Fort Worth, Texas

Everything Fort Worth is known for

229 songs mention this city 229 artists from here

Fort Worth, Texas, often called "Cowtown" due to its rich Western heritage, also boasts a significant musical identity. The city has been designated as the first music-friendly city in Texas by the Texas Music Office. With 229 artists calling Fort Worth home, including jazz innovator Ornette Coleman and rhythm and blues artist Leon Bridges, the city has fostered diverse talent. Songs like "Honky Tonk Heroes" by Waylon Jennings and "Fort Worth Was a Fabulous Waste of Time" by Stryker Brothers further cement its place in music.

Fort Worth's music scene spans various genres, including country, jazz, R&B, rock, and gospel. The city has a history of producing world-class jazz musicians and has been a center for country and western swing music.

Music in Fort Worth

Songs About Fort Worth

Up In Texas
Midland
97%
"Billy Bob's honky-tonked it"
Geraldene
Miranda Lambert
96%
"You're never gonna be the backstage babe at the Crystal Palace"
Jack’s Drunk Again
Jackson Taylor & The Sinners
96%
"Please welcome Live At Billy Bob's"
Big Ball's In Cowtown (feat. Asleep at the Wheel)
George Strait
95%
"Big ball's in Cowtown"
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
93%
"I was down at Green Gables, a-hawkin' them tables"
Stockyards
Casey Donahew Band
93%
"The stockyards its my backyard that's where I grew up"
A Girl from Fort Worth
Carson Jeffrey
90%
"A Girl from Fort Worth (title)"
Fort Worth Was a Fabulous Waste of Time
Stryker Brothers
90%
Flower Tattoo
Lincoln Swanzy
88%
"fell in love with a girl from TCU"
Fortworth
Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR
85%
"TITLE"
West of Fort Worth
Grant Gilbert
83%
"If you ever get west of Fort Worth"
Fort Worth Blues
Guy Clark
83%
"In Fort Worth, neon shining bright"
Fort Worth Jail
Roger Harvey & Simon Flory
83%
Fort Worth Callin' Dallas (Radio Edit)
Jon Hope
83%
Fort Worth
Cowboy Troy
83%
Fort Worth
Jamie Weger and the Southern Sons
83%
Fort Worth (My Kinda Town)
Darren Kolbe
83%
Was Fort Worth Worth It?
Corb Lund
82%
"Was Fort Worth worth it?"
Fort Worth, Dallas Or Houston
George Hamilton IV
81%
"In Fort Worth Dallas or Houston or in San Antone"
Fort Worth Will Do
Seth Van Dover
81%

Showing top 20 of 229 songs

Artists From Fort Worth

L
Leon Bridges
r-n-b Pop: 73
C
Chatterton
indie Pop: 72
T
T Bone Burnett
americana Pop: 65
K
Kirk Franklin
gospel Pop: 61
J
Jace!
hip-hop Pop: 56
F
Fess Parker
country Pop: 55
O
Ornette Coleman
jazz Pop: 55
S
Songbird Jones
country Pop: 55
D
Drake Milligan
country Pop: 54
T
The Rocket Summer
indie Pop: 54
O
Oh, Sleeper
metal Pop: 54
S
Sweet Smoke
rock Pop: 54
T
Townes Van Zandt
country Pop: 52
T
Toadies
rock Pop: 52
D
Dewey Redman
jazz Pop: 52
T
Taylor Hawkins
rock Pop: 52
L
Luba Dvorak
classical Pop: 50
L
Leighton Meester
pop Pop: 50
M
Magnus
metal Pop: 50
C
Christy Nockels
gospel Pop: 49

Showing top 20 of 229 artists

Rivers & Roads in Song near Fort Worth

Songs written about the waterways and highways that run near Fort Worth.

