Robert Shaw died on May 16, 1985. Born in Stafford, Texas, on August 9, 1908, Shaw was not allowed to study piano as a child, since his parents thought that was not appropriate for a boy. Undaunted, the young Shaw hid underneath the house and listened while his sister practiced her piano lessons. By the 1920s, Shaw had become an accomplished player of the barrelhouse piano style, also known as boogie-woogie, which combined blues, jazz, and the syncopated rhythms of ragtime.

Robert Shaw toured the country throughout the 1930s, before settling in East Austin, where he operated a grocery store for many years. During the 1960s, he was rediscovered by a younger generation of fans and soon was performing on stages throughout the world. Shaw was a dynamic performer who helped lay the foundation for Austin’s live music scene long before the city was known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.”

Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll learn about a record label that was a real feather in the cap of the Texas recording industry.

Rosa Lola Carter, of the gospel quartet, the Chuck Wagon Gang, died on May 13, 1997.  Formed in Lubbock in 1935 by David Carter and three of his children, Ernest, Rosa Lola, and Effie, the group first performed on local radio as the Carter Quartet. By 1936, the Carters had moved to Fort Worth, where they landed their very own show on the powerful WBAP radio station. It was during this time that the program’s sponsor changed the group’s name to the Chuck Wagon Gang. The Chuck Wagon Gang soon became one of the most popular gospel groups in the country, selling millions of songbooks and records and making the very first recording of the classic gospel song, “I’ll Fly Away.”

Although the Chuck Wagon Gang has changed personnel several times over the years, the group continues to tour and perform throughout North America.

Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a pioneer of barrelhouse piano who started his career underneath the house.

Carl Gardner, lead singer of the pop group the Coasters, was born on April 29, 1928, in Tyler, Texas. In the early 1950s, Gardner moved to Southern California and started the doo-wop band the Robins. By 1955, Gardner and bassist Bobby Nunn had relocated to New York and formed a new group, the Coasters. The Coasters released their first recording, “Down in Mexico,” in 1956 and followed this with several other hits, including “Charlie Brown,” “Young Blood,” and “Poison Ivy.”

In 1958, the Coasters released what became perhaps their best-known song, “Yakety Yak,” featuring fellow Texan King Curtis on saxophone.

Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we will meet the “other Carter Family” of American roots music.

This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a singing schoolteacher whose hit song landed him in the national spotlight.

Arlie Duff was born March 28, 1924, in Jack’s Branch, Texas. After serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II, Duff earned a Masters degree in education. While teaching school, he dabbled in songwriting and performed locally throughout East Texas. In 1953, Duff wrote a song that earned him national fame and appearances on the Louisiana Hayride and the Grand Ole Opry.

On March 19, 2004, the Tejano Artist Music Museum honored Roy Montelongo with its Pioneer Award. Montelongo was born September 21, 1938, in Hays County, just south of Austin. At age fifteen, he followed in his father’s footsteps by joining Beto Villa’s band as a saxophonist. Montelongo also played with Isidro López and Alfonso Ramos before striking out on his own in 1964. As a singer and saxophonist, Montelongo appeared regularly on radio and recorded more than twenty albums during his career.

In 1991, Roy Montelongo was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame. More recently, the Austin Latino Music Association commemorated this pioneering artist with the “Roy Montelongo Scenic Overlook” on its Trail of Tejano Legends.

Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a singing schoolteacher whose hit song landed him in the national spotlight.

On March 14, 1974, Austin music fans got a pleasant surprise. A young New Jersey rocker named Bruce Springsteen arrived a day early for his two-night stint at the Armadillo World Headquarters. Local fiddle player, Alvin Crow, was performing that evening, and he invited the somewhat anxious Springsteen out on stage to perform. Springsteen quickly overcame his nervousness and gave a blistering performance that helped fill the large music hall for the next two nights.

Tickets to the 1974 Alvin Crow concert at which Bruce Springsteen performed were only $1. However, according to some of those lucky enough to attend, the experience was priceless.

Next time on This Week in Texas History, we’ll meet a musician whose legacy quite literally helped leave a trail for others to follow.