STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—The songs pumping out of honkytonks and old pick-up trucks may have much more to do with Texan and American popular culture than ever imagined.
Craig D. Hillis, Presidential Honors Scholar in Texas Music and Culture, will discuss the cultural power of songs written by such Texas songwriters as Cindy Walker, Guy Clark, Steve Fromholz, Townes van Zandt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P. Nunn and James McMurtry.
The event, sponsored by the Tarleton State University Presidential Honors Program, will be in the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Workshop Theater, Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 2:30 p.m. Attendance is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the Fine Arts foyer.
Hillis, along with his Presidential honors, is a highly respected, veteran guitarist in the Texas music scene. An original member of the Lost Gonzo Band with Gary P. Nunn, Hillis also recorded and/or toured with many Texas legends including Jerry Jeff Walker, Rusty Wier, Michael Martin Murphy, B.W. Stevenson and others.
The guitarist also has an extensive, 30-year career in record production and studio engineering. He also has a special expertise in artist management and intellectual property issues.
Hillis’ business did not stop there as he also owned and operated two of Austin’s most successful nightclubs, the Saxon Pub and Steamboat on 6th Street in Austin. The venues became national showcases for artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Christopher Cross and Bob Schneider.
Hillis holds a master’s degree from the University of Texas, is the author of “Texas Trilogy: Life in a Small Town,” and is a contributing writer for many academic journals, popular magazines and regional newspapers. He also is an organizer of Voices of a Great Nation, a nationwide project designed to incorporate the power of music and popular culture to mobilize our country's compassionate spirit, intellectual resources and entrepreneurial skills to seek out, secure and distribute funds, goods and services to homecoming veterans.
For more information, contact the Honors Office at (254) 965-6178 or cryer@tarleton.edu.