Texas State Highway 199 8 songs Interstate 20 10 songs Trinity River 8 songs Chisholm Trail 4 songs Brazos River 16 songs Interstate 45 2 songs

History of Fort Worth

The Last Daily Cattle Drive in America RoadyGoat

1866

Twice a day, a dozen Texas Longhorns are driven down Exchange Avenue by mounted drovers in period dress. It is the only daily cattle drive on a public street anywhere in the world. The tradition started in 1999 as a way to honor the millions of cattle that once passed through Fort Worth on the Chisholm Trail and the Great Western Trail. Between 1866 and 1890, Fort Worth was the last major stop before cowboys pushed their herds north through Indian Territory toward the Kansas railheads. The city earned its nickname Cowtown because the cattle business was the entire economy. Drovers would spend their last dollars on supplies and their last night in a real bed before months on the trail. These longhorns walking past you now are direct descendants of the breeds that built this city. The horns on a mature longhorn can span over six feet. They are not gentle animals. The drovers who handle them daily are working cowboys, not actors.

Mule Alley - From Livestock Pens to Luxury RoadyGoat

1900

Mule Alley stretches along Marine Creek at the edge of the Stockyards, and for decades it was exactly what the name suggests: rows of brick-and-timber barns where mules and horses were penned before auction. The buildings date to the early 1900s, built to support the livestock industry that made Fort Worth the largest cattle market west of the Mississippi. Mules were essential to Texas agriculture before mechanization. Farmers came from across the state to buy draft animals here. The barns were designed for function, not beauty, with thick walls to contain livestock and wide corridors for moving animals. After the livestock market declined in the 1960s, the buildings sat largely vacant. In 2020, a massive restoration transformed the old barns into a mixed-use district with hotels, restaurants, and shops while preserving the original timber trusses and brick walls. If you look up in any of these buildings, you can still see the bones of the old livestock barns.

The Cullen Davis Mansion Shootings — Fort Worth, Texas, 1976 RoadyGoat

1976

Fort Worth, August second, nineteen seventy-six. Just after midnight, a man dressed in black walked through the darkened Cullen Davis estate and opened fire. Four people were shot. Twelve-year-old Andrea Wilborn died in the basement. A family friend named Stan Farr died near the door. Priscilla Davis — shot through the chest — staggered bleeding to a neighbor's house and told police the shooter was her estranged husband, Cullen Davis, one of the wealthiest men in Texas. Davis was arrested and tried for capital murder. He hired the most expensive defense team in state history. The jury acquitted him. He was tried a second time for an unrelated murder-for-hire plot. Acquitted again. Cullen Davis became a born-again Christian, sold the mansion, and donated millions to evangelical causes. He is still alive. The house is still standing.

4.3 mi away

Bank One Tower Tornado

2000

F3 tornado climbed the 35-story Bank One Tower on March 28, 2000, blowing out nearly every pane of glass above the third floor. Building sat empty for almost five years before being converted to luxury residential.

