Butch Hancock, Renaissance Man. Butch does everything well. Songwriting, singing, photography, Rio Grande River guide, Human being, all that stuff.

BW had the first #1 hit to come out of Austin (in the Billboard Easy Listening catagory)…”My Maria”, a great song that shows off his incredible voice.

BW died young (38). He was an interesting guy. For some reason unknown to anybody I talked to, BW had the habit of cussing out his audience if he didn’t like their response…. Not a good career move to scream “F.U.” at your crowd, it seems, but he did it, a lot… Sorry, BW, that’s what I think of when I go to write a caption. Great voice, though.

Regular patrons of the Backstage Bar (part of Willie’s Opera House complex). This group is mainly composed of recent at-the-time Vietnam Vets. Shot at Mary Street looking North. Now, from the same spot, the cute little capitol building behind them is completely covered up by a very different-looking city.

Charley appeared with Willie. The show was a CMA Party and show. Charley didn’t really play Austin all that much. Love those bell-bottoms!

Boy, is this image a time capsule. Hank Jr’s bus is as close to Hank Sr as I’d ever get, to my great dismay.

Darrell was the coach of the Texas Longhorns, a coach so loved and respected they renamed UT’s stadium Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium. Darrell and Willie were the best of friends.

I had my darkroom in the building, so I was often there when no one else was, or, better yet, when Willie was just hanging out. If memory serves, this was taken one Christmas Eve (probably 1978) when Willie and the band were off the road. Bobby and Willie were playing for their own pleasure with Coach, just hanging out. The only one to hear it, other than them, was me…. Yes, I felt special. They didn’t even know I was there, which served my purposes as Phantom of the Opry House just perfectly.

So, this is Connie, Willie’s wife at the time; he has remarried. She is a friend and a really wonderful person in her own right — she still makes Austin’s environs her home, I believe (I don’t keep track, to be honest). I see her out and about all of the time. She always has a smile and a wave and a great attitude, in general. A Fellow Traveler.

This is taken right when “Don’t it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue” was the big hit. The shot is serendipitous; I was behind her and she swung around to control her floor-length hair (which you can’t even see). She was in mid-turn, only briefly (about half a second) facing me. Click.

I’d rather be good than lucky, but I’ll take lucky when it comes around. This shot was lucky.

Packing heat; gun hanging out of back pocket.. David Allan Coe is one of the most disliked performers in the biz. He didn’t earn a lot of friends brandishing that firearm in the land of peace and pot that hot summer day.

Delbert! Blue-eyed soul of the finest and highest order. A great voice. The essence of Ft Worth… The ladies love Delbert… ok, here’s a story that I witnessed: sometime in the late 80s or early 90s Delbert played a long-closed club called La Zona Rosa. The crowd, and it was packed, was composed of mainly women. At some point, a woman crawled onstage and hugged his legs while he was singing. He didn’t stop her, so she was quickly joined by many many women hugging him, again, as he was singing. They kept on coming and he didn’t stop. Eventually he was totally, literally, completely under the pile, still singing with dozens of writhing ladies on top, all having a blast at the situation they all found themselves in. It is an indelible memory, which I didn’t shoot (no camera). Never seen anything like it, before or since, a pile of beauties with a bluesy rockin’ voice coming out of it.

Dolly Parton is the real deal. She’s one of the nicest folks in the biz; always has something positive to say. I always look forward to photographing her; I get really inspired just studying her.

This shot was taken, if memory serves, the night before my first son was born. She and Willie were touring together: they played San Antonio one night and Waco two nights later, with my oldest son’s home birth sandwiched between.

She was backstage, completely relaxed, watching Willie perform, and I saw her standing behind me in the dark. I did something I never do, but couldn’t resist doing: I put my flash on the camera (I never shoot stage photography with a flash — ever, hard and fast rule). I took a deep breath, estimated focus, wheeled around and shot her without really looking (—I was really embarrassed to do it—it went against all of my rules,) and wheeled back like nothing happened... I probably temporarily blinded her with the unexpected flash…. Not cool. No one said anything, they didn’t have to… It was wrong to do it, and I knew it. These days I would have lost permanent access at that venue…

I’m so glad, now, that I took it. It is such a revealing image. Every so often you have to take chances if you want great images.

Doug. What a trip. A child prodigy from San Antonio. Played with Hank Williams SR. as a child. Could talk faster, without seeming to ever take breath, than anyone I’ve ever met. He was pivotal in making Austin what it is. He played uplifting rock and roll with an Hispanic angle.

The story goes that Jerry Wexler, the famous producer, took a trip to Austin to check out all of the new music unexpectedly coming out of here in the early-mid 70s… After he was back home, someone asked he what he thought about Austin. He said (to paraphrase— I wasn’t there), “well there’s a lot going on, but the only ones worth a shit are Willie and Doug Sahm”…

This is the style I worked out with the hand I was dealt, way back then. The constraints, then, were: low light levels, black and white film, (too dim for slow color film), black background. Go with what you can get.

