Music of Oklahoma
Encyclopedia
While the music of Oklahoma is relatively young, Oklahoma
has been a state for just over 100 years, and it has a rich history and many fine and influential musicians.
For a more complete list, see the Wikipedia List of Songs About Oklahoma.
, Wichita, and Tonkawa
people. The US federal government's Indian Removal
policy of the 19th century moved many other tribes into the area, and now the state is headquarters to 40 federally recognized tribes. Oklahoma is diverse crossroads of American Indian musicians
. This rich collection of traditional music is performed in powwow
s all over the state. Additionally, the music is enriched by Indian musician's exposure to other tribe's songs through the many intertribal meetings in the state. The American Indian Exposition
in Anadarko
is a longstanding gathering of Southern Plains Tribes featuring many musicians. Among Eastern tribes, stomp dance
s feature male singers with accompaniment by women's turtle shell leg rattles.
49 songs, a 20th century genre based on traditional war dance songs, originated in Oklahoma among the Kiowa
tribe in southwestern Oklahoma and quickly spread to other tribes through the American Indian Exposition at Anadarko. The name comes from a burlesque show that toured the area in the 1920s called the "Girls of '49" for its California gold rush theme. A 49 (or forty-nine) is a gathering following a pow-wow and the songs are usually love songs, mostly in English, with repeated refrains of vocable
s.
for years.
and Steal Away To Jesus, standard Gospel tunes, were written by Wallis Willis
, a former slave in the old Choctaw Nation of southeastern Oklahoma. Alexander Reid, a minister at a Choctaw boarding school after the Civil War, transcribed the words and melodies and sent the music to the Jubilee Singers
of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Jubilee Singers then popularized the songs during a tour of the United States and Europe. Albert E. Brumley
, a Spiro, Oklahoma
native, wrote a number of Gospel classics that have become a standard in Gospel singer's repertoires. His best known compositions include I'll Fly Away
, Jesus Hold My Hand, and Turn Your Radio On. These songs are commonplace in many church hymnals today.
musicians tuned their skills and styles touring with these regional bands. These bands brought the big-band orchestras to many communities never visited by the more popular groups from New York. Perhaps the most famous of the Oklahoma based territory bands were the Oklahoma City Blue Devils
. The Blue Devils were the foundation for Count Basie's orchestra. The Al Good Orchestra, also from Oklahoma City, began playing in the Oklahoma area in the 1940s and continue to play after his Al Good's death in 2003. In addition, a number of prominent jazz musicians came from Oklahoma; these include Oscar Pettiford
, Don Byas
, Cecil McBee
, Sam Rivers
, Don Cherry
, Chet Baker
and Jay McShann
. Although most of these self-identified as African American
, many (including Pettiford) were also partly of Native American
ancestry.
, and Leon Russell
have ties to Tulsa,Oklahoma (see The Tulsa Sound), and Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom
has become a notable small-venue club for touring bands. After the success of cult icons The Flaming Lips, under-the-radar act Starlight Mints
, and 90's alternative groups Chainsaw Kittens
and The Nixons
, Norman has become a hotspot for local and nationwide indie music. Pop-rock band Hanson
, who had a string of hits in the mid-90s, hails from Tulsa; alternative-rock band The All-American Rejects
was formed in Stillwater; and post-grunge band Hinder
, notable for their hit "Lips of an Angel
" hails from Oklahoma City as well as other local favorites such as: Stone Cold Sober, Aranda and Violence to Vegas. Punk band "The Green Police" also hail from Oklahoma, as does R&B funk band "The Gap Band" which was formed in Tulsa. In the 90's, there was Liberty Drug. It was on Campus Corner in Norman, Oklahoma. It was a club that was built fro the remnants of an old drug store. Many bands played there, but, The Fortune Tellers, The Ban Lons, The Silver Tounged Devils, and Limbo Cafe owned the night for several years at this establishment. There was no cooler place to be and no cooler bands to see.
. As they settled on the ranches they continued their traditional style of singing. The romanticism of the cowboy in the popular culture brought a wider audience to the music. Although the writers of these traditional Western songs are mostly unknown, Dr. Brewster Highley, author of perhaps the most famous of the cowboy ballads, Home on the Range
, followed the frontier into Oklahoma where he died in 1911.
Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys
were the first nationally popular cowboy band. Formed in 1924 by William McGinty, Oklahoma pioneer and former Rough Rider, the band performed on radio and national vaudeville circuits from 1924 through 1936. Otto Gray, the first "Singing Cowboy", and all of the band members were recruited from Oklahoma ranches.
. Performers playing the traditional western music, influenced heavily by the territory bands, added fiddles and steel guitars to the their orchestras to produce a new and very popular type of music. Bob Wills, and His Texas Playboys, based in Tulsa, influenced this music for more than a generation. One of the more distinctive early Western swing bands from Oklahoma was Big Chief Henry's Indian String Band
, a family group of Choctaw Indians, who performed out of Wichita, Kansas, during the 1920s, and who were recorded by H. C. Speir
of Victor Records in 1929.
Recently, Americana Unplugged
established a house concert
-type venue in downtown Davis, Oklahoma
featuring folk
and Americana
musicians.
began broadcasting in Oklahoma City. Other stations followed and soon, anyone with a radio could hear music previously unavailable to them. Still, many radios broadcast local music. KVOO
in Tulsa aired Western swing from Bob Wills for more than twenty years.
In 1958, KOMA
, a 50,000 watt radio station in Oklahoma City, began a format of playing Top 40 recordings and Rock & Roll. Its signal strength allowed many young people across the Great Plains and Western states to listen to music not available from their local stations and influenced many of their local music markets.
Oklahoma currently supports many radio stations. Most play music that ranges from classical to hip-hop. Much of their content, however, is taped and the same programs broadcast over several stations throughout the U.S. Very little local music is aired. (See List of radio stations in Oklahoma)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
has been a state for just over 100 years, and it has a rich history and many fine and influential musicians.
Official state songs
- Official state song: (adopted in 1953)
- Oklahoma!Oklahoma! (song)♥"Oklahoma" is the title song from, and the finale to, the Broadway musical Oklahoma!, named for the setting of the musical play.The music and lyrics were written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
& HammersteinOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
- Oklahoma!
- Official state country and western song: (adopted in 1988)
- Faded LoveFaded Love"Faded Love" is a Western swing song written by Bob Wills, his father John Wills, and his brother, Billy Jack Wills. The tune is considered to be an exemplar of the Western swing fiddle component of American fiddle.The melody came from an old fiddle tune Bob learned from his father, John Wills....
, Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
/Billy Jack Wills
- Faded Love
- Official state children's song: (adopted in 1996)
- Oklahoma, My Native Land, Martha Kemm Barrett
- Official state folk song: (adopted in 2001)
- Oklahoma HillsOklahoma Hills"Oklahoma Hills" is a song written by Woody Guthrie.Jack Guthrie, Woody's cousin, later changed the lyrics and music and in 1945 recorded a Western swing version which he took to number one on the Juke Box Folk Records charts...
, Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
/Jack GuthrieJack GuthrieJack Guthrie was a songwriter and performer whose rewritten version of the Woody Guthrie song "Oklahoma Hills" was a hit in 1945. The two musicians were cousins.-Early life:...
- Oklahoma Hills
- Official state rock song: (adopted in 2009)
- Do You Realize??Do You Realize??"Do You Realize??" is a song by The Flaming Lips, released as the first single from their 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. It is widely considered to be one of the group's most accessible and popular songs...
, Flaming Lips
- Do You Realize??
- Official state gospel song: (adopted in 2011)
- Swing Low, Sweet ChariotSwing Low, Sweet Chariot"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
, Wallace WillisWallace WillisUncle Wallace Willis was a Choctaw freedman living in the Indian Territory. His dates are unclear: perhaps 1820 to 1880. He is credited with composing several Negro spirituals. Willis received his name from his owner, Britt Willis, probably in Mississippi, the ancestral home of the Choctaws...
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Other songs
- Does That Wind Still Blow In Oklahoma, Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
& Ronnie DunnRonnie DunnRonnie Gene Dunn is an American country music singer-songwriter, known for being one half of the duo Brooks & Dunn. In 2011, Dunn began working as a solo artist following the breakup of Brooks & Dunn... - The Everlasting Hills of Oklahoma, Tim Spencer and the Sons of the PioneersSons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
- For Oklahoma, I'm Yearning, Wava White/Jack GuthrieJack GuthrieJack Guthrie was a songwriter and performer whose rewritten version of the Woody Guthrie song "Oklahoma Hills" was a hit in 1945. The two musicians were cousins.-Early life:...
- The Gal From Oklahoma, Junior BrownJunior BrownJamieson "Junior" Brown is an American country guitarist and singer. He has released nine studio albums in his career, and has charted twice on the Billboard country singles charts. Brown's signature instrument is the "guit-steel" double neck guitar, a hybrid of electric guitar and lap steel...
- Good Old Oklahoma, Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
and The Texas Playboys - Home In Oklahoma, Jack Elliott for Roy RogersRoy RogersRoy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and the Sons of the PioneersSons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings... - Home, Sweet Oklahoma, Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
- Loves In Oklahoma, Jason Eklund
- My Oklahoma, Terrye Newkirk
- My Oklahoma Home – Sis CunninghamSis CunninghamAgnes Cunningham was an American musician, best known for her involvement as a performer and publicist of folk music and protest songs...
, recorded most famously by Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
and on a Seeger tribute CD by Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
. - Okie from Muskogee, Merle HaggardMerle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
- Oklahoma Borderline, Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
- Oklahoma Breakdown, Hosty Duo
- Oklahoma Girl, Eli Young BandEli Young BandEli Young Band is an American country music band based in Denton, Texas. The band is composed of Mike Eli , James Young , Jon Jones , and Chris Thompson . They released their self-titled debut album in 2002, followed by the Carnival records release Level in 2005...
- Oklahoma Rag, Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
and The Texas Playboys - Oklahoma Stomp, Duke EllingtonDuke EllingtonEdward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
- Oklahoma Sunshine, Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
- Oklahoma Swing, Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
with Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma... - Rough Wind In Oklahoma, Michael HedgesMichael HedgesMichael Alden Hedges was an American composer, Acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter.-Background:...
- Soft Winds Of Oklahoma, Bill EmersonBill EmersonNorvell William "Bill" Emerson was an American politician from Missouri. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 until his death in 1996. He was succeeded in the House by his widow, Jo Ann Emerson...
- Take Me Back To Tulsa, Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
/Tommy DuncanTommy DuncanThomas Elmer Duncan , better known as Tommy Duncan, was a pioneering American Western swing vocalist and songwriter who gained fame in the 1930s as a founding member of The Texas Playboys...
. Later recorded by Hank Thompson, Merle HaggardMerle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, Lester FlattLester FlattLester Raymond Flatt was a bluegrass musician and guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his membership in the Bluegrass duo The Foggy Mountain Boys, also known as "Flatt and Scruggs," with banjo picker Earl Scruggs. Flatt's career spanned multiple decades; besides his work with Scruggs, he...
and Earl ScruggsEarl ScruggsEarl Eugene Scruggs is an American musician noted for perfecting and popularizing a 3-finger banjo-picking style that is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music...
, Asleep at the WheelAsleep at the WheelAsleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
, and George StraitGeorge StraitGeorge Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
. - Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa, George StraitGeorge StraitGeorge Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
- Tulsa, Rufus WainwrightRufus WainwrightRufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
- Tulsa Time, Don WilliamsDon WilliamsDon Williams , is an American country singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971,...
- 24 Hours From Tulsa, Gene PitneyGene PitneyEugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the...
; written by Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
, 1963. - You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma, David FrizzellDavid FrizzellDavid Frizzell is an American country music singer. He is the younger brother of country music legend Lefty Frizzell. His career first started in the late 1950s, but his biggest success came in the '80s, 30 years into his career....
& Shelly WestShelly WestShelly West is an American country music singer. Her mother was the country music star Dottie West, whose career spanned three decades. Shelly West is best known for having hit duets with David Frizzell, and for their #1 hit "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma"... - The Boys Are Back In Town, Gap BandGap BandThe Gap Band was an American funk band, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band...
written by Charles Kent Wilson and Malvin Dino Vice, 1979.
For a more complete list, see the Wikipedia List of Songs About Oklahoma.
American Indian
Oklahoma is the traditional homeland of the CaddoCaddo
The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes, who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma...
, Wichita, and Tonkawa
Tonkawa
The Tickanwa•tic Tribe , better known as the Tonkawa , are a Native American people indigenous to present-day Oklahoma and Texas. They once spoke the now-extinct Tonkawa language believed to have been a language isolate not related to any other indigenous tongues...
people. The US federal government's Indian Removal
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
policy of the 19th century moved many other tribes into the area, and now the state is headquarters to 40 federally recognized tribes. Oklahoma is diverse crossroads of American Indian musicians
Native American music
American Indian music is the music that is used, created or performed by Native North Americans, specifically traditional tribal music. In addition to the traditional music of the Native American groups, there now exist pan-tribal and inter-tribal genres as well as distinct Indian subgenres of...
