Amarillo, Texas

Everything Amarillo is known for

203 songs mention this city 75 artists from here

Amarillo, Texas, a city steeped in the dust and dreams of the Panhandle, boasts a surprisingly diverse musical heritage. Its story is intertwined with the evolution of country music, particularly the rise of Texas country and Americana. While blues and gospel undoubtedly echoed through the city's early days, it was in the latter half of the 20th century that Amarillo began carving its niche. Joe Ely, a true son of Amarillo, emerged as a pivotal figure, his blend of country, rock, and Tex-Mex infusing the genre with a raw, authentic edge. His influence helped solidify Amarillo's place in the landscape of Texas music, inspiring countless musicians who followed in his footsteps.

Beyond country, Amarillo has quietly fostered a diverse independent music scene. While specific dates are harder to pinpoint, the latter decades of the 20th century and the early 21st saw the emergence of artists exploring folk, rock, and other genres. This eclectic mix reflects the city's unique character, a crossroads of cultures and influences. While large venues may not define Amarillo's musical story, the smaller bars and local stages have served as incubators for creativity, allowing artists to experiment and connect with audiences on a personal level. Amarillo's contribution to music lies not just in specific genres, but in its consistent support for musical expression in all its forms.

Music in Amarillo

Songs About Amarillo

Cadillac Ranch
Chris LeDoux
98%
"Now we call it the Cadillac Ranch"
Motel Breakfast
Mac Leaphart
97%
"Tonight we’re at the Golden Light Cafe"
West Texas Girl
The Panhandlers
95%
"The only joint open’s the High Cotton Tavern” she said as she pointed her pickup to town"
cadillac ranch
Ward Hayden & The Outliers
94%
"TITLE"
amarillo rain
eric paisley
90%
amarillo
emmylou harrris
90%
Amarillo Funk
Zac Wilkerson
83%
Amarillo Windmill
The Great Divide
83%
Amarillo Sky
Jason Aldean
82%
"Underneath, underneath this Amarillo Sky"
Am I Right (Or Amarillo)
Asleep at the Wheel
82%
"Am I right or Amarillo"
Amarillo Sand
Mo Robson Band
82%
Amarillo
Ryan Culwell
82%
"Say Amarillo is just a waste of time"
Amarillo by Morning
Josiah and the Bonnevilles
82%
The Lights of Amarillo
Chris LeDoux
81%
"The lights of Amarillo"
Amarillo Depot
Johnny Bush
81%
Amarillo Blue
Songs From The Road Band
81%
Goodbye to Amarillo
Houston Marchman
81%
Amarillo Highway (Live)
Robert Earl Keen
81%
Amarillo By Morning
Chris LeDoux
81%
"Amarillo by morning Amarillo I'll be there"
Am I Amarillo
Aaron Watson
80%
"Am I Amarillo?"

Showing top 20 of 203 songs

Artists From Amarillo

N
Nathan Evans
folk
T
The Snuts
indie
E
Emily Wells
rock
A
Aaron Watson
country
B
Beluga Lagoon
indie
R
Runrig
folk
T
Teenage Fanclub
indie
H
Hayden Pedigo
folk
K
Kevin Fowler
country
B
BMX Bandits
indie
T
Talisk
folk
T
The Soup Dragons
indie
J
John Rich
country
T
The Undertakers
rock
T
Trent Willmon
country
I
Infliction
metal
T
The Lapelles
indie
R
Rodney Branigan
country
N
North Atlas
rock
C
Carnivores
metal

Showing top 20 of 75 artists

Rivers & Roads in Song near Amarillo

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Amarillo.

U.S. Route 66 19 songs Highway I 40 20 songs Canadian River 7 songs

Musical Heritage

Hayden Pedigo (musician) RoadyGoat

Hayden Pedigo is twenty-nine, from Amarillo, and if you want to know what he does, he'll just read you his own Wikipedia page: avant-garde musician, politician, performance artist, and model. He's put out seven albums, each with its own video. He's made prank videos. He ran for Amarillo City Council and lost. His 2023 record, "The Happiest Times I Ever Ignored," opens on a track called "Looking at the Fish," and it's full of long, hanging pauses — which he'll tell you is the whole point. That empty space is the Panhandle: the flat, the quiet, the miles of nothing that raised him. Most guitar players rush to fill the silence. Pedigo learned to leave it right where the land left it.

