Maybe east of the Sabine River, or west of Amarillo or Abilene, probably the most you would possibly get from somebody when you point out the identify Tommy Alverson is, “sounds acquainted.” However down in Texas, he would possibly as effectively be a patron saint. Everyone in Texas music is aware of of Tommy Alverson, as a result of he’s synonymous with the music of the state, and was certainly one of Texas nation’s founding fathers. That’s the reason the Lone Star State is in mourning right this moment on the information of Tommy’s passing on November 14th.
Initially from Hill County simply south of Dallas/Ft. Value, Tommy Alverson graduated from Itasca Excessive College the place he performed varsity soccer. Alverson’s father Tom Alverson was additionally a musician and singer. When Alverson launched a tribute album to his fellow Hill County native son Willie Nelson from close by Abbott, it was a full circle second when Alverson recorded “Uncloudy Day.” Together with being a success for Willie, Tommy’s dad sang on a model of the music from 1954.
Whereas attending junior faculty, Alverson landed a gig enjoying guitar for an additional Texas legend, James Hand, and would go on to supply Hand’s first album. All through his profession, Alverson would share the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Robert Earl Eager, Pat Inexperienced, Charlie Robison, Johnny Bush, Johnny Gimble, Jerry Jeff Walker, and plenty of extra legends of Texas music, and all of these legends of Texas music counted Tommy as certainly one of their very own.
However it occurs to be that Tommy Alverson spent a lot of his early Texas nation profession as a moonlighter and weekend warrior. He labored for the Miller Brewing Firm for 30 years whereas writing and performing songs on the aspect. He launched a few cassette information early on that might turn into the album Texasongs launched in 1995.
Considerably fittingly, it was the music “Una Mas Cerveza” off of Alverson’s 1999 album Me on the Jukebox produced by Lloyd Maines that blew up into a giant regional hit, and eventually allowed Alverson to give up his day job for Miller Brewing. Even when you’ve by no means heard of Tommy Alverson or his music, you’ve most likely hear your favourite Texas band play “Uno Mas Cerveza.” It’s required studying as you’re arising within the honky tonks in Texas.
Tommy Alverson’s songs have been of Texas, from Texas, and for Texas. Effectively earlier than it turned cliché for Texas artists to sing about Texas, Tommy Alverson was doing it. One of many causes Texas bands sing about Texas is as a result of all of them need to be like Tommy Alverson. If folks from different states wished to pay attention alongside to his Texas songs, that was completely tremendous with Tommy. However his coronary heart, his sound, and his spirit was at all times true to the Lone Star State.
It wasn’t simply his songs that helped give music from Texas a definite id separate from the Nashville affect. In 1998, Tommy Alverson put collectively a small occasion on the Melody Mountain Ranch in Stephenville, Texas he known as the Texas Music Household Gathering. It went so effectively, he determined to make it a little bit larger the subsequent yr. Every year, it continued to develop till it was one of the legendary gatherings in Texas music round.
Alverson’s Texas Music Household Gathering turned the stuff of legend and a proving floor for expertise for 20 years, serving to to encourage different Texas music festivals just like the Larry Joe Taylor Competition.
Tommy Alverson launched eight albums general together with a few stay information. When information got here down that he was critically ailing, a tribute was assembled at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Value, the place Alverson was so instrumental in serving to develop a neighborhood music scene. On October twenty seventh, shut pal Walt Wilkins, together with Michael Martin Murphy, Gary P. Nunn, Larry Joe Taylor, Deryl Dodd, Courtney Patton, Matt Hillyer, and plenty of extra carried out, chatting with the respect Tommy Alverson pulled from his fellow performers.
“We misplaced the most effective right this moment,” stated fellow musician and DJ Dallas Wayne. “I’m not speaking about his songwriting, singing or his guitar enjoying. Though he was superb in any respect these issues…I’m speaking about him as a person, father, husband and a pal. Tommy Alverson was all about kindness, coronary heart and compassion. He at all times displayed these core values each time you have been round him. I cherished watching him with Amy, Piper and Willie. The love he had for his household and pals made me imagine in goodness.”
Tommy Alverson’s spouse, Amy Carol Alverson, introduced Tommy’s passing on November 14th. Tommy additionally leaves behind a younger son he had later in life, Willie.
