Texas musical icon to appear at Jake’s in Pipe Creek

By Judith Pannebaker

Texas icon Billy Joe Shaver will appear for one show only at Jake’s at Pipe Creek, 12246 Highway 16 South, Friday, July 10, offering country music lovers an unforgettable evening of entertainment.

A renowned musician and songwriter, he was designated Official Texas State Musician 2006. That same year, Shaver was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.

A rocky beginning to his musical career smoothed out after Waylon Jennings took notice of Shaver’s songwriting talent. The Outlaw recorded many of his songs on the 1973 album, Honky Tonk Heroes. Other artists – including Elvis Presley and Kris Kristofferson – began recording Shaver’s music, which led to his own recording contract. In 1999, Shaver performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry.

Country music’s legendary Highwaymen – Jennings, Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash – performed Shaver’s hit song, “Live Forever.” Among his many hits, Shaver counts crowd pleasers, “Ol Five and Dimers Like Me,” “Honky Tonk Heroes,” “Fast Train To Georgia” and “When Jesus Was Our Savior and Cotton Was Our King.”

To honor Shaver’s contributions to American music, members of the Americana Music Convention awarded him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Songwriting.

Along the way, however, Shaver also had to overcome a series of devastating personal tragedies.

In 1999, he lost his wife, Brenda, and his mother to cancer. The next year, his son and longtime guitarist, Eddy, overdosed on heroine. On July 4, 2001, Shaver nearly died after having a heart attack on stage during a show at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels. After successful heart surgery, however, he rebounded professionally by releasing a new CD, Freedom’s Child, the next year.

Most recently, the Waco resident served as spiritual advisor to Texas Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman.
Shaver’s opening act is gifted singer and songwriter Keegan Reed.

Advance tickets for the July 10 Billy Joe Shaver concert are $15. Tickets purchased at the door the night of the performance are $20. Don’t miss a chance to see this true Texas musical icon “up close and personal.

For more information, call 830-510-4661.