Local Knowledge →

Billy Bob's Texas

1981

Billed as the "World's Largest Honky-Tonk" and located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards district, Billy Bob's Texas, which comprises a total interior space of 100,000 square feet, along with twenty acres for parking, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the state. Many of the brightest stars in country music have played on its stage. In addition to nightly musical performances, Billy Bob offers live bull riding, dancing, drinking, games, and more to a capacity crowd of 6,000. Billy Bob's has been nominated numerous times and, as of 2011, had won eight titles as the country music "Club of the Year" by the Academy of Country Music. The Country Music Association also has recognized the nightclub with the "Club of the Year" title three times. Billy Bob's Texas was the brainchild of Texas A&M University graduate and professional football player Billy Bob Barnett. Joining Barnett in the venture was nightclub owner Spencer Taylor, a former car salesman. The two chose an abandoned 100,000-square-foot department store that had once been an open-air cattle barn in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The original structure was built in 1910 and underwent several transformations through the years. Additional animal stalls and an auction ring were constructed in 1936, and during World War II the Globe Aircraft Corporation used the building as an airplane factory. With the additional help of investment partners Thomas and Mitt Lloyd, Barnett renovated the facility and opened the doors for business on April 1, 1981. Following on the heels of the early 1980s Urban Cowboy craze and subsequent country music boom, Billy Bob's Texas was an instant hit. The first week featured Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers , Waylon Jennings , Janie Fricke, and Willie Nelson. A host of others followed, including rockers ZZ Top and the Beach Boys and country music legends Marty Robbins and Ernest Tubb . Billy Bob's Texas helped foster many new musical acts. As the club's marketing director, Pam Minick, wrote, "Billy Bob's became the place for country music musicians to hone their skills, build a fan following, and possibly secure a recording contract." George Strait, for example, played first as an opening act at Billy Bob's. Rick Treviño placed in a talent contest at the nightclub. Ty Herndon was a member of the house band, Southern Thunder. However, problems eventually beset the nightclub. In the late 1980s, country music, Billy Bob's biggest draw, declined in popularity. Financial mismanagement and unrealized projects drained the nightclub. Billy Bob's Texas was bankrupt, and on January 8, 1988, it closed, causing great loss to the tourism industry of Fort Worth, especially the Stockyards district. Soon afterward, however, entrepreneur Holt Hickman, a Fort Worth native, sought to revive the Stockyards. Hickman's long-time friend and businessman Steve Murrin encouraged him to reopen Billy Bob's Texas. Hickman and Murrin, along with Donald K. Jury, an original Billy Bob's Texas investor, reopened the place on November 28, 1988. In February 1989, Billy Minick became a partner and manager of the nightclub. He eventually became CEO, with his wife Pam as head of marketing. When Billy Bob's Texas reopened, new headliners took the stage, including Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Texans LeAnn Rimes and Clint Black. As country music regained popularity, Billy Bob's focused on native talent, especially musicians who had crossover appeal. Such Texas acts as Robert Earl Keen and Pat Green became some of the club's biggest draws. The high-energy environment and close setting of Billy Bob's Texas allowed these performers to interact more with their fans. According to Pam Minick, most stars know they have made it when they have played the main stage at Billy Bob's. The club has a Handprint Wall of Fame that displays impressions of every performer who has played onstage. Many artists have recorded live at Billy Bob's. Among the first to do so were Chris LeDoux and D

