Legends

FOX, OSCAR JULIUS (1879–1961). Oscar J. Fox, composer of western songs, was born on a ranch in Burnet County, Texas, on October 11, 1879. He was the son of Bennie and Emma (Kellersberger) Fuchs and grandson of Adolph Fuchs. Oscar’s mother died five months after his birth, and he was reared in the home of an uncle, Hermann T. Fuchs. He attended school in Marble Falls until 1893, when he went to San Antonio and began to study music. In 1896 he was sent to Zürich, Switzerland, by his grandfather, Getuli Kellersberger, to study piano, violin, and choral direction. After three years in Switzerland, he studied in New York City for two years before going to Galveston in 1902 as choirmaster of the First Presbyterian Church and later of St. Mary's Cathedral. He resigned in 1904 to accept a similar position at the First Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, where he served for ten years. He was conductor of the San Antonio Choir Club (1913–15) and director of the men's and girls' glee clubs and the University Choral Society at the University of Texas (1925–28).

Fox was a member of the Texas Music Teachers Association, the Sinfonia Fraternity of America, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, the Composers–Authors Guild, and the Sons of the Republic of Texas. He published the first of his more than fifty songs in 1923. He never wrote lyrics but set existing poems to music. He first achieved fame through setting to music the cowboy songs collected by John A. Lomax. He drew strongly on his Texas background, as his best-known compositions illustrate: "The Hills of Home" (1925), "Old Paint" (1927), "The Old Chisholm Trail" (1924), "Whoopee Ti Yi Yo, Git Along, Little Dogies" (1927), "Will You Come to the Bower?" (1936), and "The Cowboy's Lament" (1923).

Micah and Willie Nelson in the Recording Studio (photo by Randi Steinberger)

Wille Nelson has strong ties to the Marble Falls and Spicewood area with the recording studio he created and the Montessori School he cofounded. Willie Nelson's Pedernales Recording Studio, nestled in the scenic Texas Hill Country, between Marble Falls, Texas and Austin, is a legendary hub for music creation. Founded by Nelson in the 1970s, the studio has hosted countless iconic sessions, serving as a creative sanctuary for a diverse range of artists. Known for its laid-back atmosphere and state-of-the-art equipment, the studio reflects Nelson's signature blend of country charm and musical innovation. Over the years, it has attracted a who's who of musicians and has been pivotal in shaping the sound of many celebrated records. The Pedernales studio is more than just a recording space—it's a testament to Willie Nelson's enduring influence on music and his commitment to fostering creativity in a serene, inspiring environment.

Tierra Vista Montessori School, founded by Annie and Willie Nelson in 1995, is dedicated to fostering emotional, physical, spiritual, and cognitive learning for children aged 18 months to 6 years. Now located in Marble Falls, Texas, Tierra Vista Montessori offers both 3-day and 5-day programs designed to educate the whole child. By moving from its original location in Spicewood, the school has expanded to meet the increasing demand for quality education in the Highland Lakes area. Lucas Nelson shared this post to his mother, Annie Nelson. “Mom you raised me on the road... you kept us from the pitfalls of this life while you started a Montessori school that’s still running…” 

Gary P. Nunn, of Marble Falls, Texas is a founding father of the progressive country movement out of Austin in the 1970s that changed the face of popular music, Nunn is also an independent music pioneer who continues to oversee his own record label and song publishing companies, manage his own career (with the help of his wife Ruth), and play most every weekend at top music venues throughout Texas and beyond. His composition “London Homesick Blues” — with its internationally known “I wanna go home with the Armadillo” chorus — is a signature Texas country song that was the theme for the PBS concert TV show “Austin City Limits” for nearly three decades. It’s no wonder that All Music Guide hails him as “a Texas music institution.”  Nunn’s songs have been recorded by Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Roseann Cash, Chris Stapleton, and many more recording artists. 

From garypnunn.com: When [Gary P. Nunn] landed in Austin in 1967 to study pharmacy at the University of Texas, he presaged the “cosmic cowboy” movement to come. After Willie Nelson, Michael Murphey and Jerry Jeff Walker all moved to town, Nunn was such a pivotal figure on the scene that at one point he was playing bass with all three artists. His talents on keyboards and vocals were also heard on many of the legendary albums from that era.

While in London recording Murphey’s Cosmic Cowboy Souvenir album, [Nunn found himself] wishing he were back in Texas, prompting him to write “London Homesick Blues.” [It became a breakout hit on] Jerry Jeff Walker’s landmark ¡Viva Terlingua! Album. In addition to the many gold albums on which he has played and/or written and published songs, Nunn has earned a number of notable awards and honors over the years. He was named an Official Ambassador to the World by Texas Governor Mark White, and years later Governor Rick Perry also declared him an Ambassador of Texas Music. In 2004, he was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame. “The thing I’m proudest of is being a member of the West Texas Walk of Fame in Lubbock with Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Bob Willsand Roy Orbison — guys who were my heroes.”