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Palo Duro Canyon State Park RoadyGoat

They call Palo Duro the second-biggest canyon system in the country — and depending on who's measuring, and how, you'll get an argument. What nobody argues is the size of the thing: a hundred and twenty miles long, eight hundred feet down, torn into the Caprock Escarpment right outside Amarillo. Fifteen thousand acres of trail for boots, bikes, and horses. The Lighthouse Trail runs just under six miles out to the canyon's signature rock spire — about a two-hour walk, and yes, bring the dog, leash on. And down on the canyon floor sits a thirteen-hundred-seat amphitheater, where every summer they stage the outdoor musical "Texas" with those red walls going gold behind the cast. Second-biggest, eighth-biggest, whatever the ranking — standing on the rim, it's plenty.

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History of Amarillo

The Yellow Name RoadyGoat

You're in Amarillo, Texas, so here's the color yellow tangent behind the name: amarillo is the Spanish word for yellow. The Texas city was first called Oneida, then renamed for nearby Amarillo Lake and Creek, probably named by New Mexican traders or shepherds for yellow soil along the banks or abundant yellow wildflowers. Even the first houses were reportedly painted yellow to mark the change. Local English pronunciation drifted away from Spanish ah-mah-ree-yoh, a change already criticized in eighteen eighty eight. The name is factual; whether soil or flowers supplied the original splash of color remains qualified.

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Is the Sun Really Yellow? RoadyGoat

You're in Amarillo, Texas, so here's the color yellow tangent behind the name: sunlight contains a broad range of visible wavelengths and looks essentially white from space. From the ground it can appear yellow because Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter blue wavelengths more strongly, changing the direct light reaching our eyes. Near sunrise or sunset, the longer path through air removes still more blue and can leave orange or red. A yellow crayon sun is therefore a reasonable Earthbound impression, not the Sun's fixed paint color. Never look directly at it without proper solar viewing equipment, even when haze makes it seem dim.

Why Yellow Gets Your Attention RoadyGoat

You're in Amarillo, Texas, so here's the color yellow tangent behind the name: yellow is highly visible in many daylight conditions and contrasts strongly with dark lettering, helping explain yellow school buses and warning signs. A traffic signal's yellow phase warns that right of way is changing, not that every driver should accelerate. In nature, yellow combined with black can serve as aposematic, or warning, coloration in animals such as many wasps, though harmless species may mimic the pattern. Human culture lets yellow carry opposite emotions: sunlight, energy, and cheer on one side; caution, illness, or cowardice on the other.

Dust Bowl - Texas Panhandle

1930

The Texas Panhandle was at the center of the Dust Bowl, the catastrophic ecological and agricultural disaster of the 1930s caused by drought and destructive farming practices.

