Each time Fort Worth musician Brandi Waller-Pace steps onto a local stage to perform, she strives to spotlight how Black artists shaped Americana music.
Her efforts have been successful through the growth of her annual in the Near Southside, which hit its fifth year in March. Americana is a genre that blends roots music styles like country, blues, gospel and rock.
Waller-Pace鈥檚 mission will soon reach a national stage as she and several local artists represent Fort Worth as the in Nashville this week.
Americana Music Association officials select one city, state or region each year to recognize its contributions to the music genre. They consider a place鈥檚 current roster of artists and the resources and venues available to support its music scene.
Fort Worth receives the honor for the first time as the . Past recipients have included the nd the city of Memphis.
鈥淎 lot of the work that I鈥檝e been doing has been toward really engaging the Fort Worth community, but turning people externally toward Fort Worth is a big sense of responsibility,鈥� Waller-Pace said.
For Tom Martens, vice president of creative, fiIm and music for Visit Fort Worth, recognition at one of the country鈥檚 top stages for Americana music is a testament to the city鈥檚 rich musical history and years of work by local artists and venues.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got this breadth of music and people, so to have the spotlight put on us is really cool,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or them to select Fort Worth, not Dallas-Fort Worth, is massive.鈥�
Road to recognition
Fort Worth is widely celebrated for serving as the and the launchpad for several musical pioneers, such as and .
In the past decade, the city was in the spotlight for establishing and Academy Award-nominated
Efforts to grow Fort Worth鈥檚 national presence were elevated when Visit Fort Worth launched its presence at AmericanaFest five years ago, Martens said. The organization took nine artists the first year for an unofficial showcase at Tennessee Brew Works, he added.
In early June, directors with the Americana Music Association visited Fort Worth and were guided through top venues: Billy Bob鈥檚 Texas, Niles City Sound, Record Town, Tannahill鈥檚 Tavern & Music Hall, The Post and Tulips FTW.
Officials highlighted resources available for musicians, including the , Hear Fort Worth and the Sound Care program that
鈥淲e took them out to a show at Tulips, and they got to see how the community supported each other and how they came out for our artists,鈥� Martens said.
By late July, the festival鈥檚 organizers : Fort Worth was the next best city to spotlight.
Fort Worth musicians take on Nashville
AmericanaFest is a five-day multi-venue production focused on performers, panels, seminars, parties and musical showcases, similar to SXSW in Austin.
As part of the spotlight honor, Cowtown leaders will sit on the 鈥淔ort Worth, Texas: Creating a Scene鈥� panel Sept. 10 to discuss the city鈥檚 creative evolution and ways to grow community investments. Other panels with Fort Worth artists will follow during the remainder of the festival.
Fort Worth musicians Waller-Pace, Jack Barksdale, Claire Hinkle, and take to the stage Sept. 11 at Analog in the Hutton Hotel for an official showcase. Alexander will perform as the secret headliner, Martens confirmed to the Report.
McNeal spent years building his musical reputation in Fort Worth. When he heard the city was being considered for a spotlight at AmericanaFest, he didn鈥檛 hesitate to throw his hat in the ring. He plans to perform new songs from his latest album 鈥淗IGHLONESOME.鈥�
鈥淚 always make a point to keep my ear to the ground and work with the city to see what I can help with to champion the music community,鈥� he said.
Fort Worth native musician Delbert McClinton, who has earned four Grammy Awards and been inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, will be honored during the showcase.
鈥淲e want to make sure (McClinton) is properly recognized for all he鈥檚 done, for being a musical driving force in Fort Worth for so long,鈥� Martens said.
As Waller-Pace counts down the hours until she performs in Nashville, she鈥檚 optimistic about the lasting, positive impact the spotlight will have on Fort Worth鈥檚 music community. She鈥檚 hopeful that new musicians launching careers turn their heads to where the West begins.
鈥淔ort Worth is its own city with its own music ecosystem, and it is a place that artists should really look at for more opportunities through festivals, venues and so many organizations,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f artists route through, they won鈥檛 be sorry they did.鈥�
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or .
Disclosure: Mitch Whitten, chief operating officer of Visit Fort Worth, is on the board of directors at Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .
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