This Week in Texas Music History: Seger Ellis
This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a songwriter who entertained audiences in European cafes and American football stadiums.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Seger Ellis was born in Houston on July 4, 1904. Ellis’s father encouraged him to pursue banking as a career. However, Ellis taught himself piano and began performing on Houston radio stations in the early 1920s. He soon landed a contract with the Victor Recording Company and became one of the best-selling artists in the country. Ellis also worked with several of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong and Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. During his illustrious career, Ellis performed in some of New York’s finest hotels and at London’s famed Café de Paris.
After serving in World War II, Seger Ellis returned to Texas. He continued to perform locally and made his mark in the sports world by composing the original 1960 theme song for the Houston Oilers football team.
Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll remember an accordion player who squeezed a lot of music into one lifetime.
