Established in 1984, the Texas Music Museum features numerous items on display.

Website

Founded in 1984, the Texas Music Museum celebrates the state's rich musical heritage. Its collection is comprised of artifacts, photographs, documents, reference materials, and oral histories. Genres covered are: Texas Historic and Patriotic, Country, Gospel, Classical, Cowboy, Big Band, Western Swing, Blues, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Jazz, Ragtime and Barrelhouse, Soul, and Popular, as well as Texas ethnic music, including Tejano, Czech, African American, German, and Native American. The museum is housed in the Marvin C. Griffin Building.

Texas Music Museum

This tour includes twenty museums, galleries, cultural centers, botanical gardens, and historic homes that are all open to the public for tours. Highlights of the tour for history lovers include the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the State Capitol Visitors Center, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Library and Museum. 

Museums of Austin Texas Tour

This trail includes historical landmarks and museums that preserve and share the historical experience of women in Austin. The tour also includes historical markers and other landmarks related to some of the prominent women who called Austin home. The map is designed for ease of travel and does not include several landmarks beyond the selected route that are listed in Clio.

Women's History of Austin Heritage Trail

Starting in Central Austin with the original home of Austin City Limits, this tour works its way south with stops at some of the city's most famous live music venues, the Texas Music Museum, and statues of Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Central Austin Music History Tour

This short walk through Austin's east side includes numerous historic homes and museums as well as the Texas State Cemetery. Highlights of the tour include the Texas Music Museum, George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, and the French Legation Museum. 

Central East Austin Walking Tour

The public television station KLRN began operating in 1962. KLRN initially served two major cities, San Antonio and Austin, though its main headquarters were on the University of Texas Austin campus. Bill Arhos began working at KLRN in its inaugural year, working his way up through the years to become the head of new programming by 1974. That year, PBS launched its Station Program Cooperative, calling for affiliates to create local programs with national appeal.  At this time, Austin had established itself as the epicenter of progressive country music, and venues like the Armadillo World Headquarters were building national reputations. In brainstorming new programs, Arhos, along with producer Paul Bosner and director Bruce Scafe, came up with the idea of showcasing Austin’s popular music scene through weekly concerts. Bosner is credited with coming up with the title Austin City Limits, inspired by the sign he saw on his weekly commute from Dallas to Austin. After Arhos secured a grant from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, they had sufficient funding to film two pilot episodes. Filming was scheduled to take place in Studio 6A, Building B, of the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center on the UT campus. The Communication Center was a state-of-the-art, three building complex that was begun in 1965, the same year the School of Communication was founded. In 1973, the Communications departments moved into the new facilities, and Building B became the new home of KLRN. Studio 6A provided a perfect filming environment for Austin City Limits: the room was large enough to fit a few hundred people, while still retaining the intimate feel the producers were trying to capture; with the farthest audience member only 75 feet away, there was not a bad seat in the house. Though the studio was designed for television as opposed to live music, more attention was paid to sound quality than to flashy camera tricks. The result was a simple but professional production that pleased both musicians and audiences alike. The first episode was filmed on October 16, 1974 and featured the musician B.W. Stevenson. However, the next night’s performance by Willie Nelson was considered superior, so that was the episode Arhos brought to the PBS Station Independence Project Meeting. PBS decided to use the pilot for a fundraising drive and, after it proved popular, Arhos and company were given the green light for an entire first season that would be broadcast nationally.  Austin City Limits was successful from its inception, and has gained a dedicated fan base over the decades. The show has maintained its simple style, with a few additions over the years. In 1981, it added the now iconic backdrop depicting the downtown Austin skyline; and from 1977 until 2004, Gary P. Nunn’s song “London Homesick Blues” was the show’s official theme song. ACL quickly expanded beyond country music to incorporate nearly every musical genre imaginable, and it has hosted legendary performers as well as relatively unknown up-and-comers. In 2002, a music festival of the same name was created, which is held in Austin’s Zilker Park every autumn. Austin City Limits is now the longest-running music show in television history, and the only T.V. show to be awarded the National Medal of the Arts, which it received in 2003. The studio was also designated an Historic Rock and Roll Landmark by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009. Studio 6A was home to the show through 2010, when it finally moved to a new home in downtown Austin, where it remains to this day. Though larger than Studio 6A, the Moody Theater was modeled after its predecessor. Lyle Lovett performed for the final episode in the original studio, which was taped on November 8, 2010. After the departure of Austin City Limits, Studio 6A was still used for television shows and other purposes by the station (which had become KLRU in 1987). However, it was recently announced that KLRU would be relocating to a new building on the the Austin Community College Highland Campus in the fall of 2020. A final musical performance by Garth Brooks was scheduled to take place in Studio 6A in May 2020, before the Covid-19 outbreak postponed live performances.