. This rich collection of traditional music is performed in powwow
PowWow
PowWow is a wireless sensor network mote developed by the Cairn team of IRISA/INRIA. The platform is currently based on IEEE 802.15.4 standard radio transceiver and on an MSP430 microprocessor...
s all over the state. Additionally, the music is enriched by Indian musician's exposure to other tribe's songs through the many intertribal meetings in the state. The American Indian Exposition
American Indian Exposition
The American Indian Exposition, held annually during the first full week in August at the Caddo County Fairgrounds in Anadarko, Oklahoma, is one of the oldest and largest intertribal gatherings in the United States...
in Anadarko
Anadarko, Oklahoma
Anadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County.-Early History:Anadarko got its name when its post office was established in 1873...
is a longstanding gathering of Southern Plains Tribes featuring many musicians. Among Eastern tribes, stomp dance
Stomp dance
The Stomp Dance is performed by various Eastern Woodland tribes and Native American communities, including the Muscogee, Yuchi, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Delaware, Miami, Caddo, Ottawa, Peoria, Shawnee, Seminole, Natchez, and Seneca-Cayuga tribes...
s feature male singers with accompaniment by women's turtle shell leg rattles.
49 songs, a 20th century genre based on traditional war dance songs, originated in Oklahoma among the Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
tribe in southwestern Oklahoma and quickly spread to other tribes through the American Indian Exposition at Anadarko. The name comes from a burlesque show that toured the area in the 1920s called the "Girls of '49" for its California gold rush theme. A 49 (or forty-nine) is a gathering following a pow-wow and the songs are usually love songs, mostly in English, with repeated refrains of vocable
Vocable
In speech, a vocable is an utterance, term, or word that is capable of being spoken and recognized. A non-lexical vocable is used without semantic role or meaning, while structure of vocables is often considered apart from any meaning...
s.
Country
The traditional Appalachian folk ballads brought by new settlers from the South infused Oklahoma with a music about the lives of everyday people. Much of the music was overtly religious as the rural communities revolved around their churches. Another distinctive type of country music grew out of the dance halls and roadhouses, especially in the oil boom areas of eastern Oklahoma. This honky-tonk style music from Oklahoma and the surrounding states became a staple of American country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
for years.
Gospel
Oklahoma has had a long tradition of Gospel music. Swing Low, Sweet ChariotSwing Low, Sweet Chariot
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
and Steal Away To Jesus, standard Gospel tunes, were written by Wallis Willis
Wallace Willis
Uncle Wallace Willis was a Choctaw freedman living in the Indian Territory. His dates are unclear: perhaps 1820 to 1880. He is credited with composing several Negro spirituals. Willis received his name from his owner, Britt Willis, probably in Mississippi, the ancestral home of the Choctaws...
, a former slave in the old Choctaw Nation of southeastern Oklahoma. Alexander Reid, a minister at a Choctaw boarding school after the Civil War, transcribed the words and melodies and sent the music to the Jubilee Singers
Fisk Jubilee Singers
The Fisk Jubilee Singers are an African-American a cappella ensemble, consisting of students at Fisk University. The first group was organized in 1871 to tour and raise funds for their college. Their early repertoire consisted mostly of traditional spirituals, but included some Stephen Foster songs...
of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. The Jubilee Singers then popularized the songs during a tour of the United States and Europe. Albert E. Brumley
Albert E. Brumley
Albert Edward Brumley was a shape note gospel music composer and publisher.Brumley was born near Spiro, Oklahoma on October 29, 1905. Pre-Dustbowl Oklahoma was primarily made up of sparse agricultural communities; Brumley's family was no different. He spent much of his early life chopping and...
, a Spiro, Oklahoma
Spiro, Oklahoma
Spiro is a town in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States. It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,227 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spiro is located at ....
native, wrote a number of Gospel classics that have become a standard in Gospel singer's repertoires. His best known compositions include I'll Fly Away
I'll Fly Away
"I'll Fly Away", is a hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled Wonderful Message...
, Jesus Hold My Hand, and Turn Your Radio On. These songs are commonplace in many church hymnals today.
Jazz and swing
The territory bands of the 1920s and 30s brought a new style of music to Oklahoma. Many of the well-known swingSwing (genre)
Swing music, also known as swing jazz or simply swing, is a form of jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and became a distinctive style by 1935 in the United States...
musicians tuned their skills and styles touring with these regional bands. These bands brought the big-band orchestras to many communities never visited by the more popular groups from New York. Perhaps the most famous of the Oklahoma based territory bands were the Oklahoma City Blue Devils
Oklahoma City Blue Devils
The Oklahoma City Blue Devils was the premier Southwest territory jazz band in the 1920s. Originally called Billy King's Road Show, it disbanded in Oklahoma City in 1925 where Walter Page renamed it...
. The Blue Devils were the foundation for Count Basie's orchestra. The Al Good Orchestra, also from Oklahoma City, began playing in the Oklahoma area in the 1940s and continue to play after his Al Good's death in 2003. In addition, a number of prominent jazz musicians came from Oklahoma; these include Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
, Don Byas
Don Byas
Carlos Wesley "Don" Byas was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, long-resident in Europe.- Oklahoma and Los Angeles :...
, Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee is an American post bop jazz bassist, described by the Guinness Who's Who of Jazz as "a full-toned bassist who creates rich, singing phrases in a wide range of contemporary jazz contexts." Allmusic called him "One of post-bop's most advanced and versatile bassists".-Biography:McBee...
, Sam Rivers
Sam Rivers
Samuel Carthorne Rivers , is an American jazz musician and composer. He performs on soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, flute, harmonica and piano....
, Don Cherry
Don Cherry (jazz)
Donald Eugene Cherry was an innovative African-American jazz cornetist whose career began with a long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman. He went on to live in many parts of the world and work with a wide variety of musicians.-Biography:Cherry was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and...
, Chet Baker
Chet Baker
Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
and Jay McShann
Jay McShann
Jay McShann was an American Grammy Award-nominated jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer....
. Although most of these self-identified as African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, many (including Pettiford) were also partly of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
ancestry.
Rock and roll
One of the hot spots for rock and roll in Oklahoma during the 60's was Ronnie Kaye's "The Scene" in Oklahoma City. It featured local garage rock and psychedelic bands. Musicians such as songwriter J. J. Cale, Elvin BishopElvin Bishop
Elvin Bishop is an American blues and rock and roll musician and guitarist.-Career:Bishop was born in Glendale, California, and grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was ten years old...
, and Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
have ties to Tulsa,Oklahoma (see The Tulsa Sound), and Tulsa's Cain's Ballroom
Cain's Ballroom
Cain's Ballroom is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, built in 1924 to serve as a garage for one of Tulsa's founders, Tate Brady. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it , where he charged 10¢ for dance lessons. The academy was the site of the Texas Playboys'...
has become a notable small-venue club for touring bands. After the success of cult icons The Flaming Lips, under-the-radar act Starlight Mints
Starlight Mints
Starlight Mints are an indie pop band from Norman, Oklahoma. The band was formed in the '90s and has varied in size between four and seven members. The current lineup consists of Allan Vest , Andy Nunez , Marian Love Nunez , Ryan Lindsey and Javier Gonzales...
