Corpus Christi, TX
Music connected to Corpus Christi
Ready to soak up some sun and discover new tunes? Head down to Corpus Christi, TX, a coastal gem that's clearly captured the hearts (and ears) of musicians. Selena, the Queen of Tejano, put Corpus Christi on the map with hits like "Como La Flor" and "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," and the city continues to inspire artists like Caleb Sam Brown, who sings "Songs to the Bay." The laid-back blend of coastal charm and Texas pride comes through in Kevin Fowler's "Texas Forever" and several Roger Creager tracks.
Beyond the music, Corpus Christi boasts a rich history and unique landscape. This city on Corpus Christi Bay, named for a Catholic feast day, is where you'll find the iconic Texas fast-food chain Whataburger was born. Just south of town lies Padre Island National Seashore, where the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests. From the Beaux-Arts architecture of the Nueces County Courthouse to the live oak-dotted coastal woodlands, Corpus Christi offers a taste of Texas unlike any other.
About Corpus Christi
- • Farrah Fawcett, iconic actress, was born and raised in Corpus Christi.
- • Whataburger, the beloved Texas fast-food chain, was founded here in 1950.
- • Its deepwater port and strategic location made it a key naval air station.
- • A large sinkhole, nicknamed "The Blue Hole," exists near the bayfront.
- • The Great Depression devastated cotton prices, crippling the local economy.
- • It was named for the Catholic feast day and founded in 1839.
- • With over 317,000 people, its population is bigger than Buffalo, NY.
- • The city sits at 16 feet above sea level, making it prone to flooding.
- • The healthcare and social assistance sectors are major employers.
- • Being here feels like a laid-back blend of coastal charm and Texas pride.
- • The region's geology is largely shaped by sediment deposition from the Holocene epoch.
- • Padre Island National Seashore, featuring extensive barrier island dunes, lies just south of the city.
- • The city sits on Corpus Christi Bay, an estuary fed by the Nueces River watershed.
- • The Kemp's ridley sea turtle, an endangered species, nests on nearby beaches.
- • Live oak trees are a prominent feature of the coastal woodlands in the area.
- • The Karankawa people inhabited the coastal region around Corpus Christi for centuries before European arrival.
- • In 1919, a devastating hurricane struck Corpus Christi, killing hundreds on September 14th.
- • The Nueces County Courthouse, built in 1914, is a prominent example of Beaux-Arts architecture.
- • The area is primarily composed of Pleistocene-age sediments deposited during glacial sea-level fluctuations.
- • Padre Island National Seashore, with its undeveloped barrier island ecosystem, is located near Corpus Christi.
- • The city sits on the edge of Corpus Christi Bay, a major estuary fed by the Nueces River.
- • The endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests on beaches near Corpus Christi.
- • Live oak (Quercus virginiana) trees are a common sight in the Corpus Christi area.
- • Karankawa tribes inhabited the coastal region around Corpus Christi before European contact.
- • During the Civil War, Union forces bombarded Corpus Christi in August 1862.
- • The Nueces County Courthouse, a Beaux-Arts style building, was completed in 1914.
- • U.S. Highway 181 crosses the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge, offering views of the bay.