Portraits popping out of black calls for isolating the subject with stark contrast-y imagery. Almost abstract. Makes for perfect iconic images, shapes popping out of nothingness.

My first exposure to one of my favorite musicians. A truly great performer…There is a ferocity to his stage presence that’s unmatched.

…same show, different jacket.

Beauty on every level: physically, ethereally, vocally. A voice like crystal. Unique.

Opening night, Austin Opry house under Willie Nelson. Emmylou and the rooster. There’s a story here, but I’m saving some stuff for the eventual book.

For Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute… at rehearsal. The only time (show and rehearsal) I’d ever get to shoot Clapton.

For Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute… at rehearsal. The only time (show and rehearsal) I’d ever get to shoot Clapton.

The old Texas Troubadour. One of the pioneers of country music. A friend of Willie’s, originally from Texas, who brought a taste of Nashville to the picnics.

Ernest had “thanks” on the back of his guitar, which he’d flash after every song. This was the last Picnic I’d ever see him perform. Unique voice and aura from a world away…

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. My only time to shoot them. They were in fine form; played most of their hits.

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham.

Jazz great trumpet player

Freddie taught all those young Hippies about the Blues. I was one of them. Died way too young; I still miss his raucous guitar playing “Going Down”...

Gary wrote “London Homesick Blues”, widely known for its refrain “ I wanna go home with the armadillo, good country music from Amarillo to Abilene…”, the theme song for Austin City Limits for over three decades. Gary is a good friend. He was a founding member of The Lost Gonzo Band, the band that backed almost everyone.

I just heard he retired, whatever that means. I also just heard he played the Grand Ol Opry for the first time…

A good friend. Gary is also a talented photographer; for years I developed his film, made his contact sheets, and talked photo with him. Austin was lucky to have him.

This man was a musical genius who married many musical forms -- jazz and country and blues -- into his own unique sound.

The Picnics were crazy. This one was three days in the baking heat with tens of thousands? hundreds of thousands? — no one ever knew — celebrating the 200th birthday of the nation.

In this shot, George Jones comes down the stage stairs past the crude sign forbidding access to people like me.

Alternately known as “No-Show Jones”, and “Ol’ Possum”, George had the best, most distinctive voice in Country music in the ‘70s, in my humble opinion…

Random friends from the ‘70s. Some are no longer with us, some are. I’d like to make note of one who is gone; I owe her so much. The woman in front, in black, is Jody Fischer. She was Willie’s informal secretary, and knew everyone. One day we were in my darkroom office within the Opera House and she tells me, “hey, I hear Austin City Limits is looking for a photographer”…. I say, “ well I don’t know anyone over there, I have no connections at all…”, and she says, “Well, I do,” and she picks up my office phone and dials a number. She says into the phone, ”Hey, Terry, I have a friend who is a pretty good photographer and I think you ought to interview him…..” So he did interview me, and look at my work, and hire me pretty much right there. That was 41 years ago and I’ve been rehired every year since then. Thanks again Jody.

At one time — the early ‘70s — these guys were the biggest local musical act. There weren’t that many local bands… believe it or not… The fiddler, Mary Egan (sweet Mary) was the biggest local star…

Guido was a great dog, among the best I’ve ever had. He just loved hanging out in his garden… I got him one day when he started following me around at a “World’s Fair” (tongue in cheek), at Luckenbach in 1972. When the event was over he was still latched on to us. Everyone left, no owner to claim him! So, we brought him home with us; he was so smart and friendly. It turns out his owner was arrested for something and the poor dog was left behind….About a month later some guy riding a bicycle down the street, saw Guido, and said “that’s my friend’s dog!” So we reunited dog and owner and thought that was that. A month after that the owner (forgotten his name) showed up at the house with Guido and a bag of dog food., said he had to go home to Indiana and wanted to know if we’d take care of him. Of course we would! Owner never returned. Damn fine dog… Died of old age after 15 years, surviving many rattlesnake bites— we lived in the country on Rattlesnake Hill. Anyway, nice image… Great dog.

Opening night of Willie’s version of the Austin Opry House. Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell, two Texans transplanted to Nashville, came to help open the place.

Image made only 4 decades ago. Hard to believe this great singer-songwriter is gone. He accomplished so much during his stay on the planet.

Harry died in a car accident in New York just a few weeks after this image was made: People Magazine used this shot as his obituary photo. I still get choked up about it, he was so alive and vital, eyes dancing with mischief and insight.

Life is short, people. Seize the day.