, and 90's alternative groups Chainsaw Kittens
Chainsaw Kittens
The Chainsaw Kittens were a part of the American alternative rock scene, drawing from pop, glam rock, punk, new wave and British Invasion music. Their lyrics tackled such varied topics as religion, the Stonewall Riots, Federico Fellini, Oklahoma, Erik Menendez, and Oscar Wilde.Based in Norman,...
and The Nixons
The Nixons
The Nixons were an American post-grunge rock band, finding some commercial success in the mid-1990s.-Band history:The Nixons were founded in Oklahoma City by singer/guitarist Zac Maloy, guitarist Jesse Davis, bassist Ricky Brooks, and drummer Tye Robison...
, Norman has become a hotspot for local and nationwide indie music. Pop-rock band Hanson
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
, who had a string of hits in the mid-90s, hails from Tulsa; alternative-rock band The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....
was formed in Stillwater; and post-grunge band Hinder
Hinder
Hinder is an American rock band from Oklahoma that was formed in 2001 by drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe Garvey, and singer Austin Winkler. The band was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.-Formation and early history:...
, notable for their hit "Lips of an Angel
Lips of an Angel
"Lips of an Angel" is a power ballad by Oklahoma rock band Hinder written by Brian Howes, Austin Winkler and Cody Hanson. It was released as the second single from their album Extreme Behavior. It was their breakthrough hit, charting in the Top Ten on several Billboard trade charts in the United...
" hails from Oklahoma City as well as other local favorites such as: Stone Cold Sober, Aranda and Violence to Vegas. Punk band "The Green Police" also hail from Oklahoma, as does R&B funk band "The Gap Band" which was formed in Tulsa. In the 90's, there was Liberty Drug. It was on Campus Corner in Norman, Oklahoma. It was a club that was built fro the remnants of an old drug store. Many bands played there, but, The Fortune Tellers, The Ban Lons, The Silver Tounged Devils, and Limbo Cafe owned the night for several years at this establishment. There was no cooler place to be and no cooler bands to see.
Western or cowboy
Prior to Oklahoma's opening for settlement, cowboys pushing cattle from Texas to the railheads developed a style and subject of music that became known as Cowboy or WesternWestern music (North America)
Western music originated as a form of American folk music. Originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Western United States and Western Canada. Directly related musically to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates the life of...
. As they settled on the ranches they continued their traditional style of singing. The romanticism of the cowboy in the popular culture brought a wider audience to the music. Although the writers of these traditional Western songs are mostly unknown, Dr. Brewster Highley, author of perhaps the most famous of the cowboy ballads, Home on the Range
Home on the Range (song)
"Home on the Range" is the state song of the American state of Kansas. Dr. Brewster M. Higley originally wrote the words in a poem called "My Western Home" in the early 1870s in Smith County, Kansas. The poem was first published in a December 1873 issue of the Smith County Pioneer under the title...
, followed the frontier into Oklahoma where he died in 1911.
Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys
Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys
Otto Gray and his Oklahoma Cowboys were the first nationally-famous cowboy band in the United States, and the first cowboy band to appear on the cover of The Billboard ....
were the first nationally popular cowboy band. Formed in 1924 by William McGinty, Oklahoma pioneer and former Rough Rider, the band performed on radio and national vaudeville circuits from 1924 through 1936. Otto Gray, the first "Singing Cowboy", and all of the band members were recruited from Oklahoma ranches.
Western Swing
Oklahoma was a center for the development and spread of Western swingWestern swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
. Performers playing the traditional western music, influenced heavily by the territory bands, added fiddles and steel guitars to the their orchestras to produce a new and very popular type of music. Bob Wills, and His Texas Playboys, based in Tulsa, influenced this music for more than a generation. One of the more distinctive early Western swing bands from Oklahoma was Big Chief Henry's Indian String Band
Big Chief Henry's Indian String Band
Big Chief Henry's Indian String Band was a Choctaw Indian string band from Oklahoma, United States. The band was composed of members of the Hall family—Henry, father, on vocals and fiddle; and sons Clarence on guitar and Harold on banjo. They played from Wichita, Kansas.H. C...
, a family group of Choctaw Indians, who performed out of Wichita, Kansas, during the 1920s, and who were recorded by H. C. Speir
H. C. Speir
H. C. Speir was an American "talent broker" and record store owner from Jackson, Mississippi. He was responsible for launching the recording careers of most of the greatest Mississippi blues musicians in the 1920s and 1930s. It has been said that, “Speir was the godfather of Delta Blues" and was...
of Victor Records in 1929.
Live performances
Music in Oklahoma has been played, sung, and heard in the Indian villages of the earliest Americans; around the campfires of the cowboys and traders; in the churches, theaters, and dancehalls of the territorial days; and in concert halls and at music festivals, pow-wows National Guard armories, and school gymnasiums of the present day.Recently, Americana Unplugged
Americana Unplugged
Americana Unplugged is a live music series established in 2006 by Larry Lyon featuring singer/songwriters from the across America and abroad, while contributing to local charities. Artists also perform free concerts for children, the local Veteran’s Center and retirement centers...
established a house concert
House concert
A house concert or home concert is a musical concert or performance art that is presented in someone's home or apartment, or a nearby small private space such as a barn, apartment rec room, lawn, or back yard....
-type venue in downtown Davis, Oklahoma
Davis, Oklahoma
Davis is a city in Garvin and Murray counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 2,610 at the 2000 census. Davis is the home of the 1979, 1986, 1990, and 1995 Oklahoma State Football Championship teams...
featuring folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
musicians.
Radio
In 1922, WKYWKY
WKY is a radio station located in Oklahoma City and is under ownership of Cumulus Media.WKY is the oldest radio station in Oklahoma, the 28th-oldest in the nation and the third-oldest west of the Mississippi River...
began broadcasting in Oklahoma City. Other stations followed and soon, anyone with a radio could hear music previously unavailable to them. Still, many radios broadcast local music. KVOO
KFAQ
KFAQ is a news/talk radio station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. The station is owned by Journal Broadcast Group and airs a mix of local and national talk shows. The station is an ABC News Radio affiliate...
in Tulsa aired Western swing from Bob Wills for more than twenty years.
In 1958, KOMA
KOMA-FM
KOMA is a Classic Hits format radio station located in Oklahoma City. It is among a cluster of stations in the market owned by Pennsylvania-based Renda Broadcasting.-92.5 history:...
, a 50,000 watt radio station in Oklahoma City, began a format of playing Top 40 recordings and Rock & Roll. Its signal strength allowed many young people across the Great Plains and Western states to listen to music not available from their local stations and influenced many of their local music markets.