Studio 6A was the original home of the Austin City Limits television show, from its inception in 1974 until its relocation in 2010. Studio 6A was one of two studios used by the PBS affiliate KLRN, which became KLRU in 1987. KLRN programming director Bill Arhos conceived the show along with producer Paul Bosner and director Bruce Scafe, believing that Austin’s thriving musical scene would appeal to a national audience. The pilot episode, featuring Willie Nelson, was taped on October 17, 1974, and hundreds of legendary performers graced the stage in the subsequent 36 years. Though not built for live music, Studio 6A proved to be an ideal setting for capturing an intimate performance. After outgrowing Studio 6A, ACL moved into the brand-new Moody Theater in downtown Austin in 2011. Studio 6A has continued to be used by KLRU for other shows, though the station plans to move its headquarters to the Austin Community College Highland Campus in the fall of 2020.     

Austin City Limits Studio 6A

The Cactus Cafe is located in the University of Texas’s Union Building. The Union Building was built in 1933 and designed by the architect Paul Cret, who was also responsible for several other iconic buildings on campus. The corner of the Union Building that is currently occupied by the Cactus Cafe was originally a campus diner called the Chuck Wagon. The Chuck Wagon (and, as it was later known, the Potpourri) was a popular student hangout and a center of countercultural activity during the 1960s and 1970s. The space changed again in 1979 when it became the Cactus Cafe, a live music venue and coffeeshop. Within a few years, the cafe acquired both a liquor license and its most instrumental employee, Griff Luneburg. Luneburg worked there as a bartender while attending the University of Texas, but he was soon put in charge of booking the musical acts, eventually becoming the manager of the entire establishment. Over the next few decades, Luneburg established the Cactus's high reputation by booking a number of influential musicians, and the venue became a launching pad for several notable careers. Artists who have graced the Cactus stage since its founding include Townes Van Zandt, Lucinda Williams, the Dixie Chicks, Lyle Lovett, and many others. The Cactus Cafe was voted Austin’s “Best Acoustic Venue” every year from 2001 to 2011. Despite this praise, the University decided in 2010 that it would be closing the famous venue due to budget cuts. The announcement was met with widespread outrage throughout the Austin community, and a group of over 25,000 residents, musicians, students, and alumni organized to oppose the closure. An agreement was made to keep the doors open, with the University radio station KUTX taking over booking and management. The Cactus Cafe remains an integral part of Austin’s live music scene, booking both local and touring acts, as well as hosting open mic nights and other events for the campus and community.

Opened in 1979, the Cactus Cafe is one of Austin’s most revered live music venues. The Cactus is located in a corner of the Union Building, which was built during the Great Depression. For over forty years, the intimate 150-seat room has hosted many musical luminaries, particularly in the folk, country, and Americana genres.  The Cactus was almost closed in 2010, but opposition from the community and around the globe was strong enough to reverse the decision. The beloved listening room is now operated by the University’s radio station KUTX, and continues to host concerts and events throughout the year. 

Cactus Cafe

The young state of
Texas experienced a large wave of German immigration during much of the
nineteenth century. Many of these immigrants formed their own communities,
preserving their culture and language. In 1860, German immigrant August Scholz
opened a boarding house in Austin, in an area halfway between the state capitol
and the University of Texas. Following the Civil War and service in the
Confederate army, Scholz converted his business into a tavern and biergarten in
1866. It soon became popular with the German immigrant community as a place to
socialize, drink beer, and listen to music. The biergarten was one of several
in the city at the time, and is the only one to have survived into modernity. The
building has changed very little in its over 150 years of existence. 

August Scholz died in
1891, and soon afterwards his family sold the biergarten to the Lemp Brewery.
In 1908, Scholz Beer Garten was purchased by the Austin Saengerrunde, a German
singing society. The Saengerrunde was informally created in 1852 and officially
established in 1879 to promote German culture through the use of singing. It
remains the oldest ethnic organization in Austin. The society has leased the
biergarten to various restaurant owners, and also uses the facilities for meetings,
recitals, and recreational events. The Saengerrunde also installed a six-lane
bowling alley, now the oldest bowling alley in Austin. 