Hondo was one of a kind. He bought an old ghost town (Luckenbach, Texas) and made it into a destination. He died way too young. There is a Texas Dance Hall--full of us here on Earth who will never forget him. I can still hear his happy, mischievous laughter.

Here he is portrayed on the front porch of the general store (which still exists). He had just officiated Jerry Jeff and Susan Walker’s wedding.

So, this shot was inspired by those images from the French Revolution of Liberty Storming the Barricades. Anyway, that’s what I was thinking when I made the shot…

He just rambled up out of nowhere, playing that guitar; Roky Erickson was there at the party in Clarksville, (a neighborhood in Austin), and they ended up playing songs for the party. There is music in the air, and musicians wandering around playing it, quite often, in this town.

So, in ‘72 the Stones played Ft Worth. I went, and took my camera with a couple of rolls of film. I didn’t know I was a photographer; I was a 23 yr old kid with a camera. I had seats way back, but in those days, believe it or not, one could walk up to the front row, and with no security to bounce me(!), I was the closest person to Mick. I shot both rolls (one was a roll of Infra-red film— that’s what this shot is). When the concert was over Mick threw this huge bunch of roses into the crowd and they hit me in the chest!

The point is that when I got back to Austin people really, really wanted prints… and they threw real money at me for them. The light bulb over my head didn’t take long to burn bright — “hey, I could make a living doing this!” …and that’s how I got started doing this self-taught, self-directed job of shooting musicians.

Never seen a man sweat so much. Hard earned, to be sure.

He’d had a recent heart attack, as I recall, and had someone else doing some of the dancing that evening. It was still a great show, he was as energetic a performer as I’ve ever seen. (Until I saw Maggie Rogers this year— she might take the cake for energy delivered) — He could power a city with the onstage energy he delivered.

In 1972, near the beginning, a spontaneous Turkey Day celebration occurred at the Armadillo. Leon Russell, Doug Sahm, several members of the Grateful Dead, including Jerry Garcia, and lots of local musical color came together to stage a free show for willing Austinites.

I was so green I used direct flash. This is the only time I’d get to shoot Jerry Garcia, so direct flash will have to serve.

We went on a day-long excursion to Gruene, TX and came up with a bunch of great images…. including this one, Album cover of “Too Old To Change”.

My first album cover. We shot it in the early-morning hours on an overcast day after staying up all night.

One of my favorite portraits. There is so much going on: it tells a story, provides context, reveals the subject with telling details; the eyes have sparkle. It has depth, and it takes you there, my goal for every image I make.

Jerry Jeff used this image as his publicity shot for years

Jerry Lee was hell on photographers. I’ve seen him drive them from photographing him, in tears, from the insults. But he was also a great performer, and it might have been part of his surly bad-boy act. All I know is he never came after me…

Wow. Of the Memphis Million Dollar Quartet from the 1950s, (Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash) only Jerry Lee survives. Who would have thunk that? Seemed like the wildest one…

Peter Wolf is a great entertainer. He was J. Geils lead vocalist until 1983…

Franklin was the artist-in-residence at the Armadillo, serving as MC often, and acting as bizarrely as publicly possible during breaks between acts, providing entertaining performance art. He was also the artist who popularized Armadillos as symbols for local culture; his large paintings on the inside walls throughout the hall provided distinctive art. He helped (with Gilbert Sheldon and others) kick off the local prolific poster scene. His posters are now highly collectible.

The story is he wrote “Margaritaville” here. He was a regular performer at Castle Creek, I can vouch for that. Way back then he still had a shock of blond hair, and an easy friendly smile to go with it. The richest and most successful of rock stars, with the happy-go-lucky brand, has done all right for himself.

Buffett had just put together his Coral Reefer Band, with Roger Bartlett on guitar and Fingers Taylor on harmonica. Roger was, and still is, a good friend. Fingers died a few years back. Ol’ Jimmy has come a long way since ‘74...

A great singer-songwriter who almost never toured. Very, very tasty guitar player with a distinctive style out of Oklahoma.

I just like it as a form study.

One of a kind.

He just let the music run through him.

Young Joey. Great voice, great performer, still doing incredible live shows.

At South Park Meadows in Austin, Texas.

Johnny Paycheck exhorting the masses at the Picnic

Wasn’t young John Prine a handsome man? Yes, he was. Handsome Johnny. I love this image. I feel like I can see the beautiful soul who emanates the most beautiful songs.

Jubal was the original really nice guy. If you were moving, he’d show up in his pick-up truck and help you move, for free, out of the kindness of his heart.

Bob Armstrong, later Texas Land Commissioner, was a full-fledged colorful Texan, the really funny, good kind of Texan…

Kenneth was the true father of the music scene in Austin. His place of business, Threadgill’s, got the first liquor licence in Travis County after prohibition, and he’d have musicians, including himself, play live music in the joint. Janis Joplin, a city resident in the mid ‘60s, loved him and his crazy authentic yodel, and he loved and encouraged her — gave her a place to sing, and paid her —when no one else did. The last time Janis was in Austin, right before she died, was for his birthday. A great music scene has to have a start, and he was the guy who kicked it off, years ago.