Oklahoma currently supports many radio stations. Most play music that ranges from classical to hip-hop. Much of their content, however, is taped and the same programs broadcast over several stations throughout the U.S. Very little local music is aired. (See List of radio stations in Oklahoma)
List of live venues
- Americana UnpluggedAmericana UnpluggedAmericana Unplugged is a live music series established in 2006 by Larry Lyon featuring singer/songwriters from the across America and abroad, while contributing to local charities. Artists also perform free concerts for children, the local Veteran’s Center and retirement centers...
, Davis, OklahomaDavis, OklahomaDavis is a city in Garvin and Murray counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 2,610 at the 2000 census. Davis is the home of the 1979, 1986, 1990, and 1995 Oklahoma State Football Championship teams... - Brady TheaterBrady TheaterThe Brady Theater is a theater and convention hall, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. It was originally completed in 1914 and remodeled in 1930 and 1952. The building was used as a detention center during the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot.-History:The Brady Theater has served Tulsa as a public assembly...
, Tulsa, OK - BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
- Cain's BallroomCain's BallroomCain's Ballroom is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, built in 1924 to serve as a garage for one of Tulsa's founders, Tate Brady. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it , where he charged 10¢ for dance lessons. The academy was the site of the Texas Playboys'...
, Tulsa, OK - The Blue Door, Oklahoma City, OK
- The Conservatory, Oklahoma City, OK
- Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK
- iddle Shop and Music Hall/Byron Berline, Guthrie, OklahomaGuthrie, OklahomaGuthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
- Zoo Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, OK
- The Underground, Enid, OK
- The Rodeo Opry, Oklahoma City, OK
- The Deli, Norman, OK
- Opolis, Norman, OK
Musicians and composers native to Oklahoma
- Byron BerlineByron BerlineByron Berline is an American fiddle player.-Biography:Berline started playing the fiddle at age five and quickly developed a talent for it. In 1965, he recorded the album Pickin' and Fiddlin with the Dillards...
, Northern Oklahoma - Keith AndersonKeith AndersonKeith Anderson is an American country music artist. Before signing to a record deal, Anderson was one of several co-writers on "Beer Run ", a duet by Garth Brooks and George Jones, released in late 2001. Anderson was signed as a recording artist to Arista Nashville in 2004...
, Miami, OklahomaMiami, OklahomaMiami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe... - Hoyt AxtonHoyt AxtonHoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music singer-songwriter, and a film and television actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well...
, Duncan, OklahomaDuncan, OklahomaDuncan is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 23,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County.The official birthdate of the town is considered to be when the first train arrived there on June 27, 1892... - Chet BakerChet BakerChesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist and singer.Though his music earned him a large following , Baker's popularity was due in part to his "matinee idol-beauty" and "well-publicized drug habit."He died in 1988 in Amsterdam, the...
, Yale, OklahomaYale, OklahomaYale is a city in Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,342 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Yale is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.... - Louis W. BallardLouis W. BallardLouis W. Ballard was a Native American composer, educator, author, artist, and journalist.-Life:Ballard, who was of Cherokee, Quapaw, French and Scottish heritage, was born in the Native American community of Devil's Promenade, located near Quapaw, in northeast Oklahoma...
(1931–2007), composer from Quapaw, OklahomaQuapaw, OklahomaQuapaw is a town in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 984 as of the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.-History:... - Johnny BondJohnny BondCyrus Whitfield Bond , known professionally as Johnny Bond, was a popular American country music entertainer of the 1940s through the 1960s.-Biography:...
, Enville, OklahomaEnville, OklahomaEnville is a small rural community located in eastern Love County, Oklahoma. The Enville Post Office was established in the old Chickasaw Nation on June 16, 1904, and closed January 15, 1935... - Garth BrooksGarth BrooksTroyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
, Yukon, OklahomaYukon, OklahomaYukon is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 22,709 at the 2010 census.... - Anita BryantAnita BryantAnita Jane Bryant is an American singer, former Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and gay rights opponent. She scored four Top 40 hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Paper Roses", which reached #5...
, Barnsdall, OklahomaBarnsdall, OklahomaBarnsdall is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,325 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded in 1905 and originally named Bigheart, for the Osage Chief James Bigheart. It was initially a 160-acre site along the Midland Valley Railroad in March, 1905... - J. J. Cale, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
- Richard (Moon) Calhoun, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
- Henson CargillHenson CargillHenson Cargill was an American country music singer best known for the 1968 No. 1 hit, "Skip a Rope". His music career began in Oklahoma in clubs around Oklahoma City and Tulsa...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - Kellie CoffeyKellie CoffeyKellie Coffey is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2002 with the release of her single "When You Lie Next to Me", a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
, Moore, OklahomaMoore, OklahomaMoore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 55,081 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh largest city in the state of Oklahoma.... - Jesse Cohen, Bethany, OklahomaBethany, OklahomaBethany is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 20,307 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bethany is located at ....
- Spade CooleySpade CooleyDonnell Clyde Cooley , better known as Spade Cooley, was an American Western swing musician, big band leader, actor, and television personality...
, Grand, OklahomaGrand, OklahomaGrand was the one-time county seat of Ellis County, Oklahoma. First established as Ioland to be the county seat of "E" County when the Cheyenne Arapaho reserve was opened, it was moved across the Canadian River and renamed Grand.... - Lloyd "Cowboy" CopasCowboy CopasLloyd Estel Copas , known by his stage name Cowboy Copas, was an American country music singer popular from the 1940s until his death in the 1963 plane crash that also killed country stars Patsy Cline and Hawkshaw Hawkins. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry.-Biography:Copas was born in 1913 in...
, Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, OklahomaMuskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma.... - Edgar CruzEdgar CruzEdgar Cruz is an independent classical and fingerstyle guitarist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Having recorded over a sixteen CDs in styles ranging from classical to flamenco to pop to jazz, Cruz is perhaps best known for his fingerstyle arrangement of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"...
http://www.edgarcruz.com/, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - Jesse Ed DavisJesse Ed DavisJesse Edwin Davis was an American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist. His death in 1988 is attributed to a drug overdose.-Biography:...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - Joe DiffieJoe DiffieJoe Logan Diffie is an American country music singer known for his ballads and novelty songs. Between 1990 and 2004, Diffie charted 35 cuts on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, including five number one singles: his debut release "Home", "If the Devil Danced ", "Third Rock from the Sun",...
, Velma, OklahomaVelma, OklahomaVelma is a town in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 664 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Velma is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.... - Katrina ElamKatrina ElamKatrina Ruth Elam is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Universal South Records in 2004, she released her self-titled debut album that year, charting in the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks with the #29 "No End in Sight" and the #59 "I Want a Cowboy"...
, Bray, OklahomaBray, OklahomaBray is a town in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,035 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bray is located at .... - Kata HayKata HayKata Hay is an American singer, songwriter and musician who was the youngest person to ever win Ed McMahon's Star Search at age five. In recent years she has used the Internet to independently promote her own music...