For much of its
history, the Scholz Beer Garten has been popular among both Texas state
legislators and students from the University of Texas due to its close
proximity to both. Many state politicians have frequented the restaurant to
socialize or negotiate deals. One popular rumor contends that more laws have
been passed at the Scholz Beer Garten than in the state capitol. Many
University of Texas fans also visit the biergarten to watch football games,
with the restaurant reportedly going through hundreds of cases and kegs of beer
during home games. Today, in addition to alcohol, the Scholz Beer Garten offers
a variety of ethnic German dishes as well as space to rent for recreational
events.

The Scholz Beer Garten is one of Austin's most popular and best known cultural institutions. Established in 1866 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Scholz Beer Garten is the oldest continuously operating business in Texas and oldest operating beer garden in the country. German immigrant and Confederate Civil War veteran August Scholz founded it after the war to have a place for fellow Germans to socialize and entertain themselves with music, especially singing. Today, Scholz continues to be a popular place for people of all walks of life, especially University of Austin students, to socialize and watch sports games. 

Scholz Beer Garten

East Austin was a historically diverse section of the city; in the 1800s German and Italian immigrants first settled on the dirt road that ran alongside the Capitol, later becoming East 11th street. Eventually former slaves began settling there in the late 19th century and establishing Freedman colonies. When the Master Plan of 1928 was enacted, it forced the relocation of many African Citizens to the East of I-35. Black citizens were refused access to public utilities like water and electricity unless they moved East of I-35, resulting in a very split and segregated Austin community. By 1940, East Austin was almost exclusively occupied by black citizens. Despite the ensuing problems, the area developed a strong sense of community and cohesion. In 1945, a young man named Johnny Holmes joined the many African-American business owners in the neighborhood.[3]Johnny Holmes was born in Waco in 1917, but in the late 1930s, he moved to East Austin to attend Samuel-Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson University). In 1945, Holmes converted a tiny ice house into two table hamburger joint to make a place where the community could gather. The name, Victory Grill, was chosen to appeal to African American soldiers returning from WWII. Two years later, having outgrown this small space, Holmes opened up the field in the back of the house and added a stage and tables. In addition to serving a variety of soul food, Holmes wanted his new establishment to be an entertainment venue for the local community, college students, and Black soldiers stationed at nearby Fort Hood and Fort Swift. To this end, Holmes added a patio in 1948 that included a bar and a stage, and the new space was fully enclosed three years later. He dubbed this section Kovac Theater (also known as Kovac Lounge), and began booking blues and R&amp;B acts to perform there. After a stint in West Texas as a music promoter, Holmes returned to Austin with even more connections in the music business. In addition to local acts and students from the nearby colleges, blues singers like B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland got their start at the Victory Grill. Other legendary acts who graced the Kovac Theater stage include James Brown, Chuck Berry, and Janis Joplin.4The Victory Grill’s popularity began to decline in the late 1960s and early 1970s for a number of reasons. Desegregation caused many African-Americans to move away from East Austin, breaking up some of the neighborhood’s cultural cohesion.5 Also, many Black musicians, formerly confined to the East Side, started performing in other parts of Austin where the pay was better. Additionally, musical tastes in Austin began shifting away from the blues and towards rock and roll, outlaw country, and disco. Holmes was forced to close down the Kovac Theater in 1973, though the Victory Grill restaurant remained open, on and off, for the next 15 years. In 1988, a fire from an adjacent building spread to the Victory Grill, damaging the west wall and destroying the roof. Fortunately, the Kovac Theater was sealed off and only damaged from the smoke.6 Following this disaster, Holmes was forced to close the Victory Grill. After a series of fundraising efforts, including support from Clifford Antone and R.V. Adams, the Victory Grill was finally able to reopen under the leadership of Eva Lindsey. For the next two decades, the historic establishment resumed its live shows, expanding beyond music to include poetry readings, theater pieces, and children’s performances.Unfortunately, Johnny Holmes passed away in 2001 at the age of 84. In 2008, a touring artistic collective called Trust Your Struggle painted a mural on the building’s west wall. The mural depicts Victory Grill founder Johnny Holmes, along with local singer Lavelle White and pianist Roosevelt “Grey Ghost” Williams, both of whom performed at the Victory Grill during its prime.7