Tsha Handbook →

Fort Worth Stockyards

1876

The Fort Worth Stock Yards were officially incorporated on March 23, 1893, and the corporation was dissolved on May 31, 1944, but those who purchased it at the later date continued operations under the same name until November 1, 1981, when they leased the facilities to a company that continued using the same name. The Fort Worth livestock market became the largest in Texas and the Southwest, the biggest market south of Kansas City, and ranked between third and fourth consistently among the nation's large terminal livestock markets for five decades, from about 1905 to the mid-1950s. Texans started calling Fort Worth "Cowtown" soon after the Civil War , when drovers began herding cattle from South Texas northward to connect with the Chisholm Trail in Indian Territory and stopping in Fort Worth for supplies. Not until the Texas and Pacific Railway arrived on July 19, 1876, did promoters build pens to hold cattle, but business leaders of Fort Worth already dreamed of packing plants and stockyards to make their community a permanent focus of the cattle industry. By 1886 four stockyards had been built near the railroads. Businessmen chartered the Union Stock Yards on July 26, 1887, and opened their 258-acre facility north of the Trinity River in midsummer 1889. They also chartered a packing company. Local interests invited Boston capitalist Greenleif W. Simpson to visit, with the hope that he would invest. Simpson, with a half dozen Boston and Chicago associates, incorporated the Fort Worth Stock Yards Company in West Virginia because of more favorable tax laws there, and purchased the Union Stock Yards and the Fort Worth Packing Company in April 1893. A neighbor of Simpson in Boston, Louville V. Nile, bought half the shares. The investors struggled because of the financial panic of 1893 and other problems, but in 1896 the company began a fat-stock show that has survived to the present as one of the largest livestock shows in the nation, the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show . In 1896 stockyard owners also began a market newspaper that still exists today under independent ownership as the Weekly Livestock Reporter , the largest livestock newspaper in the Southwest. In 1897–98 the company, in connection with the Bureau of Animal Industry, gained nationwide attention by experimenting with cattle dipping to kill ticks ( see TEXAS FEVER ). An agreement Simpson and Niles made in 1902 with Armour and Swift brought in two of the nation's largest meatpackers, which constructed modern plants adjacent to the stockyards. In a stock reorganization, each packer received a third interest in the stockyards company, and Simpson, Niles, and smaller investors retained a third. In exchange for stock and land on which to build their plants, the packers agreed that each animal they slaughtered would pass through the stockyards at a standard fee. Boom years followed for the Fort Worth Stock Yards Company after the arrival of Armour and Swift. Immigrants came from Central Europe to work in the plants and settled in a community that stockyard officials incorporated in 1902 under the name North Fort Worth. The first decade of the twentieth century saw great growth in livestock-related industries in Fort Worth-grain elevators, livestock-pharmaceutical companies, and other meatpackers. The Fort Worth Stock Yards Company constituted the hub around which everything else revolved. The reorganized company spent $125,000 for a two-story Spanish-style exchange building and constructed brick-floored pens with a capacity of 24,500 animals. By 1905 the Fort Worth market had grown to fifth in the nation. In 1906 the calf market at Fort Worth ranked second only to Chicago. Because of rapid growth, the yards kept expanding. In March 1908, when a new $175,000 coliseum for the fat-stock show opened, the company hosted the first cutting-horse contest ever held indoors under electric lights. Population in Fort Worth tripled during the first decade after Armour and

Tsha Handbook →

Fort Worth, TX

1853

Fort Worth is located on the Clear Fork of the Trinity River near its confluence with the West Fork of the Trinity in Tarrant County. It lies at 32º 46' north latitude, 97º 18' west longitude, putting it on the edge of the Great Plains, which explains why the eastern area of the city is part of the Cross Timbers while the western area is flat, arid prairieland. Fort Worth began life on the grounds of an abandoned U.S. Army post ( see FORT WORTH ) in 1853. Local settlers moved into the empty structures on the bluff over the river and began building out into the surrounding area that was once part of the Peters Colony . They first called themselves Fort Town to distinguish their little community from the military post. They numbered less than 100. Among the pioneer settlers were Ephraim Daggett , who generously gave land for civic improvement; John Peter Smith (often referred to as the "father of Fort Worth"), who started the first school in 1854; Henry Daggett and Archibald Leonard , who opened general stores; and Julian Feild , who started a flour mill and served as the first postmaster in 1856. The little village was connected to the outside world by the U.S. mail stage line that began operation to surrounding communities in 1856, followed by the Butterfield Overland stage line two years later. In 1878 mail and passenger service from Fort Worth to Yuma, Arizona, began. The 1,560-mile route was the longest in the United States and took seventeen days to traverse one way. Although Fort Worth was indeed a frontier town for more than two decades and would later call itself "The City Where the West Begins," it was never seriously threatened by American Indians . Virtually all the tribes that came through the area were weak, peaceful groups more interested in gifts and protection from their warlike neighbors than in raiding. Local legend may say otherwise but is not supported by written records. After Tarrant County was created in 1849, Birdville was the first designated county seat. Seven years later, in 1856, the residents of Fort Town challenged the status quo by getting the state legislature to hold a special election to determine the best location. Fort Worth narrowly won amid charges of illegal voting. A second and just as bitter election was held in April 1860, and this time Fort Worth overwhelmingly carried the day. Fort Worth citizens first started to build a courthouse-a three-room, wood-frame structure-on the bluff in 1857. The site, on what is now the west lawn of the current courthouse, was on the block regarded as the center of town and known variously as the public square and the courthouse square. Construction of a more permanent two-story stone courthouse began in the center of the courthouse square in 1860, but the privately funded project moved slowly, stopped with the outbreak of the Civil War , and the building was not completed until 1869. The structure burned on March 29, 1876, destroying most of the county records. Daniel O'Flaherty was hired to design the new courthouse on the same site, which was completed in 1877 and enlarged in 1882 by adding a third story in a mansard roof. It was replaced by the current iconic pink granite building, designed by Gunn and Curtiss, in 1895. Fort Worth was incorporated by act of the state legislature in 1873, giving it the traditional mayor-council form of government . W. P. Burts served as the first mayor. Municipal elections were held in April of every year, and members of the council (aldermen) were elected to represent a particular ward. In 1907 the city adopted the commission form of government , replacing aldermen with commissioners elected at-large, each focusing on a particular aspect of municipal administration. The city's population dramatically increased over the years. From no more than 350 citizens recorded at the beginning of the Civil War, to approximately 2,500 before incorporation and then to possibly 4,000 or more in the fall of 1873 after incor