, Skiatook, OklahomaSkiatook, OklahomaSkiatook is a town in Osage and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is a suburb of Tulsa. The population was 7,397 in the 2010 census, compared to 5,396 at the 2000 census.-History:William C... - Ty EnglandTy EnglandGary Tyler "Ty" England is an American country music singer and guitarist. Initially a member of Garth Brooks' band, England began his solo career in 1995, recording a self-titled debut album on RCA Records. A second album, Two Ways to Fall, followed in 1996...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - David GatesDavid GatesDavid Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
of BreadBread (band)Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Vince GillVince GillVincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - Woody GuthrieWoody GuthrieWoodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
, Okemah, OklahomaOkemah, OklahomaOkemah is a city in Okfuskee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Okfuskee County. It is the birthplace of folk music legend Woody Guthrie. Thlopthlocco Tribal Town, a federally recognized Muscogee Indian tribe, is headquartered in Okemah... - Jack GuthrieJack GuthrieJack Guthrie was a songwriter and performer whose rewritten version of the Woody Guthrie song "Oklahoma Hills" was a hit in 1945. The two musicians were cousins.-Early life:...
, Olive, OklahomaOlive, OklahomaOlive is a small unincorporated community in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The post office was established November 20, 1896, and discontinued September 30, 1938. The town was named for the biblical Mount of Olives. In 1974 there was a tornado that wiped out the town. Today it is nothing... - Lowell FulsonLowell FulsonLowell Fulson was a big-voiced blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. Fulson was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He also recorded for business reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Roy HarrisRoy HarrisRoy Ellsworth Harris , was an American composer. He wrote much music on American subjects, becoming best known for his Symphony No...
, Chandler, OklahomaChandler, OklahomaChandler is a city in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.Chandler is located east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on U.S... - Wade HayesWade HayesTony Wade Hayes is an American country music artist. Signed to Columbia Records in 1994, he made his debut that year with his gold-certified album Old Enough to Know Better...
, Bethel Acres, OklahomaBethel Acres, OklahomaBethel Acres is a town in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States, and is part of the Oklahoma City Consolidated Metropolitan Area. The population was 2,735 at the 2000 census... - Lee HazlewoodLee HazlewoodLee Hazlewood , born Barton Lee Hazlewood was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s.Hazlewood had a distinctive baritone voice that added an ominous...
, Mannford, OklahomaMannford, OklahomaMannford is a town in Creek, Pawnee, and Tulsa counties in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. In 2010, the population was 3,076 compared to 2,095 at the 2000 census. A bedroom community of Tulsa sitting on Lake Keystone, this town claims to be, "the Striped Bass Capital of the... - Eric Himan, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
- Wanda JacksonWanda JacksonWanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
, Maud, OklahomaMaud, OklahomaMaud is a city in Pottawatomie and Seminole counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 1,048 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Maud is located at... - Norma Jean (Beasler)Norma Jean (singer)Norma Jean Beasler , better known as Norma Jean, is an American country music singer who was a member of The Porter Wagoner Show from 1961–1967. She had a number of country singles in the Top 10 and Top 20 between 1963 and 1967, including "Go Cat Go" and "The Game of Triangles", and was...
, Wellston, OklahomaWellston, OklahomaWellston is a town in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.- History :Wellston was named by Christian T. Wells, who established a trading post on the site in 1883... - Toby KeithToby KeithToby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
, Moore, OklahomaMoore, OklahomaMoore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 55,081 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh largest city in the state of Oklahoma.... - LitefootLitefootGary Paul Davis , better known by his stage name Litefoot, is a Native American rapper and the founder of the Red Vinyl record label. He also portrayed Little Bear in the movie The Indian in the Cupboard.-Personal life:...
(b. 1969), rapper from Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Reba McEntireReba McEntireReba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
, McAlester, OklahomaMcAlester, OklahomaMcAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant.... - Barry McGuireBarry McGuireBarry McGuire is an American singer-songwriter best known for the hit song "Eve of Destruction", and later as a pioneering singer and songwriter of Contemporary Christian Music.-Early life:...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - Jay McShannJay McShannJay McShann was an American Grammy Award-nominated jump blues, mainstream jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer....
, Muskogee, OklahomaMuskogee, OklahomaMuskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma.... - Gary P. NunnGary P. NunnGary P. Nunn is a Texas Country singer/songwriter. Nunn was born in Oklahoma and moved to Brownfield, Texas as a sixth grader. He was a member of Lubbock, Texas rock band The Sparkles during the 1960s. In 1995, Nunn was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame, and in 2004, into the Texas Hall of...
, Okmulgee, OklahomaOkmulgee, OklahomaOkmulgee is a city in Okmulgee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 12,321 a loss of 5.4 percent since the 2000 census figure of 13,022. It has been the capital of the Muscogee Nation since the United States Civil War. Okmulgee means "boiling waters" in the Creek... - Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, Claremore, OklahomaClaremore, OklahomaClaremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,581 at the 2010 census, a 17.1 percent increase from 15,873 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and home to Rogers State University... - Sam RiversSam RiversSamuel Carthorne Rivers , is an American jazz musician and composer. He performs on soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, flute, harmonica and piano....
, El Reno, OklahomaEl Reno, OklahomaEl Reno is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States, in the central part of the state. A part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area, El Reno is west of downtown Oklahoma City... - Carl RadleCarl RadleCarl Dean Radle was a bass guitarist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Jimmy RushingJimmy RushingJames Andrew Rushing , known as Jimmy Rushing, was an American blues shouter and swing jazz singer from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, best known as the featured vocalist of Count Basie's Orchestra from 1935 to 1948.Rushing was known as "Mr...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
, Lawton, OklahomaLawton, OklahomaThe city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area... - Scott RussellScott RussellScott Russell may refer to:* John Scott Russell , known as J. Scott Russell, Scottish naval engineer* Scott Russell , male javelin thrower* Scott Russell , American motorcycle road racer...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Blake SheltonBlake SheltonBlake Tollison Shelton is an American country music artist. In 2001, he made his debut with the single "Austin". Released as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album, "Austin" went on to spend five weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
, Ada, OklahomaAda, OklahomaAda is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019.... - B. J. ThomasB. J. ThomasBilly Joe "B. J." Thomas is an American popular singer known for his chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s—appearing on the pop, adult contemporary, country and Hot 100 charts.-Career:...
, Hugo, OklahomaHugo, OklahomaHugo is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, bordering Texas. Hugo is the county seat for Choctaw County and has a population of 5,395 as of 2009 estimates. The city serves as winter quarters for some circus performers... - Dwight TwilleyDwight TwilleyDwight Twilley is an American pop/rock singer and songwriter, best known for the Top 20 hit singles "I'm on Fire" and "Girls"...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Jared TylerJared TylerJared Tyler, Tulsa Oklahoma, is an American singer-songwriter. He made his national debut with the release of Blue Alleluia, an album produced by Russ Titelman on Walking Liberty Records, NYC....