Opened in 1945 by Johnny Holmes, Victory Grill was once the center of the blues and R&amp;B scene in Austin. The grill was named after V-J (Victory over Japan) Day to celebrate the war that ended World War II. Two years after purchasing a little ice house, Holmes opened a stage behind his restaurant and established a family-friendly music venue for the community of East Austin. Here, legendary bluesmen such as B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Gatemouth Brown, and T-Bone Walker played their first sets, and nationally renowned performers like James Brown, Chuck Berry, and Janis Joplin graced the stage.[1] After a fire closed down the establishment in 1988, community efforts led to its reopening in 1996. In 2019, it became the home of The Rolling Rooster, a soul food franchise that plans to continue the Victory Grill’s tradition of hosting live blues and R&amp;B music. Today the restaurant offers classic Southern comfort food, including fried chicken, mac and cheese, and collard greens. You can still hear the music from the former Victory Grill, which continues to host live performances showcasing the best of Austin's vibrant music scene.[2]

Victory Grill Historical Marker

Following the end of the Civil War, a number of newly freed slaves migrated to Texas from other parts of the South. Two of these former slaves, Sam and Raiford Mason, founded an African-American community in East Austin named Masontown. This new neighborhood, along with the rest of the city, experienced further development when the Houston and Texas Central Railway reached Austin in 1871. With the new influx of travelers and settlers brought by the railroad, businesses started sprouting up in Masontown.  One of these new businesses was a grocery and mercantile store located on the corner of what is now 4th Street and Navasota Street. Opened by Sam and Nancy Wilson in 1871, it sold everything from dry goods to cloth to ice for the new arrivals and local residents. Over the years, the store also became known as a popular place to get a stiff drink, and its reputation for gambling and bootlegging only grew during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1940, the store was purchased by Aubrey “Scoot” Ivy and his friend Red. The two men laid the foundations for the modern establishment by converting the grocery store into a saloon that they named after themselves, Red’s Scoot Inn. The business has changed owners several times since then, and even survived a fire in the 1990s, but the most significant recent developments have occurred in the 21st century. In 2006, the owners Kevin Crutchfield and James Stockbauer turned the Scoot Inn into a performance space, utilizing the large outdoor patio. It hosts events during Austin’s annual South by Southwest Festival, and made headlines in 2014 when the rapper Tyler the Creator was arrested for inciting a riot there during his festival performance. Most recently, the Historic Soot Inn was renovated in 2016. The indoor area, now called Ivy's Room, was transformed into a speakeasy-style lounge that reflects the building’s storied past and honors one of its most influential former owners.

Established in 1871, the Historic Scoot Inn is believed to be the oldest continuously-operating watering hole in Central Texas. The bar holds Austin's fourth-oldest liquor license, and its current facade dates back to 1889. It was originally opened as a grocery store to serve travelers arriving on the newly built railroad. Although it gained a reputation for bootlegging, it did not officially become a saloon until 1940. The Inn began booking bands in 2006, and in recent years it has become one of Austin’s premier live music venues. In 2016, the Historic Scoot Inn underwent a major renovation while maintaining its historic character.

Historic Scoot Inn

For more than three decades, the famous public television show Austin City Limits was taped in Studio 6A on the University of Texas Austin campus. Though the studio helped foster the intimate performances that became the show’s trademark, it was not originally built for live music, and especially not for the internationally-acclaimed program that ACL had become. Some of Studio 6A’s notorious issues included restroom inaccessibility and a continually shrinking audience space, since fire marshals had decreased the room’s capacity from 800 down to 300 over the years. There had always been talk about moving Austin City Limits to a new home, but the conversation got more serious in the early 2000s. Eventually KLRU, the PBS Austin affiliate that produces Austin City Limits, made plans to move into a brand-new theater in downtown Austin. KLRU reached an agreement with the venue, wherein they reserve the theater for 45 days of the year, and the rest of the year it is used for other performances and events. The new building was custom-designed to be both a state-of-the-art recording space for ACL, as well as a live music venue that could host larger performances. Steven Durr designed the theater’s space and acoustics, utilizing modern technology while maintaining the intimacy established at the old studio. Just like in Studio 6A, the farthest seat in the house is only 75 feet away from the stage. Other elements were carried over from the old location and are used exclusively for Austin City Limits tapings. These include the iconic Austin skyline backdrop, which was re-built to incorporate the city’s newer skyscrapers; the relatively small and low stage; and a smaller space with an 800-person limit (the theater’s full capacity of 2,750 is used for non-ACL performances).  ACL Live at the Moody Theater is a part of Block 21, a massive real estate development project in downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District. In addition to the venue, the project includes an associated music venue called 3TEN ACL Live, the W Hotel and Residences, and restaurants, retail stores, and office space. The entire project cost around $300 million, with $40 million going toward ACL Live at the Moody Theater. The main investor in the project, Stratus Properties, Inc., recently sold Block 21 to Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., for $275 million.  ACL Live at the Moody Theater officially opened in February of 2011. Willie Nelson, who was the featured musician on the first episode of Austin City Limits back in 1974, played a pair of performances to inaugurate the new theater. Willie Nelson’s connection to the new venue was cemented in two other ways: just before the theater opened, the stretch of 2nd Street where it is located was officially renamed Willie Nelson Boulevard; and on April 20th, 2012, an eight-foot, one-ton bronze statue of the singer was unveiled in front of the venue. The Steve Miller Band was the first group to tape an ACL episode in the new home of the show, which is now in its 45th season.