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Husband, Rick Douglas

2003

Rick Douglas Husband, astronaut, pilot, U. S. Air Force colonel, and Flight Commander of STS-107 Columbia , was born on July 12, 1957, in Amarillo, Texas, to Douglas Earl Husband and Jane Virginia (Barbagallo) Husband. His father was a Naval pilot in the Korean War and was noted as inspiring Rick and his brother Keith to become aviators; Rick’s brother Keith grew up to be a commercial airline pilot. From at least the age of four, Rick always wanted to be an astronaut. He grew up watching the moon landings and referred to those events as being the motivating factors to become an astronaut. He went to Amarillo High School, and just after graduation in 1975, Husband got his pilot’s license at Tradewind Airport. He enrolled at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where he majored in mechanical engineering and was a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. A member of the university’s ROTC program, he was a member of the undergraduate pilot program and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force upon receiving his bachelor’s degree in 1980. Husband attended flight school at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma and was then assigned to F-4 flight training at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. While in the U. S. Air Force he logged more than 3,800 flight hours in more than forty different kinds of airplanes and became a flight instructor and test pilot. After being stationed in Florida, Husband was assigned to be a flight and academic F-4 instructor at George Air Force Base in California. In 1987 he was assigned to Edwards Air Force Base in California to attend U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. Upon completion of test pilot school, Husband was a test pilot for the F-4 and all five models of the F-15. He was honored as F-4 Tactical Air Command Instructor Pilot of the Year in 1987. Husband also attended California State University, Fresno, while in the Air Force and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1990. He served as an exchange pilot in the Royal Air Force in England in 1992 and test flew many of their aircraft still in use in the early twenty-first century. Husband was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for astronaut training at Johnson Space Center in December 1994; he had applied four times. After completing training, he worked with NASA on safety features for astronauts and the Crew Return Vehicle. He also had a hand in studying the return to the moon project as a safety officer. Husband’s first flight into space was aboard the STS-97 Discovery on which he served as a pilot in 1999. The ten-day mission, which included the very first docking at the International Space Station, also delivered four tons of supplies and equipment for the team that would live on the space station for the next year. The next mission for Husband was his last, aboard STS-107 Columbia . The mission was designed as a sixteen-day research mission for which Husband was the Shuttle Commander. On February 1, 2003, as the Columbia was attempting reentry at 8:52 am EST, sensors onboard began to register an abnormal increase in temperature; soon other sensors began registering the same problem, indicating that the space shuttle was heating up faster than normal. At 8:58 the shuttle was over New Mexico and showing signs of increased drag. At 8:59 the space shuttle registered a tire pressure sensor malfunction, which alerted the crew and indicated that they were responsive. Shortly after, all communication with the crew was lost, as the space shuttle began disintegrating at Mach 18 at an altitude of more than 200,000 feet over East Texas. The shuttle and all crew members on board were lost ( see SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA CRASH ). Rick Husband married Evelyn Neely on February 27, 1982, in Amarillo, Texas, and together they raised two children, Matthew and Laura. He was a devout Presbyterian and attended church with his wife and children as regularly as he could, given the nature of

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Marsh, Stanley III [3]

1974

Stanley Marsh III, businessman, prankster, and public artist, was born in Amarillo, Texas, on January 31, 1938. He was the son of Stanley and Estelle Elizabeth (Fariss) Marsh. Heir to a fortune made by his grandfather and father in the oil and gas industry , Marsh eventually changed the "III" in his given name to "3" because he thought that the original seemed pretentious. Apparently he showed an aptitude for art during his childhood and did watercolor painting and wood carving. He graduated from Amarillo High School, and he attended the University of Pennsylvania and earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's in American civilization before returning to Amarillo and beginning a business career, first as a banker and then as the owner of television station KVII, which he purchased in 1967 and sold in 2002. Marsh married Gwendolyn Bush O'Brien on April 22, 1967. The couple eventually adopted five children and lived in a home called "Toad Hall" on a large estate near Amarillo. The estate was known for its unusual livestock, such as a yak and camel, and other exotic animals. Marsh quickly gained the reputation of a quirky prankster and eccentric businessman. To perpetuate the myth of all Texans being tall, he invited all citizens of Amarillo taller than six feet, four inches to a reception for a delegation of Japanese businessmen. In 1975 when Texan and U. S. Treasury Secretary John Connally faced a trial in Washington, D.C., for his supposed role in a milk-price scandal, Marsh showed up wearing a fringed western jacket and carrying a bucket of cow manure. All the while he engaged in such antics, Marsh insisted that he was in reality an artist and set out to prove it most famously with the 1974 creation, "Cadillac Ranch," a row of ten such luxury cars partially buried at an angle, nose-down along Interstate 40 west of Amarillo. Marsh called the Ranch "a monument to the American dream" to a boy coming of age in the 1950s. According to Marsh, a car "represented money; it was the first valuable thing we ever had. It represented sex; it was where you had dates," he added. "And it represented getting away from home. And I assure you those were the three things that were on our minds when we were 16." In 1997 he had the cars, which had become a roadside attraction covered with graffiti, moved a mile west of their original site. Another of his notable works of "public art" was designing a football-field-sized piece of land to represent a billiard table that could only be viewed from the air. Painted green, the "table" was replete with giant billiard balls and a 100-foot-long cue stick. He was also known for the various mock road signs that he had posted around Amarillo. Marsh's eccentricities brought notoriety that local citizens generally found amusing or acceptable for years, but serious problems arose for him in 2012 when a series of lawsuits were brought on behalf of local teenaged boys who accused him of having used money, gifts, alcohol, and drugs to pay them for sex. Those cases were settled by Marsh, but similar lawsuits, all of which were unresolved, plagued him for the last two years of his life. He was under indictment for a number of felony counts at the time of his death. He suffered several strokes and died of pneumonia in Amarillo on June 17, 2014. He was buried at the Llano Cemetery in Amarillo. His tombstone included the epitaph that he had written decades earlier: "Thanks, everybody. I had a good time." Lawsuits alleging sexual abuse and child sex trafficking continued to be filed after his death. Some area residents called for the dismantling of Cadillac Ranch, but as of 2019 the popular roadside attraction still stood.