Tsha Handbook →

William John Marsh

1904

(June 24, 1880 - Feb. 1, 1971) Born near Liverpool, England, William John Marsh was an accomplished organist and musician when he came to Fort Worth in 1904 to enter the cotton business. In addition to his bookkeeping work, he served as organist and choirmaster for two area churches and one synagogue, and as choral director and Professor of Organ at Texas Christian University. He also composed over 100 pieces of music. In 1929, his composition "Texas, Our Texas" won in competition to become the official state song. Marsh died in Fort Worth at the age of 90. (1985)

Historical Marker →

Tim Cole

1986

Timothy Brian Cole, born in Brenham in 1960, served in the U.S. Army and attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock. While there, Cole was accused of assaulting a fellow student. In September 1986, a jury convicted him and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Prior to the trial, he was offered probation in exchange for a guilty plea, and while in prison, he was offered parole if he would admit guilt. He refused to take blame for a crime he did not commit. In December 1999, he died in prison at age 39 from complications from asthma. In 2007, the Innocence Project of Texas received a letter from an inmate confessing to the crime for which Cole was convicted. Physical evidence confirmed that this man was guilty and Cole was innocent. The crime victim joined Cole’s family in the effort to clear his name. In District Court in Travis County, Cole’s advocates successfully used a court of inquiry to obtain a hearing on his innocence. In April 2009, the court declared that Cole was innocent of the crime “to a 100% moral, legal and factual certainty.” Following this opinion and order of the court, the other two branches of state government also cleared Cole’s name and record. In 2009, the 81st Texas Legislature enacted the Tim Cole Act, to compensate wrongly convicted individuals, and created the timothy cole advisory panel on wrongful convictions to reverse other wrongful imprisonments and prevent future miscarriages of justice. In March 2010, the Texas Governor’s Ooffice issued the first posthumous pardon in state history. This promise of fairness for all Texans is the legacy of a man who once wrote from prison that "I still believe in the justice system, even though it doesn’t believe in me.” 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836 - 2011

Historical Marker →

Things to Do in Fort Worth

quirky 18.5 mi away
Chewbacca's Grave — May the 4th

May the 4th be with you — and with the Wookiee. Peter Mayhew the seven-foot-three British actor who brought Chewbacca to life in every Star Wars film from 1977…
food 1.0 mi away
Joe T. Garcia's

Joe T opened his little family restaurant behind the packing plant in the Fort Worth Stockyards in 1935. There was no menu. His wife Jessie served whatever she…
historical 2.4 mi away
Fort Worth Stockyards

Daily cattle drives down the street. Honky-tonks and rodeos in the old West.
historical 2.4 mi away
Billy Bob's Texas

