doyle Bramhall. Doyle (son) also became a songwriter and producer, working with famous names like Eric Clapton and Roger Waters.
He started his solo career in 1994 with the release of “Bird Nest on The Ground”, his debut solo record.
Lou Ann Barton
The singer Lou Ann Barton was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1954. Curiously was Stevie Ray Vaughan’s bandmate in the late 70s, called Triple Threat Revue, which was later renamed to Double Trouble.
Her solo career started in 1982 with the release of “Old Enough”, her first solo album.
Flaco Jimenez
The singer, songwriter and accordionist Flaco Jimenez was born in Sant Antonio, Texas in 1939. The musician started his career at an early age in 1946. He is best known for playing styles like Norteño, Tex Mex and Tejano music. Besides being a solo artist he was also a member of bands like Texas Tornados and Los Super Seven.
Some of the awards he received during his career are Grammys, Americana Music Awards and Tejano music awards.