Roadhouse R&B
tagStarted 1958Peak 1978-1995Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Sweaty bar-band R&B for the dance floor: jump-shuffle and boogie grooves, honking horn sections, wailing harmonica, twin-guitar bite and a hoarse, soul-shouting lead. Built for juke joints and roadhouses, it splices Memphis soul, Texas blues and rock and roll into a loose, hard-swinging, horn-and-harp sound that prizes energy and groove over polish.
History
Born in the late-1950s roadhouses around Fort Worth's Jacksboro Highway, the style mixed blues, country and rock for dancing crowds. Delbert McClinton carried it into Austin's 1970s scene, and Northeastern outfits like Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds added swing-band horns and Texas guitar, turning bar-band R&B into a touring circuit that thrives in clubs to this day.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_roadhouse_music
- https://www.alligator.com/artists/Delbert-McClinton/
- https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/delbert-mcclinton-birth-austins-blues-scene/