When one lists the biggest music capitals in the United States, several locations tend to come to mind very quickly — Nashville, New Orleans, and Seattle, to name a few — but there is one city that sometimes falls between the cracks: Lubbock, Texas. It’s true; while it may not be as legendary and vast as other music capitals, Lubbock is the birthplace and origin point of several iconic and influential musicians spanning a range of genres.
Here are some of the most notable musicians from Lubbock.
Arguably the most notable musician hailing from Lubbock is Buddy Holly, who many would cite as the most important artist in rock and roll history. Holly was born in Lubbock in 1936, to a musical family fighting for survival amidst the Great Depression. His music career started in the city as he performed locally with high school friends. Soon, Holly scored gigs opening for none other than Elvis Presley, and his career only climbed from there, spawning hits like “Peggy Sue.”
Unfortunately, Holly’s life came to a tragic and abrupt end when he was killed in a plane crash in 1959. He was only 22 years old, but his legacy was already solidified.
Naturally, Lubbock also spawned The Crickets, a band that Buddy Holly helped found. The band became active in 1957, just two years before Holly’s death, and produced the classic “That’ll be the Day,” which shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Perhaps the band’s biggest contribution is the aural template it formed for succeeding legendary artists (most notably, the Beatles).
The Crickets continued to tour well into the 2010s, commonly billed as “The Crickets and Buddies.” In 2016, it was announced the band had played its final show.
Covering genres from rockabilly and heartland rock to americana and country, Joe Ely stands as one of Lubbock’s most versatile singer-songwriters. Ely attended Monterey High School in Lubbock, forging his musical creativity by playing in local rock bands. Eventually, Ely landed gigs performing alongside the Clash, which led to a guest vocal track on the legendary punk band’s hit single “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Ely remains musically active to this day, releasing “Panhandle Rambler” in 2015.
Jumping ahead to 2008, Lubbock also served as a proving ground to modern country band the Josh Abbott Band. Led by their namesake singer and guitarist, the band was formed in the Lubbock area as Abbott was attending Texas Tech University. Since then, the band has gone as high as number five on the US Country Charts (for its album “Small Town Family Dream”) and is currently touring in support of its most recent release, “Until My Voice Goes Out.”
