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Jim Stringer, the country songwriter and guitarist who spent his Austin career playing beloved residencies and accompanying fellow roots giants T. Jarrod Bonta and Roger Wallace, passed away on Dec. 16 at age 77 after an ongoing struggle with cancer.
The Kansas native made Austin his home for over three decades, founding the AM Band The Head and the Heart will headline Austin’s New Year’s party at Auditorium Shores on Dec. 31 from 7pm to midnight. Local stars Chaparelle, Taméca Jones, and the Point will also perform at the free, family-friendly event hosted by the city and Visit Austin, alongside a drone show and, of course, a fireworks finale to Jim Franklin Day is Nov. 6 thanks to an official proclamation from the city of Austin. The designation honors the visionary artist, whose contributions to local posters, murals, and album covers helped establish the aesthetic of Armadillo World Headquarters, crafting the titular nine-banded armadillo into the de facto symbol of Austin’s Seventies countercultural movement. His Jason Camacho, revered drummer of local post-metal group Glassing, died in his sleep on Oct. 24. Camacho played with several other groups around town and is celebrated in outpourings from friends and fellow musicians for his uniquely explosive drumming and steadfast dedication to the Austin music community. A GoFundMe is gathering donations to support his Miller “Speedy” Sparks, GRAMMY Award-winning bassist for the Texas Tornados, passed away Oct. 7. Born in 1945, Sparks left an indelible imprint on Austin’s music scene, and Texas at large, in his 79 years. The two-time recipient of an Austin Music Award co-founded Texas Tornados in 1989 with Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, Flaco Jiménez, and Joe Ely, beloved Amarillo-born progressive country singer-songwriter, announced he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease earlier this month. Ely was pivotal to Austin’s Seventies and Eighties country scene and has steadily released music ever since, including February’s Love and Freedom. Ely and his wife Sharon are embracing slower days by revisiting and re-releasing Ely’s Asleep at the Wheel joins Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, Waterloo Records opens anew, and Coupland Dancehall closes doors
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