Since its completion in 2011, ACL Live at the Moody Theater has been the home of Austin City Limits. The famous PBS show was originally taped a few miles north, in Studio 6A on the University of Texas Austin campus, from its inception in 1974 through 2010. Having outgrown the old space, the show’s producers became involved with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art theater that would be tailor-made to serve the program's needs. The venue is a part of Block 21, a $300 million real estate development project that helped transform downtown Austin’s 2nd Street District. ACL Live at the Moody Theater officially opened in February of 2011, in time for ACL's 38th season. Though Austin City Limits caps audience attendance at 800 for its 45 annual tapings, the venue utilizes its full 2,750 person capacity for 100 other concerts and performances throughout the year. 

ACL Live at the Moody Theater 

Willie Nelson is globally recognized as a cannabis activist, animal rights activist, country artist, and has touched many lives with his music and oversized personality. Willie Hugh Nelson was born April 29, 1933 in Abbott, Texas to Myrle and Ira Nelson, and was raised by his grandparents along with his older sister, Bobbie.As a child, Willie was raised in a local Methodist church where his grandmother introduced him to music. The first songs Willie learned were from the church hymn book. His grandparents, who were also involved in music, encouraged Willie and his sister Bobbie to play instruments and sing. Raised during the Great Depression, Willie didn’t receive his first guitar until the age of six, and he soon began writing his own lyrics and musical pieces. After Willie began playing religious music regularly, he joined a gospel band known as Bud Fletcher and the Texans which already included his sister as the pianist.  After graduating high school, Willie enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he was stationed in Lackland, San Antonio. He was honorably discharged due to continuous back problems a year later. Willie then began his studies at Baylor University, where he participated in the farming program. To make ends meet, Willie began selling encyclopedias door to door. During this time in his life, Willie never lost his love for music. He began working as a disc jockey for local radio stations. Although passionate about farming and agricultural studies, Nelson left Baylor and began pursuing his musical career again.   By 1960, Nelson moved to the famous country music city, Nashville, Tennessee. He began his career as a songwriter for Pamper Music. In the same year, two of Willie’s songs became hits for other country artists. The famous Faron Young’s “Hello Walls” and Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” were both in the Top 10 country hits. Willie worked hard in Nashville to earn his place in country music but didn’t succeed due to his lack of traditional voice in Nashville country music. When producers became interested in Willie, they tried to take away his unique qualities. He wouldn’t allow others to strip him of his personality, voice, or his reputation of being a “hard-living” man. His reputation and stubbornness actually led him to fame. The majority of country music fans loved Willie's unique personality and voice, which broke country music’s conservative mindset. His hard-living attitude and heavy drinking led him to become “One of the Original Outlaws.”    In 1970, Willie returned to Texas where he settled in Austin. Once there, his music career began growing as he played in local venues regularly. While in Austin, he began hosting Fourth of July picnics which are now one of the biggest events in the city. After years of growing the picnics, the Fourth of July picnics began to reflect a more festival-style venue and included performances from the other “Original Outlaws”, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings. Because of Willie's contributions in growing the city of Austin’s country music scene, the Texas State Senate declared July 4th to be Willie Nelson Day. By 1975, Willie released his first album that gained his success, Red-Headed Stranger, which included his No. 1 country hit “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.” This led to his first Grammy award for best country vocal performance. From there his musical career flourished.    After many years of success in country music, he began forming more political views and bringing more issues to the public's attention. He and other famous musicians organized the Farm Aid Concert which was and still is a benefit concert used to raise money for farm owners so they can keep their land and run their farms. Nelson also supports multiple animal activist groups such as the Society for Protective Animal Legislation, Best Friends Animal Society, and the Animal Welfare Institute. Along with his efforts to help farmers and animals, he also is strongly active in promoting the legalization of cannabis in the United States.    Willie is one of the many influential men in music and politics today. His mellow mindset and love for others has influenced many Americans to follow in his footsteps. His strong influence in Austin, Texas led to the creation of his own personal statue dedicated on April 20, 2012. The statue stands 8- foot tall, and weighs about a ton. The statue was created by artist Clete Shields, who was brought into Texas to sculpt Willie by Austin’s Capital Area Statues. The statue sits on the corner of downtown's Willie Nelson Boulevard. Austin’s Capital Area Statues committee believed that, “He just embodies Austin’s self-defined status as the Live Music Capital of the World.” Willie attended the dedication, playing a few songs by the statue as well as thanking the city of Austin with a few kind words, “I would like to thank the city of Austin, Texas for this great honor. Thank you for the statue. Thank you for the street and thank you for the W hotel. 4/20 is a good day.”