I shot this from the audience. They never aired the show because of the uneditable profanity. The show, suffice to say, was absolutely hilarious; Kinky managed to insult and slander every racial and ethnic group he could, and he was very colorful and adept at it.

Deepest eye sockets I’ve ever had to pry eyes out of. Kris is as nice and friendly in person as you’d imagine.

It was right after he’d died, and I lived on the route his hearse took from the funeral home to the LBJ Library, where his body would lie in state. What’s funny, now, is how freaked out we were, not knowing he’d died, to see armed soldiers marching out of buses to line the streets… We thought Nixon had gone nuts and had sent in the troops.

Hilarious. Tie pantie hose around your waist with one leg dangling down in front with an orange in it. Line up in a race-start line. Put a lemon before each contestant. Keep arms and hands uninvolved.

Start! Now, using the orange, hit the lemon until it crosses the finish line. The first one across wins. All I know is I just about died from laughter.

Leon was a great model and subject. Stage lighting is so much fun. Classic, clean iconic image. One of the first that set the template for many more to follow. I was finding my style.

Here’s some Texas for ya.

…Thought I’d throw in some personal art. Who hasn’t felt like this lizard, playing a game you don’t quite understand...?

Blues Diva. Lou Ann could, and can, grind it out.

You can see a little of his prickly, smartass nature here in this dressing room vignette.

Lyle is an erudite, deeply aware, and absolutely hilarious singer songwriter, with a great storytelling talent, the best of Texas.

The Sultan of Swing, to quote him.

Marcia has been in Austin since the beginning of the music scene in the early ‘70s, doing that New Orleans-style boogie piano. They idolize her in Louisiana.

Once there was only one Whole Foods, and this was it. It just about got totally wiped out by this flood when Shoal Creek rose up and almost took it away.

One of my favorite images of two musical giants.

Sunset from onstage.

Nobody looked and sounded the part as well as Merle, unless maybe it’s Johnny Cash….

I can hear that country guitar. With a good image you can hear the music.

My first year in Austin. We went out to watch the sunrise from Austin’s highest point, overlooking a fogbound Colorado River. This is probably an hour before the sun rose.

Muddy was as nice and accessible as he looked. He just gave up his image, as easy as pie. Some folks make taking their portrait really simple to do. He was one of them. I just walked up and asked if I could take his portrait. He said, “sure!” I clicked a few and thanked him. I wish it was always so easy.

Here’s a different facet of one of the classiest of musicians. Man, look at that suit. All of the band members had matching suits. Couldn’t be much more different than Willie’s approach, but that was the times… lots of different approaches.

For me personally, Neil is the Real Deal. Talented, brilliant, uncompromising, always fresh.

Neil is a hero of mine, but he’s not one to pose for portraits. I got lucky to get this, easy and direct and accessible.

The Nevilles were probably my favorite live music band while they were all alive and making their infectious music. Consistently incredible, they could compel anyone and everyone to dance.

An astounding Harmonica player, Norton is seen here holding forth, solo, before the masses, casting his musical spell.

An artist first, it felt like she was using the music to get to a more aware, more poetic place, and creating a whole artistic over-arching architecture...

Shadows and shapes and forms. All jumbled up. Sneaking a peek around the speakers at something private— the heart of Rock and Roll...

Sometimes the biggest packages come in the most compact form. Paul Simon is a giant, musically.

An original Wailer, a pure spirit wreathed in smoke. As spiritual a musician as I’ve seen.

I can’t look at this without remembering how different he was; how uniquely he moved. There were lots of poses that looked cool, not phony.

Some people are powerful spirits, clothed in flesh so they can be seen.

This has been my Music Banner Shot for years. It says it all, real simple. The sounds we call music are the voices of the Muses, a divine source. Music is the sound the Muses make.

My best friend who taught this white boy what Austin was really about. The only person I knew, then, who was born here in Austin. Austin is largely a city whose residents came from somewhere else — they heard about the good thing and got here as fast as they could. To quote Steve Earle, we’re a city of (mostly already American) immigrants.

(l-r) Pussycat (Manuel Conde, Jr.), Charlie Tuna, Beefus, and Terrell Smith. Good friends, all. On the backs of guys like this a thriving music scene was built…. Some of the best people who ever walked the planet.

Ray, of Asleep at the Wheel, is a showman, not only singing and playing, but juggling and doing acrobatic tricks, too. During this song, “Am I High?”, he walks back and forth on the point of the stage lip while simultaneously juggling and singing. A hilarious entertainer.