Billy Bob's opened in 1981 in an old cattle barn in the Fort Worth Stockyards and at one hundred twenty-seven thousand square feet it is the largest honky-tonk…
historical 15.8 mi away
WWII Marine Glider Base at Eagle Mountain

In 1942 the United States Marines bought 2931 acres of ranchland on Eagle Mountain Lake for a purpose that sounds almost unbelievable now — training pilots to…
quirky 15.8 mi away
The Azle Earthquake Swarm

Starting in November 2013 the ground beneath Azle started shaking and it did not stop for 84 days. Twenty-seven earthquakes rattled windows cracked foundations…
quirky 18.5 mi away
Chewbacca's Grave

The seven-foot-three British actor who played Chewbacca in every Star Wars film from 1977 to The Force Awakens is buried right here at Azleland Memorial Park.…
quirky 24.5 mi away
Springtown Dinosaur Tracks

A family went out hunting arrowheads along Walnut Creek in 2017 and found something about 110 million years older than they expected. Pressed into the creekbed…

Sports in Fort Worth

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Football · 2024

North Crowley — 2024 UIL 6A Division 1 Football State Champions

Most recent: 50-21 over Austin Westlake · 2024 6A Division 1 final

North Crowley High School in Fort Worth, a Class 6A football powerhouse, has established itself as a formidable presence in Texas high school sports. The Panthers have consistently showcased their talent and dedication on the field, bringing significant pride to their community. Their program continues to be a focal point for local sports enthusiasts, reflecting the competitive spirit of the region.

The school's football program has achieved the pinnacle of state success. Their commitment to excellence has culminated in memorable seasons, marking North Crowley as a top-tier competitor in the demanding landscape of Texas high school football.

State titles
2024
Most recent
2024, 50-21
Class
6A
The moment

In 2024, North Crowley High School secured the 6A Division 1 State Championship by defeating Austin Westlake 50-21.

Sources: UIL State Championship Archives · SI High School (ScoreBook Live)
⭐ HOMETOWN LEGENDS Class 5A · Football

Trimble Technical — Trimble Technical — a college & pro athletic pipeline

3 alumni who reached major-college or pro sports

Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth has a proud tradition of athletes who have gone on to compete at the highest levels. The Bulldogs have seen several of their own make their mark in major college and professional sports. These alumni represent the dedication and skill fostered within the school's athletic programs, inspiring current and future generations of Trimble Tech students.

Among the notable athletes from Trimble Technical are Raymond Clayborn, an NFL football player, and Henry Ford, who was an NFL football player for the Tennessee Titans. The school also celebrates Yovani Gallardo, a Major League Baseball player. Their achievements highlight the diverse athletic talent that has emerged from Trimble Tech.

Pro/D1 alumni
3
Class
5A
Founded
1955
Key Players
  • Raymond Clayborn — NFL football player
  • Henry Ford — NFL football player, 1994-2002 Tennessee titans
  • Yovani Gallardo — Major League Baseball player
The moment

Henry Ford was an NFL football player for the Tennessee Titans.

Sources: Wikipedia
🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS Class 6A · Boys Basketball · 2026

North Crowley — 2026 UIL 6A Division 1 Boys Basketball State Champions

Most recent: 2026 6A Division 1

North Crowley High School in Fort Worth stands as a strong competitor in Texas 6A boys basketball. The Panthers have secured one UIL state championship, a notable achievement for the program. Their success reflects a consistent effort on the court within the demanding 6A classification.

The community in Fort Worth takes pride in its high school sports, and North Crowley's basketball program is a key part of that tradition. While no specific alumni are listed as having gone pro or to major colleges, the team's state title indicates a high level of play and dedication from its athletes over the years.

State titles
2026
Most recent
2026
Class
6A
The moment

The North Crowley Panthers boys basketball team claimed the 6A Division 1 state championship in 2026.

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

Everything Near Fort Worth

880 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.

Explore Fort Worth on the Map
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