Watermelon Records was a

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

based in

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 ...

History

Watermelon Records was founded in 1989 by John Kunz, Heinz Gessler, and

Robert Earl Keen Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956) is an American country singer and songwriter from Houston, Texas. Early life and education Keen was born and grew up in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, he was an avid reader who excelled in writing an ...

. Keen later sold his interest in the label. During the 1990s, Watermelon released 10-15 albums a year, mostly Americana music. Watermelon Records filed for bankruptcy in 1998, and its assets were sold to Texas Clef Entertainment Group, an affiliate of Antone's Records. In 2010,

New West New West Records is a record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville and Athens, Georgia. It previously had offices in Burbank, California and Beverly Hills, California. From 2013 to 2018, New West's records in the U.S. were distributed b ...

acquired the Texas Music Group, which included the Watermelon Records label.

Roster

* Asylum Street Spankers * Austin Lounge Lizards *

Vince Bell Vince Bell (born September 16, 1951) is a Texas singer-songwriter who has appeared on the PBS television program ''Austin City Limits'' along with NPR broadcasts such as ''Mountain Stage'', ''World Cafe (radio program), World Cafe'' and ''Morn ...

Brave Combo Brave Combo is a polka rock band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/Keyboard instrument, keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for more than thirty-five years. Their m ...

* Johnny Bush * The Damnations *

Julian Dawson Julian Dawson (born 4 July 1954 in London) is a British singer–songwriter, guitarist and author. His style has been compared to Wilco and Ron Sexsmith. He is fluent in German and French. Outside his solo work, acts he has recorded with (as si ...

The Derailers The Derailers are an American country music band based in Austin, Texas. They were founded by Portland, Oregon, natives Tony Villanueva and Brian Hofeldt in 1994. History The Derailers' first LP, ''Live Tracks'', was issued in 1995. It was the ...

Alejandro Escovedo Pedro Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, includin ...

Rosie Flores Rosie Flores (born Rosalie Flores; September 10, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, where August 31 was declared Rosie Flores Day by the Austin City Council in 2006. Biography Rosie Flo ...

with Ray Campi * The Good Sons *

The Gourds The Gourds are an American alternative country band that formed in Austin, Texas, during the summer of 1994. After playing together for 19 consecutive years, the band went on hiatus in 2013. Career Primarily evolving from the Picket Line Coyote ...

* Hamilton Pool * Hayseed * High Noon *

Tish Hinojosa Leticia ("Tish") Hinojosa (born December 6, 1955, San Antonio, Texas) is a singer-songwriter, recording in both Spanish and English. Early life and career Hinojosa is the youngest of 13 children. Hinojosa's parents were Mexican immigrants. K ...

Duane Jarvis Duane Jarvis (August 22, 1957 – April 1, 2009) was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who recorded, wrote songs and toured with many rock and roll and country music performers, including Frank Black, Peter Case, Rosie Flores, John ...

* Santiago Jimenez, Jr. *

Hal Ketchum Hal Michael Ketchum (April 9, 1953 – November 23, 2020) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He released eleven studio albums from 1986 to 2014, including nine for divisions of Curb Records. Ketchum's 1991 album ''Past the Point ...

Charlie Louvin Charles Elzer Loudermilk (July 7, 1927 – January 26, 2011), known professionally as Charlie Louvin, was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known as one of the Louvin Brothers, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry ...

Iain Matthews Iain Matthews (born Ian Matthews MacDonald, 16 June 1946) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was an original member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention from 1967 to 1969 before leaving to form his own band, Matthew ...

* Steve McNaughton * Lisa Mednick * Hugh Moffatt * Katy Moffatt * Bob Neuwirth * Carla Olson * Omar & the Howlers * Maryann Price *

Doug Sahm Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from San Antonio, Texas. He is regarded as a key Tejano music, Tex-Mex music and Music of Texas, Texan Music pe ...

* Walter Salas-Humara * The Setters * The Silos *

Darden Smith Darden Smith (born March 11, 1962, in Brenham, Texas) is an Austin-based singer-songwriter known for his lyrics and for weaving folk and Americana influences with rock, pop, and the musical roots of his home state.Keith Kachtick, "Quick Cha ...

* Hemlock Smith * Eric Taylor * Timbuk 3 * Justin Trevino * Roger Wallace *

Don Walser Donald Ray Walser (September 14, 1934 – September 20, 2006) was an American country music singer. He was known as a unique, award-winning yodeling "Texas country music legend." Music career Walser was born in Brownfield, Texas and raised ...

* Monte Warden * Webb Wilder and the Nashvegans *

Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, most notably with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Bu ...

References

External links

* American independent record labels {{US-record-label-stub

History

Roster

See also

References

External links