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Carrie UnderwoodCarrie UnderwoodCarrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
, Checotah, OklahomaChecotah, OklahomaChecotah is a city in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. It was named for Samuel Checote, the first chief of the Creek Nation elected after the Civil War. The population was 3,481 at the 2000 census.... - Jimmy WebbJimmy WebbJimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He wrote numerous platinum selling classics, including "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park"...
, Elk City, OklahomaElk City, OklahomaElk City is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 11,693 at the 2010 census. Elk City is located on Interstate 40 and Historic U.S. Route 66 in Western Oklahoma, approximately west of Oklahoma City and east of Amarillo.... - Bryan WhiteBryan WhiteBryan White is an American country music artist. Signed to Asylum Records in 1994 at age 20, White released his self-titled debut album that year. Both it and its follow-up, 1996's Between Now and Forever, were certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and 1997's The...
, Lawton, OklahomaLawton, OklahomaThe city of Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Located in the southwestern region of Oklahoma approximately southwest of Oklahoma City, it is the principal city of the Lawton Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area... - Sheb WooleySheb WooleyShelby F. "Sheb" Wooley was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater"...
, Erick, OklahomaErick, OklahomaErick is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,052 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Erick is located at , elevation 2,060 feet .... - Amy KuneyAmy KuneyAmy Kathryn Kuney is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist from Tulsa, Oklahoma.-Early life:At the age of 13, Kuney's dad moved the family from their home in Oklahoma to Honduras to live as missionaries after he saw a video highlighting the destruction of Hurricane Mitch.In March 2003,...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
Notable Oklahoma bands
- The All American Rejects, Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
- AqueductAqueduct (band)Aqueduct is a Seattle, Washington-based indie pop band originally hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Initially the band was a one-man act, created and produced by David Terry in his bedroom. Supporting members have more recently been added to the group. Aqueduct has played with Seattle bands United...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Chainsaw KittensChainsaw KittensThe Chainsaw Kittens were a part of the American alternative rock scene, drawing from pop, glam rock, punk, new wave and British Invasion music. Their lyrics tackled such varied topics as religion, the Stonewall Riots, Federico Fellini, Oklahoma, Erik Menendez, and Oscar Wilde.Based in Norman,...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - Color Me BaddColor Me BaddColor Me Badd was an R&B vocal group that was formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. The original members of the group were Bryan Abrams ; Mark Calderon ; Sam Watters and Kevin Thornton...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - ColourmusicColourmusicColourmusic was started in Stillwater, OK in 2005. Created by Ryan Hendrix and Nick Turner as a music collaboration and quickly evolved into a band when Cory Suter joined. The band became a quintet when Nick Ley and Colin Fleishacker from the band The Bells Are... joined...
, Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical... - Cozad SingersCozad SingersThe Cozad Singers are a Kiowa drum group from Anadarko, Oklahoma. The group was founded by Leonard Cozad, Sr. in the 1930s, and consists of Leonard, his sons, grandsons, and other members of the family. Cozad, as they are commonly known, are southern style pow-wow and gourd drum, and have...
, Anadarko, OklahomaAnadarko, OklahomaAnadarko is a city in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,645 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caddo County.-Early History:Anadarko got its name when its post office was established in 1873... - Cross Canadian RagweedCross Canadian RagweedCross Canadian Ragweed was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country/Country rock band. The name of the band came from the combination of three band members' names, Grady Cross , Cody Canada , and Randy Ragsdale . Jeremy Plato's name was not involved in the band naming...
, Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical... - Ester DrangEster DrangEster Drang is an experimental, post rock musical group from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The band was formed in 1995, with guitarist Bryce Chambers recruiting drummer James McAlister and bass player Kyle Winner....
, Broken Arrow, OklahomaBroken Arrow, OklahomaBroken Arrow is a city located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, primarily in Tulsa County but also with a small section of the city in western Wagoner County. It is the largest suburb of Tulsa. According to the 2010 US Census, Broken Arrow has a population of 98,850 residents... - EvangelicalsEvangelicals (band)Evangelicals are an indie rock band from Norman, Oklahoma. Currently there are four members of the group: Josh Jones , Kyle Davis , Austin Stephens and Todd Jackson . Their music is renowned for its energy and unabashed enthusiasm...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - The Flaming LipsThe Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - HansonHanson (band)Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - The Heartless Moment, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
- HinderHinderHinder is an American rock band from Oklahoma that was formed in 2001 by drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe Garvey, and singer Austin Winkler. The band was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2007.-Formation and early history:...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - Gap BandGap BandThe Gap Band was an American funk band, who rose to fame during the 1970s and 1980s. Comprising brothers Charlie, Ronnie and Robert Wilson, the band first formed as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band in 1967 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group shortened its name to The Gap Band...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Jacob Fred Jazz OdysseyJacob Fred Jazz OdysseyJacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is a USA jazz group started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1994. The band's lineup has changed multiple times over the years. The group first formed under the moniker "Pimp Cocktail" with founding member Brian Haas as well as Sean Layton, Dove McHargue, Matt Leland, & Kyle Wright...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Kings Of LeonKings of LeonKings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion, Oklahoma but formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999. The band is composed of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill , Ivan Nathan Followill and Michael Jared Followill Kings of Leon is an American rock band that originated in Albion,...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - MWK, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
- The NixonsThe NixonsThe Nixons were an American post-grunge rock band, finding some commercial success in the mid-1990s.-Band history:The Nixons were founded in Oklahoma City by singer/guitarist Zac Maloy, guitarist Jesse Davis, bassist Ricky Brooks, and drummer Tye Robison...
, Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma... - Other LivesOther LivesOther Lives is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
, Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical... - SafetysuitSafetysuitSafetySuit is pop/rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are notable for their songs "Someone Like You" and "Stay" off of their 2008 debut major label debut album Life Left to Go. "Anywhere But Here" from the same album was showcased on the ABC Family...
, Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's... - Shiny Toy GunsShiny Toy GunsShiny Toy Guns is an American indie rock band that formed in 2002 in Los Angeles, California. They released their first studio album We Are Pilots in 2006, after recording it two previous times. It featured three singles that peaked inside the top 30 in the Alternative Songs Chart. We Are Pilots...
, Shawnee, OklahomaShawnee, OklahomaShawnee is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 at the 2010 census. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical... - Starlight MintsStarlight MintsStarlight Mints are an indie pop band from Norman, Oklahoma. The band was formed in the '90s and has varied in size between four and seven members. The current lineup consists of Allan Vest , Andy Nunez , Marian Love Nunez , Ryan Lindsey and Javier Gonzales...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - UmbrellasUmbrellas (band)The indie rock band Umbrellas was formed in 2005 by former The Lyndsay Diaries frontman, Scott Windsor. They recently fulfilled their contract with The Militia Group, freeing them up to record and release their Beach Front Property EP in June 2007. Their sound is, at times, very mellow and...
, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the... - The Byron Berline Band, Guthrie, OklahomaGuthrie, OklahomaGuthrie is a city in and the county seat of Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 9,925 at the 2000 census.Guthrie was the territorial and later the first state capital for Oklahoma...
- The Weather Inside, Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
- Taddy PorterTaddy PorterTaddy Porter is an American rock band formed in 2007 in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The band members are Andy Brewer , Joe Selby , Doug Jones , and Kevin Jones...
, Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
Musicians and bands with Oklahoma ties
- Gene AutryGene AutryOrvon Grover Autry , better known as Gene Autry, was an American performer who gained fame as The Singing Cowboy on the radio, in movies and on television for more than three decades beginning in the 1930s...
, raised in Oklahoma, originally billed as the Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy. - Elvin BishopElvin BishopElvin Bishop is an American blues and rock and roll musician and guitarist.-Career:Bishop was born in Glendale, California, and grew up on a farm near Elliott, Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was ten years old...
, lived in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
during his youth. - Jason Boland & the StragglersJason Boland & the StragglersJason Boland & the Stragglers are an American Texas Country/Red Dirt group featuring Harrah, Oklahoma native Jason Boland , Roger Ray , Brad Rice , and Grant Tracy...
, formed in Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
. - Bob ChildersBob ChildersRobert Wayne “Bob” Childers was an American country/folk singer-songwriter who has achieved widespread critical acclaim since the late 1970s. Childers was known alternately as the "father" "grandfather" or "godfather" of the regional scene known as Red Dirt music...
, raised in Ponca City, OklahomaPonca City, OklahomaPonca City is a small city in Kay and Osage counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which was named after the Ponca Tribe. Located in north central Oklahoma, it lies approximately south of the Kansas border, and approximately east of Interstate 35. 25,919 people called Ponca City home at the...
. - Charlie ChristianCharlie ChristianCharles Henry "Charlie" Christian was an American swing and jazz guitarist.Christian was an important early performer on the electric guitar, and is cited as a key figure in the development of bebop and cool jazz. He gained national exposure as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and Orchestra...
, raised in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. - Roy ClarkRoy ClarkRoy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...
, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. - David CookDavid Cook (singer)David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter, who rose to fame after winning the seventh season of the reality television show American Idol...
, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. - Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & DunnBrooks & DunnBrooks & Dunn was an American country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who were both vocalists and songwriters. They were paired by record producer Tim DuBois in 1990. Before the duo's foundation, both members of the duo were solo recording artists...
, raised in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. - The Gap Band, formed in Tulsa, OklahomaTulsa, OklahomaTulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
. - The Great DivideThe Great Divide (band)The Great Divide was an American Red Dirt/Texas Country music group, originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Great Divide formed its own record label, publishing company and operating company, and began recording. The group's first two albums, Goin' For Broke and Break In The Storm, were...
, based in Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
. - Merle HaggardMerle HaggardMerle Ronald Haggard is an American country music singer, guitarist, fiddler, instrumentalist, and songwriter. Along with Buck Owens, Haggard and his band The Strangers helped create the Bakersfield sound, which is characterized by the unique twang of Fender Telecaster guitars, vocal harmonies,...
, son of dust bowlDust BowlThe Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
immigrants from Oklahoma to California and reflected in his music. - Jimmy LaFaveJimmy LaFaveJimmy LaFave is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician born in Wills Point, Texas, a small farming community located near Dallas. At a young age, LaFave's family moved to the Dallas suburb of Mesquite, Texas where he attended junior high and high school. By the early teens LaFave was...
, Stillwater, OK, now based in Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... - Roger MillerRoger MillerRoger Dean Miller was an American singer, songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs...
, raised in Erick, OklahomaErick, OklahomaErick is a city in Beckham County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,052 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Erick is located at , elevation 2,060 feet ....
. - Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
, raised in Bristow, OklahomaBristow, OklahomaBristow is a city in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,325 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bristow is located at ....
, folk singer and songwriter. He is a graduate of the University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. - Joe Don Rooney of Rascal FlattsRascal FlattsRascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
, raised in Picher, OklahomaPicher, OklahomaPicher is a ghost town and former city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. Formerly a major national center of lead and zinc mining at the heart of the Tri-State Mining District, over a century of unrestricted subsurface excavation dangerously undermined most of Picher's town buildings and...
. - Tim Spencer of the Sons of the PioneersSons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
, raised in Picher, OklahomaPicher, OklahomaPicher is a ghost town and former city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. Formerly a major national center of lead and zinc mining at the heart of the Tri-State Mining District, over a century of unrestricted subsurface excavation dangerously undermined most of Picher's town buildings and...
. - Hank ThompsonHank Thompson (music)Henry William Thompson , known professionally as Hank Thompson, was an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades...
, broadcast the Hank Thompson Show from WKY in Oklahoma City. In 1973 Thompson opened the Hank Thompson School of Country Music, at what is now Rogers State UniversityRogers State UniversityRogers State University is a public, co-educational university located in Claremore, Oklahoma with branch campuses in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Pryor Creek, Oklahoma. Since it began offering bachelor's degrees in 2000, it has outpaced the growth of all other public universities in Oklahoma...
in Claremore, Oklahoma. - Wayman TisdaleWayman TisdaleWayman Lawrence Tisdale was an American professional basketball player in the NBA and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma, he was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early life:Tisdale was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
, raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. - Kata HayKata HayKata Hay is an American singer, songwriter and musician who was the youngest person to ever win Ed McMahon's Star Search at age five. In recent years she has used the Internet to independently promote her own music...
, YoutubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Celebrity and 5 time international yodeling champion from Skiatook, OK. - Watermelon SlimWatermelon SlimBill Homans, professionally known as "Watermelon Slim", is an American blues musician. He plays both guitar and harmonica. He is currently signed to NorthernBlues Music, based in Toronto, Ontario.-Biography:...
(Bill Homans), based in Stillwater, OklahomaStillwater, OklahomaStillwater is a city in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. 177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 45,688. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical...
; graduate of Oklahoma State University - Bob WillsBob WillsJames Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
, King of Western Swing, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and his Texas Playboys broadcast their show from KVOO radio 1934-1958. - Christian KaneChristian KaneChristian Kane is an American actor and singer/songwriter of Native American descent. He currently stars as Eliot Spencer on the TNT series Leverage. He is best known for his roles in the television shows Angel and Into the West, and the movies Just Married and Secondhand Lions.He is the lead...
of Kane (American band) raised in Norman, OklahomaNorman, OklahomaNorman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
and attended University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. - The CallThe Call- Publications :* The Call , a newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri, serving the Black American community* The New York Call, sometimes simply called The Call, a Socialist newspapter published by the Socialist Party of America...
, lived in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
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