Buddy Holly, David Frizzell and the Texas Tenors were inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in August during the hall’s 25th anniversary celebrations on Saturday, August 13.
holly buddy
Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock in 1936. His style was influenced by country, gospel, and rhythm and blues, with major hits such as ‘That’ll be the Day’ and ‘Peggy Sue’, before Holly don’t die in a plane crash.
Peter Bradley Jr. of the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation accepted the award on Holly’s behalf. Bradley then presented the award to Holly’s widow.
“I know Buddy would be very privileged and honored to be inducted here tonight,” Bradley said. “He was a very proud Texan. And on behalf of Buddy Holly’s widow, Maria Elena Holly, who I’ll be seeing tomorrow night, and his family in Lubbock, Texas, we all thank you for doing this.
Texas Tenors
The Texas Tenors have amassed a huge fan base worldwide with over half a million social media followers and over 20 million views on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. They appeared on “America’s Got Talent” and are considered the most successful touring band in the history of the television series.
The band took advantage of Saturday’s show to debut a new song on their upcoming album: Big Old Texas Sky.
Tenor member JC Fisher, before the show, described their debut as “three good buddies just trying to sing and trying to figure out what we’re going to do”.
“We sang a few songs together and sent a tape to America’s Got Talent and the Texas Tenors were born,” he said. “We had no idea that 12 years later he would be inducted into the Texas Music Hall of Fame. So what an honor and just to be able to travel with two of my best friends and do this and represent Texas… Unbelievable.
The three men have very varied musical backgrounds: Hagen was an opera singer, Collins more pop and Broadway, and Fisher with country music.
“JC had this ridiculous idea of bringing together three very different voices and doing everything from country style to operatic style,” Hagan said. “And it worked, I guess!”
“Little did we know that so many years later we would still be performing and being inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, which has to be the coolest honor we’ve ever had,” Collins said.
David Frizzel
Frizzell started in the music business at the age of 9, working with Lefty in the 1950s – and his induction means he’s now in the Hall of Fame with big brother Lefty Frizzell.
“I was lucky to have a professional career, and just my life in general, but thanks to Lefty, I started very early, working with him, opening the shows for him. And so he had in all places because he was invited everywhere.
Frizzell’s big hit that started it all was a duet with Shelly West, “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma.” He remembers phoning his brother Lefty earlier in his career and, after hearing the advice that he should just go to Nashville, object to it.
“I said I wouldn’t come to Nashville without a hit song,” Frizzell said. “Because you can’t walk into Nashville without a hit song. They won’t even talk to you. They won’t even let you in. But you come here with a #1 hit song, boy, you’re invited everywhere. And so later, in 1981, I was driving in Nashville. It was April 11. I think I took it out just because Oklahoma went No. 1. You’re the reason God made Oklahoma go No. 1 on April 11, 1981. And I stopped, he was written “Welcome to Nashville”. I got out of the car and walked to the side and looked up, just in case Lefty was there. I looked up and said ‘Man of my word, here I am.’
Pioneer Award
This year, the Pioneer Award went to Dewey Groom and the Longhorn Ballroom, a legendary country dance hall in Dallas. Charlie Shearer, who leads the Hall of Fame Band and was once Longhorn’s house band leader, described it as an honor to present the award to the Groom family.
“There is no doubt that Dewey Groom has influenced so many country singers and musicians and had a great influence on their lives. Numbers of stars, many of whom are members of our Hall of Fame, have performed there. Regulars at, they would come down and put on a show at the Big D Jamboree, the Sportatorium, load up and up the street to do a Dewey Groom’s Longhorn Ballroom In 1989 I had the opportunity to be part of the house plan which at alone, worked. And just being the lead singer in front of the band, it was such an honor for me… The Longhorn Ballroom is one of the most amazing talks I’ve ever walked into .