Dedicated on April 20, 2012, this eight-foot bronze statue honors the career of Austin native Willie Nelson. Artist Clete Shields depicted the musician with his famous guitar "Trigger" resting on his knee to convey the country artist's style and personality, while the choice of dedication date offers a tribute to one of Nelson's favorite pastimes and causes. The statue was commissioned by Austin’s Capital Area Statues.

Willie Nelson Statue 

Stevie Ray Vaughan was
born in 1954 in Dallas, Texas. He first began learning to play guitar at age
seven, and dropped out of high school at age seventeen to pursue a career in
music. During the 1970s, he moved to Austin and played with several different
bands in bars and nightclubs. In 1977, Vaughan partnered with bassist W. C.
Clark and vocalist Lou Ann Barton to form the band Triple Threat Revue, later
renamed Double Trouble after Barton left in 1979. Their big break came in 1982
when David Bowie asked them to perform in his new album, Let’s Dance. Bowie’s album was a hit, leading Vaughan to release
his debut record, Texas Flood, which
received very positive reviews. Vaughan and his band produced several more
albums, some of which were certified gold. His works are credited with reviving
the genre of blues music in the 1980s. In 1987, Vaughan entered a
rehabilitation clinic to combat his growing drug addiction and alcoholism. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan was
busy during much of 1990, recording an album with his brother and going on a
new nationwide tour. On August 26, 1990, Vaughan performed a concert in East
Troy, Wisconsin along with Eric Clapton. Immediately afterwards, he boarded a
helicopter to Chicago. It was a foggy night and visibility was low; soon after
takeoff, the helicopter crashed into a nearby ski hill, killing Vaughan and
everyone else on board. He was just thirty-five years old. In the months and
years afterwards, several posthumous albums of Vaughan’s recordings have been
released and achieved great success. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan had
been very popular in Austin, where his music career first began. Soon after his
death, people in Austin began calling for a memorial in his honor. A petition
was started to rename Auditorium Shores the “Stevie Ray Vaughan Park,” but his
family declined to allow it, believing it was too soon after Vaughan’s death.
In 1993, the Austin Music Commission contributed $100,000 to erect a statue of
Vaughan at Auditorium Shores. The venue had been the site of Vaughan’s final
concert in Austin, on May 4, 1990. Designed by sculptor Ralph Helmick, the
eight-foot bronze statue was unveiled on November 21, 1993. It stands at a
hiking and biking trail about one hundred yards from the Auditorium Shore stage
location.

Unveiled on Nov. 21, 1993, this statue honoring blues icon Stevie Ray Vaughan has become an iconic symbol of Austin's music scene. It has also become a must-see for visiting musicians and guests to the city during the South by Southwest Festival. It is situated on a hiking and biking trail in Lake Metropolitan Park, in an area called Auditorium Shores where Vaughan performed on a number of occasions. 

Central Austin Music History Tour

Texas Music Museum

Introduction

Images

Sources

Additional Information