Edwin Osbourne Wilson is a former concert promoter and co-founder and owner of the Armadillo World Headquarters (1973–1980). The music venue led a music movement in

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

to national prominence from 1973 to 1980 as the birthplace of Texas progressive country, aka "redneck rock" – a fusion of country music and rock – later, more blues than rock. It was a popular venue for

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

. Wilson is the owner of two Threadgill's restaurants in Austin. The original, which he purchased in the mid–1970s from John Kenneth Threadgill (1909–1987), was where

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...

got her start.

Growing up

Wilson graduated from

McCallum High School A. N. McCallum High School is a public high school in Austin, Texas, United States. McCallum, the second oldest high school in the Austin Independent School District (formerly known as Austin Public Schools prior to desegregation in 1971), ope ...

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, in the spring of 1963. In the fall of 1963, he enrolled at the

University of North Texas The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public university, public research university located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its main campus is in Denton, Texas, Denton, with a satellite campus in Frisco, Texas, Frisco. It serves as the ...

in Denton. At North Texas, he joined the school's Folk Music Club, whose student members included Spencer Perskin,Dan Roth, Jan Charles Reid (1945– )
"The Coming of Redneck Hip,"
''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. Founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, ''Texas Monthly'' chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the Natura ...

'', November 1973, pg. 72 Steven Fromholz, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and

Michael Martin Murphey Michael Martin Murphey (born March 14, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He was one of the founding artists of progressive country. A multiple Grammy nominee, Murphey has six gold albums, including ''Cowboy Songs (Michael Martin Murphey alb ...

. The Folk Music Club was founded and sponsored by Stan Alexander ''(né'' Stanley Gerald Alexander; 1928–2017), an English professor who had been influenced by the music scene at Threadgill's in Austin while working on his doctorate at

The University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...

Bibliography

* ''Threadgill's: The Cookbook,'' by Edwin O. Wilson, Longstreet Press (1996) & Eakin Press (2002); * ''Armadillo World Headquarters: A Memoir'', by Eddie Wilson and Jesse Sublett, TSSI Publishing (publisher) and

University of Texas Press The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is the university press of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly and trade books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Caribbean, Caribbea ...

(distributor) (2017);

References

External links

Eddie Wilson describes the first time he saw Janis Joplin

Wisdom of Eddie Wilson from Threadgills North

Discussion of Armadillo World Headquarters
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Edwin Osbourne Living people People from Austin, Texas University of North Texas alumni North Texas Mean Green football players Year of birth missing (living people)