Gary P. Nunn

Biography

Gary P. Nunn (born December 4, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and bandleader widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of the progressive country movement that emerged from Austin, Texas, in the early 1970s.[3][1] Born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, he moved with his family to Brownfield, Texas, around age 12, where he discovered music in junior high, started his first garage band, and excelled as a student, athlete, and musician.[3][4][7] After high school he attended Texas Tech University and South Plains College, playing in the rock band The Sparkles during the 1960s, before transferring in 1968 to the University of Texas at Austin to study pharmacy and immerse himself in the city’s burgeoning music scene.[3][4]

In Austin, Nunn became a central figure in the so‑called “cosmic cowboy” and progressive country scenes, first with The Lavender Hill Express alongside Rusty Wier and then as a key member of the Lost Gonzo Band, which backed artists such as Michael Martin Murphey and Jerry Jeff Walker.[3][4][6] He played bass and keyboards for Murphey, Walker, and Willie Nelson, appearing on influential 1970s albums and helping define a sound that blended traditional country with rock, folk, and an irreverent outlaw spirit.[3][1][6] Nunn’s signature composition, “London Homesick Blues,” became a breakout track on Walker’s landmark 1973 album ¡Viva Terlingua!, selling over a million copies and serving as the theme song for the PBS television show Austin City Limits from 1977 to 2004, firmly linking his name with Texas music worldwide.[1][3][5] After the Lost Gonzo Band split, he launched a prolific solo career, ultimately releasing dozens of albums and writing over 200 songs characterized by plain‑spoken storytelling, regional pride, and a dance‑hall‑ready Texas country sound.[1][2][4]

In 1985, Nunn moved back to a family farm in Oklahoma, where he ran an 800‑acre cattle operation while continuing to tour and record, and where he founded the Terlingua North Chili Cook‑Off and Music Festival that gave early stage time to future red dirt and Texas country acts such as Pat Green and Cross Canadian Ragweed.[3][4] He later returned to Texas and continued to perform extensively, overseeing his own record label and publishing companies as an independent music pioneer and serving as a de facto musical ambassador for the state.[2][5][6] His songs “London Homesick Blues” and “What I Like About Texas” have become unofficial anthems of Texas, inspiring tourism campaigns and cementing his status as a Lone Star icon.[1][4] Over his multi‑decade career Nunn has earned gold and platinum records, been inducted into multiple Texas music halls of fame, received honors such as the Texas CMA “Living Legend Award” and recognition by the Texas Legislature, and in 2019 made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry, underscoring his enduring influence on Texas country, outlaw country, and the broader Americana tradition.[1][4][5]

Fun Facts

• Nunn’s song “London Homesick Blues,” with its famous line “I wanna go home with the Armadillo,” was the theme song for the PBS series Austin City Limits for 27 consecutive seasons, from 1977 to 2004.[1][3][5]
• Before becoming a Texas country icon, Nunn played in a 1960s rock band called The Sparkles while attending college, showing that his roots included garage and rock music as well as country.[4]
• In 1985 Nunn moved to an 800‑acre family farm in Oklahoma, where he simultaneously ran a cattle ranch and maintained an active music career, even founding the Terlingua North Chili Cook‑Off and Music Festival on the property.[3][4]
• Nunn has been officially recognized as a musical ambassador for Texas: he was named a “Lone Star Great” by the Texas Commerce and Tourism Department, honored by the Texas Legislature and Governor for his contributions, and later feted at the Grand Ole Opry with hundreds of Texans in attendance.[1][4][5]

