country music

By Savanna Gregg

The Highlander

Texas Country Music can be found found right here in our small town, if you look close enough. Texas Crossing, a husband and wife duo with Central Texas roots, has been gracing the stages of various venues throughout the Hill Country and beyond.

1993 Burnet graduate Colt Buckelew and his wife, Tiffany Valentine, put their hearts and souls into their music and look forward to sharing it with their fans many nights out of the week.

Buckelew began singing 37 years ago, sang in the Burnet High School choir, and even performed at the very first Bluebonnet Festival in 1983. Buckelew expanded his horizons as time went on, enjoying the opportunity to sing with talents such as Pat Green and Cory Morrow.

“Rusty Weirr, a great songwriter, was a big mentor of mine that opened up this music world for me,” Buckelew said.

Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard, whose music struck a chord with country music fans with tales of hard luck and hard living, died today at his home near Redding, Calif., at the age of 79 on his birthday.

Haggard helped create what became known as the “Bakersfield sound” along with fellow superstar Buck Owens in the 1960s and 1970s. Haggard's hits included “Okie From Muskogee,” “Working Man Blues,” “That's The Way Love Goes,” “I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink” and “Mama Tried,” for which he won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999.