Everybody's Somebody in Luckenbach Texas

January 30/16  Good luck trying to find Luckenbach Texas with a map or a GPS.... hahaha.  Rumor has it that the signs are torn down almost as quickly as they're put up.  Tricky part of the GPS is that the town you lock into is Fredericksburg!!!!  After a couple of wrong turns we found it, along with a couple hundred other bikers.

inside the Dance hall

bikers out in Luckenbach

The tiny country hamlet of Luckenbach start in the mid 1800's as a trading post. About 1886 it became a General Store, Post Office and Beer Joint run by  a traveling preacher from Germany.  His daughter chose the name Luckenbach in honor of her fiance Albert Luckenbach. In 1970—Luckenbach the town, which remained in the hands of the Engel family the whole time, fell into eclipse. Benno Engel retired as postmaster and placed an ad in the local paper: “TOWN FOR SALE” —lock, stock and dancehall.    A Rancher and Texas Folklorist Hondo Crouch bought the town for $30,000.  In 1973, Texas country-rocker, Jerry Jeff Walker came to Luckenbach to record an album. Walker wanted a laid-back Texas locale for a backdrop.  Jerry Jeff and his Lost Gonzo Band took over the old dancehall, stacked hay bales for sound baffles and sat around the ancient saloon writing songs during the day. At night, they recorded in the dancehall— fast and loose. Four years later, Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson had the huge hit that memorialized Luckenbach to its ultimate worldwide fame.  Willie Nelson returns to Luckenbach annually for his 4th of July Picnic with thousands of his closest friends...and that’s just the list of performers.  Luckenbach has live country music most every weekend still.

Billy getting a Shiner Bock longneck at the back of the General Store

Rosey hanging out in front of the General Store

The only two things in life that make it worth livin'
Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women
I don't need my name in the marquee lights
I got my song and I got you with me tonight
Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin'
Got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys
Between Hank Williams' pain songs and
Newbury's train songs and Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Out in Luckenbach, Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain

So baby, let's sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
In your high society you cry all day
We've been so busy keepin' up with the Jones
Four car garage and we're still building on
Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of love

Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we're livin' got us feudin'
Like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams' pain songs and
Newbury's train songs and Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Out in Luckenbach, Texas ain't nobody feelin' no pain