Country Mike Blog

Thanks, Garth

Mike Sudhalter  |  May 25, 2009

Garth Brooks

I was just telling one of my friends that if it weren't for Garth Brooks, I never would have been introduced to the late, great Chris LeDoux or Texas legend Robert Earl Keen.

Of course, I'd heard of both artists, but I wasn't familiar with their work. Brooks introduced an entire audience to his friend LeDoux with a name-check in "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) on his 1989 self-titled debut.

But a less-known Brooks song - "That Girl Is A Cowboy" - was released on one of his more recent albums. He makes a reference to REK singing "The Buckin' Song."

So now that I'm a Texan, I've become a huge REK fan and understand how the native Houstonian's music has impacted a generation of artists like Roger Creager, Randy Rogers, Darren Kozelsky and more.

For a great listen, check out Undone: A Musicfest Tribute to Robert Earl Keen.

The album was recorded live in Colorado, but is unmistakably Texan.

The highlight is up-and-coming Texas artist Dub Miller's cover of "The Front Porch Song." Included are some funny tales about College Station, Texas and Keen/Lyle Lovett's early days performing at the legendary Dixie Chicken.

Kozelsky's version of "Corpus Christi Bay" is also excellent. If I ever go there - I'm going to sing the song at the top of my lungs. Thanks for that awesome idea, Roger Creager.