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25 Famous Musicians With San Antonio Roots

By San Antonio Current Staff on Fri, May 8, 2020 at 3:45 pm

While San Antonio's music scene has often been eclipsed by that of a certain city north of us on Interstate 35, it's still been a launching pad for plenty of performers — some of whom even stuck around once they found success. All of these musicians who spent time in the Alamo City made significant contributions to their respective genres, from country and Tejano to hip-hop and heavy metal.

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Ron Jarzombek
A member of influential technical metal band WatchTower, San Antonio native Jarzombek has won praise as one of the genre's most innovative guitarists. Although much of his attention has been on his own outfits, including Spastic Ink, Blotted Science and Terrestrial Exiled, he's also guested with other influential outfits. He's the brother of Bobby Jarzombek, who also appears on this list.
Photo via Facebook / Ron Jarzombek Official

Kevin Talley
San Antonio has a longtime rep as a heavy metal town, and drummer Kevin Talley is certainly keeping that flame alive. The 210 resident has held down drum duties for a sting of the genres most extreme bands, including Dying Fetus, Misery Index, Suffocation and Battlecross.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Jax 0677

Doug Sahm
San Antonio-born Sahm was a musical child prodigy who found early success with the '60s group Sir Douglas Quintet, formed with Augie Meyers. Sahm's blending of rock with blues, country, Tex-Mex, Western swing and even Cajun music earned him a cult following across the U.S. and Europe. He died in 1999, just as many were recognizing his vital influence on the burgeoning Americana scene.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Warner Brothers Records

Mike Nesmith
Before joining the TV-ready '60s pop group the Monkees, Mike Nesmith did basic training at San Antonio's Lackland AFB and attended San Antonio College. It was while at SAC that he and buddy John Kuehne won the college's talent show, cementing a musical partnership that eventually blossomed into the Monkees.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons / NBC Television

Moe Bandy
Bandy, a superstar of the '70s country scene, was born in Mississippi but landed in San Antonio at age 6 after a family move. After an early career as a bull rider in the Texas rodeo circuit, he ended up performing at honky tonks and scored a string of hits centered around drinking, cheating and other C&W standbys.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons / Ray Baker Management