History

Traditional folk music served as a means of storytelling, manifesting as tunes, songs, and ballads and was often accompanied by worship, work, or dance. Because of its traditional nature, Texas’s folk music was brought to the state by passersby or immigrants who settled from other lands.

Austin’s music scene specifically is derived largely from German immigrants whose population saw a massive influx in the 1840s. They established entertainment centers such as German biergartens and dance halls for their community. The oldest operating business in Texas and longest-running biergarten in America, Scholz Garten, opened its doors in 1866 and remains open to this day.

Dating back to 1876 and having been open for over a century was Dessau Hall. The venue was built around a large pecan tree that stood in the middle of the dance floor. In its heyday in the 1940s, the venue saw greats such as Glenn Miller, Hank Williams and a once-babyface Elvis Presley.

Other former relics of folk music in Austin include the Cactus Cafe which opened in 1979 and the earlier Soap Creek Saloon, which opened in the ‘73 as a classic Texas roadhouse out in the sticks. For over a decade, the Soap Creek invited many to its stages including notable acts like Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffett, and Charley Pride. Additionally, the Alamo Lounge at the former Alamo Hotel, emmajoe’s, and the Outhouse were fixtures of the local community that those like Lucinda Williams, Nancy Griffith, Townes Van Zandt, and Blaze Foley used to call home.

From folk music derived most Americana genres such as country, blues, and even gospel music. Some of the earliest purveyors of gospel music in Austin include the then-famous black acapella gospel group called the Paramount Singers. Studying by day and performing at night, the group formed in 1936 in front of the old Anderson High School on Comal street during a time when segregation still prevailed. Even though the group was not allowed in theaters during this time, they named their group after the large and famous Paramount Theater on Congress Ave. to set themselves apart. They saw a lot of success and hosted their own radio show on KVET.

Rev. E.M. Franklin, a co-founder of the original Paramount Singers, encouraged another somewhat popular gospel group called the Chariettes to organize in 1950. Joining the group shortly after they formed was Lavada Durst, a.k.a. “Dr. Hepcat,” the first black disc jockey in Texas.

With the creation of newer iterations of folk music, traditional folk music subsided in popularity. It wasn’t until around the 20th century folk revival that folk music transformed and became popular once more. Aside from gospel music, Austin was famously home to many folk-inspired country and blues artists that emerged in the 1960s. The endless list includes those like the world-famous artists Willie Nelson, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jerry Jeff Walker.