Associated Acts

• The Lost Gonzo Band

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Willie Nelson - Senior figure in the Austin outlaw/progressive country movement whose bands Nunn played bass for, shaping Nunn’s approach to independent, Texas‑rooted country music. (Live and studio performances in the 1970s Austin scene; Nunn played bass for Nelson alongside work with Michael Martin Murphey and Jerry Jeff Walker.) [Early–mid 1970s]
• Michael Martin Murphey - Songwriter‑artist Nunn backed on bass and keyboards during the rise of Austin’s progressive country scene; Murphey’s blend of country, folk, and cowboy themes paralleled and reinforced Nunn’s stylistic direction. (Live performances and recordings with the Lost Gonzo Band and Murphey’s touring band in the 1970s.) [Early–late 1970s]
• Jerry Jeff Walker - Major influence and employer; Nunn played in Walker’s Lost Gonzo Band and wrote “London Homesick Blues” for Walker’s classic album ¡Viva Terlingua!, a cornerstone of Texas progressive country. (¡Viva Terlingua! (1973), including Nunn’s “London Homesick Blues,” and other 1970s recordings and tours with the Lost Gonzo Band.) [Early–late 1970s]

Key Collaborators

• Lost Gonzo Band - Nunn was a core member, serving as pianist/keyboardist and vocalist in the band that backed Michael Martin Murphey and Jerry Jeff Walker before releasing its own albums. (Three Lost Gonzo Band albums in the late 1970s, plus backing Walker and Murphey on records and tours.) [Mid–late 1970s]
• Rusty Wier (Rusty Wier/Wier spelling as cited) - Bandmate in The Lavender Hill Express, one of Austin’s early “cosmic cowboy” bands that helped inaugurate the city’s progressive country sound. (Performances and recordings with The Lavender Hill Express in Austin during the late 1960s and early 1970s.) [Late 1960s–early 1970s]
• Michael Martin Murphey - Frequent collaborator for whom Nunn played bass and keyboards and to whom he supplied songs, helping shape Murphey’s Texas‑country period. (Touring and recording with Murphey in the 1970s; Nunn contributed songs recorded by Murphey.[3][4]) [1970s]
• Jerry Jeff Walker - Key collaborator who recorded Nunn’s “London Homesick Blues” and worked extensively with him and the Lost Gonzo Band on classic Austin country albums. (¡Viva Terlingua! and other 1970s Walker recordings and tours featuring the Lost Gonzo Band.[1][3][4]) [1970s]
• Pat Green - Younger Texas country artist who performed at Nunn’s Terlingua North Chili Cook‑Off and Music Festival early in his career, sharing stages and exposure. (Appearances at Terlingua North Music Festival on Nunn’s Oklahoma ranch.[3]) [Mid‑1980s–1990s (festival years; early in Green’s career)]
• Cross Canadian Ragweed - Red dirt band that played early shows at Nunn’s Terlingua North festival, connecting Nunn with the emerging Oklahoma‑Texas red dirt scene. (Performances at Terlingua North Chili Cook‑Off and Music Festival.[3]) [Late 1980s–1990s (early band years)]

Artists Influenced

• Garth Brooks - Cited Nunn as one of his formative influences when discussing Austin City Limits episodes that shaped his musical upbringing, grouping Nunn with Merle Haggard, Townes Van Zandt, and Jerry Jeff Walker. (Brooks referenced Nunn’s performances and songs such as “London Homesick Blues” in the Austin City Limits archives as part of his early influences.[1]) [Influence acknowledged in later interviews; rooted in Brooks’s youth (1970s–1980s exposure).]
• Pat Green - Texas country star who came up playing Nunn’s Terlingua North festival; Nunn’s Texas‑proud songwriting and independent touring model helped shape Green’s brand of modern Texas country. (Early live performances at Terlingua North and subsequent Texas‑centric albums that follow a similar independent, regional approach.[3][4]) [1990s–2000s]
• Cross Canadian Ragweed - Red dirt band that gained early exposure at Nunn’s festival; his blend of Texas and Oklahoma sensibilities and his support for independent touring bands informed their regional, grassroots career path. (Early festival performances at Terlingua North; later red dirt releases reflecting the Texas‑Oklahoma live‑circuit ethos.[3]) [1990s–2000s]
• Texas and Red Dirt country scene (various artists) - Nunn’s role in Austin’s progressive country movement, his iconic Texas anthems, and his independent business model have broadly influenced later Texas and red dirt artists who prioritize regional identity over Nashville mainstream. (Subsequent generations’ Texas‑centric albums and live circuits that echo the model established by Nunn and his peers.[1][2][4]) [1980s–present]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #country, #outlaw-country, #progressive-country