Tsha Handbook →

Fort Worth and Denver City Railway, First Railroad Through the Texas Panhandle

1873

Pioneered transportation in the old buffalo and Indian frontier and the open-range cattle empire. Organized by Fort Worth citizens. Although chartered by the Texas Legislature on May 26, 1873, the actual building was delayed by the money panic of 1873. Under General G.M. Dodge, civil engineer who had built several major lines, grading began in 1881 at Hodge, near Fort Worth. Despite the 1882 repeal of the Texas Land Grant Act, private capital was able to push rails northwestward at intervals. Numerous towns, including Amarillo (in 1887) began as camps of the crews building grade and laying the tracks. On March 14, 1888, connection was made with rails of the Denver, Texas and Fort Worth Railroad (now Colorado and Southern) at Union Park, near Folsom, N. Mex. This completed the through route to Denver. In 1908 the Fort Worth and Denver City became a part of the Burlington System; in 1951 the name was changed to Fort Worth and Denver Railway Company. Ever since its beginning, this railroad has been backed by men with unlimited faith in the destiny of the Texas Panhandle. It has advanced the economy based on cattle, grain, petroleum, and manufacturing. (1966)

Historical Marker →

Thompson, General Ernest O.

1917

Acknowledged world leader in petroleum conservation. A third generation Texan. Left college for World War I, earning battlefield promotion to Lieutenant Colonel--youngest in the U.S. Army. In 1930 gained national recognition as crusading Amarillo mayor. Appointed in 1932 to Railroad Commission of Texas, won successive elective terms, chairman many years. Began Commission duty by enforcing proration in East Texas during world's greatest oil boom. Backed by Texas Rangers, closed off non-complying wells. His previous experience was in law practice, hotel ownership; quickly learned oil and gas engineering principles, along with regulation and conservation. In 1934, under advice of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, led in founding Interstate Oil Compact Commission. Represented the U.S. at World Petroleum Congress in Paris in 1937. Went into Army in World War II, but returned to Texas on presidential order to insure oil supplies for Allied military forces. In 1951 was awarded American Petroleum Institute Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement. An international authority on oil--key to world trade--he had great economic influence.

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Amarillo Natatorium [The Nat]

1922

The Amarillo Natatorium, a celebrated club and landmark located at 2705 W. 6th Avenue in Amarillo, opened in July 1922. Originally designed by local architect Guy Carlander, the facility was constructed to surround an open-air community swimming pool that measured 36 feet by 101 feet. With the popularity of the pool, the facility was enclosed the following year to provide year-round use. In 1926 J. D. Tucker purchased the Natatorium, which was commonly called "The Nat." He covered the swimming pool with 10,000 square feet of maple flooring to create a dance floor and stage for his new dance palace, and the venue became a popular ballroom. A second story was added and possibly housed gambling rooms at some point. Amarillo businessman Harry Badger bought The Nat in the early 1930s and renamed it The Nat Dine and Dance Palace. He built the castle-like façade on the structure and added an entrance to the dance hall area to pull in patrons from Route 66, the major highway for a growing number of motorists. Badger also added a dining area-The Nat Café. Heralded for its fine dance floor and other upscale amenities, The Nat was a notable venue during the big band era and hosted such luminaries as the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington, the Dorsey Brothers, and Harry James . Reportedly, at its peak, more than forty employees worked at The Nat. Dr. William Maddox purchased The Nat in the 1940s, and it remained a favored musical club along Route 66, as well as a hangout for servicemen stationed at Amarillo Air Force Base . During the 1950s the establishment evolved with changing musical tastes and offered performances by Buddy Holly , Little Richard, and Roy Orbison . The Nat closed as a public dance hall in the 1960s but was still occasionally used for concerts and community events. During the mid-1990s Mike and Jamie Cabins owned the Nat. It was listed as part of the U.S. Route 66-Sixth Street Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. A historical marker honoring the Amarillo Natatorium was erected in 1996. The building was renovated for use as an antiques mall but closed again to the public in the early 2000s. The Nat has occasionally hosted concerts for such artists as Joe Ely, the Dixie Chicks, and Cooder Graw and remains a popular tourist attraction along Route 66. Legends of ghost stories and hauntings also surround its storied past, and The Nat has been the site of paranormal investigations. In the 2020s The Nat was a market place for vendors and was operated by Kasey Robinson.

