Texas Tech University hosted the inaugural Lubbock Lights: Celebrating the Musical Heritage of the South Plains on April 9. The event focused on the creative process behind how some Lubbock musicians create their iconic music.
Terri Hendrix, a singer-songwriter from San Marcos, Texas, said despite her lack of roots in West Texas, some of her greatest musical influences have deep roots in the region.
“You can’t be involved in the Texas music scene and not be influenced by the music of the South Plains,” Hendrix said.
Butch Hancock, a singer-songwriter originally from Lubbock, said West Texas musicians are not known just in the Lone Star State.
“In places all around the world,” Hancock said, “you mention you’re from Lubbock and you got at least one boot in the door.”
Texas Tech University President M. Duane Nellis recognized the importance of music in Lubbock soon after his arrival. While president of the University of Idaho, Nellis held a similar event featuring jazz music.
Lloyd Maines, a songwriter and producer from local music legends the Maines Brothers, said he's glad local musicians are getting some deserved recognition.
“The president of the college, Dr. Nellis, moved here from Idaho, and when he got here he was kind of taken aback that there wasn’t enough recognition being paid to the local music people who were born and raised here and that have big connections with Lubbock,” Maines said. “So I think it’s great that he’s behind this 100 percent, and Texas Tech putting it on makes it even more special.”
The Lubbock Lights event began on April 8, when musicians toured the campus and other areas around Lubbock, talking about how everything is a creative process. Butch Hancock, who was an architecture student in the 1960s, said it was nice to be on the Texas Tech campus again.
“Everywhere we’ve been, for me, has been like going back and seeing a place I haven’t seen in a while,” Hancock said. “I mean, I’ve been through the campus a few times, you know the last couple years, but it was pretty fascinating to get a face full of Texas Tech again.”
Texas country musician Wade Bowen, a 2001 public relations graduate of Texas Tech, said his career began while he was a Red Raider. He joked he used to beg teachers to give him extensions, and beg bars to let his band play. Bowen said it was nice to be back where it all started for him.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been back, so it’s incredible to not only get back to the place I had so much fun being a part of, but also, you know, I haven’t gotten to see any of this stuff in forever,” Bowen said. “I haven’t got to see the changes in the university, even though I come through and play music two or three times a year, it’s nice to walk around campus again.”
Suzanne Taylor, director of external relations for the Office of the President, helped plan the Lubbock Lights event. She said she wanted the musicians to understand Texas Tech's mission.
“We really wanted to make sure that we equipped them with information about Texas Tech,” Taylor said, “so then, whatever stage they’re on, they can communicate about what’s happening here.”
The event ended with a concert, hosted by Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library Artist-in-Residence Andy Wilkinson. The musicians played samples of their work, and discussed their inspirations for making music.
All of the musicians agreed West Texas has a unique musical heritage. Maines said when he was growing up in Lubbock, playing music was just something to do - which seemed to be a common theme among musicians of the South Plains.
“When I was growing up here, there was nothing else to do. I mean, you either played music or you played sports,” Maines said. “But, you know, there’s no mountains, there’s no seashore, there’s very little water as far as lakes. So you truly had to make up your own entertainment.”
Wade Bowen said he doesn't know what it is about Lubbock that makes you want to write songs, but for him, it was simply being here.
“Maybe it’s boredom, I don’t know,” Bowen said with a laugh. “Maybe there’s nothing else to do out here but stare into the distance for miles. I don’t really know what it is. I know for me, just coming out here and being a part of this scene, being a part of this town, for a kid who didn’t know anything about West Texas, it just seems to be the thing to do.”
President Nellis hopes the Lubbock Lights event will become a Texas Tech tradition. If the number of artists inspired by West Texas year after year is any indication, it's well on it's way.