Tsha Handbook →

Things to Do in Amarillo

quirky 9.1 mi away
Cadillac Ranch

Ten Cadillacs buried nose-down in a Texas field since 1974. Bring spray paint.
food 2.7 mi away
The Big Texan Steak Ranch

Home of the free 72-oz steak challenge since 1960. Giant cowboy out front.
nature 19.9 mi away
Palo Duro Canyon

Second-largest canyon in the US. The Grand Canyon of Texas with stunning red rock walls.
quirky 21.9 mi away
Palo Duro Canyon

The second-largest canyon in the United States cuts straight through the flat Texas Panhandle like somebody took a knife to a pancake. A hundred and twenty…
nature 22.1 mi away
Lighthouse Rock

Lighthouse Rock is the signature hoodoo of Palo Duro Canyon -- a three-hundred-foot pillar of red sandstone with a harder caprock balanced on top. The caprock…
day trip
Day Trip to Amarillo 🥩 (FULL EPISODE) S4 E12

Featured on The Daytripper — a full-episode local travel guide.

Sports in Amarillo

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 5A · Girls Basketball · 2018–2019

Amarillo Mustangs — UIL 5A Girls Basketball State Champions — 2 titles

Most recent: 2019 5A

Amarillo High School's girls' basketball program stands as a notable presence in Class 5A, showcasing a consistent drive for excellence. The team has secured two UIL State Championships, capturing the 5A title in 2018 and again in 2019. These back-to-back victories reflect a period of strong performance on the court, bringing pride to the Panhandle.

The Lady Sandies' achievements are a highlight for the Amarillo community, demonstrating the results of dedicated effort in high school athletics. While no specific alumni are listed as having gone on to professional or major-college careers, the program's success remains a point of local distinction.

State titles
2 (2018–2019)
Most recent
2019
Class
5A
The moment

The Amarillo High School girls' basketball team captured the Class 5A state championship in 2019.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 4A · Volleyball · 2022

Randall Raiders — 2022 UIL 4A Volleyball State Champions

Most recent: 2022 4A

Randall High School, a Class 4A powerhouse in Amarillo, Texas, has established itself as a formidable presence in high school volleyball. The Raiders proudly claimed a UIL State Championship in 2022, showcasing the dedication and skill fostered within the program. The school's commitment to athletic excellence is evident in its consistent performance on the court, bringing a sense of pride to the local community.

The volleyball program at Randall High continues to be a point of regional distinction. With a state title under its belt, the team represents the competitive spirit found in the Texas Panhandle. The community in Amarillo rallies around its student-athletes, celebrating their achievements and the positive impact they have, both on and off the court, within the Class 4A landscape.

State titles
2022
Most recent
2022
Class
4A
The moment

The 2022 4A UIL State Championship stands as a significant achievement for Randall High School volleyball.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 5A · Volleyball · 2016

Amarillo Mustangs — 2016 UIL 5A Volleyball State Champions

Most recent: 2016 5A

Amarillo High School, a Class 5A powerhouse in the Texas Panhandle, boasts a strong volleyball program. The Sandies have demonstrated their competitive spirit and skill on the court, achieving significant success within the University Interscholastic League (UIL) framework.

The Amarillo High School volleyball team proudly claimed a UIL 5A State Championship in 2016. This accomplishment stands as a highlight for the program, reflecting the dedication and hard work of the athletes and coaching staff in the heart of Amarillo.

State titles
2016
Most recent
2016
Class
5A
The moment

The 2016 UIL 5A State Championship represents a pinnacle for Amarillo High School volleyball.

Sources: Wikipedia · UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)

Everything Near Amarillo

228 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the nearest 200 are listed here — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore Amarillo on the Map
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