Click to enlarge Gary P. Nunn, the Texas musical ambassador, is shown near his Texas Hill Country home.

False. Completely false. That classic progressive country hit was written and recorded on the album by none other than Gary P. Nunn. Walker never has tried to claim it and the album's credits are clear who the singer and songwriter was, but most people including most radio DJ's and band lead singers, even today, call it a Jerry Jeff Walker song.

Gary P. Nunn will be playing Friday at the Drunken Mule Saloon in Denison.

Gary P., or the Jeepster as he is by his friends, was a member of Walker's Lost Gonzo Band, playing piano along side other Texas music legends such as Craig Hillis, Bob Livingston, and Herb Steiner.

Gary P. began his musical career as a 7th grader in a garage band in Brownfield, where he was an honor student and all-around athlete. Upon graduation from night school, he attended Texas Tech University and South Plains College while pursuing music on weekends playing with a take-no-prisoners rock band in the '60s. He moved to Austin to continue his studies at U.T. Austin in the late 1960's, where he immersed himself in the rapidly advancing Texas music scene.

When, in 1972, Walker, Michael Martin Murphey and Willie Nelson moved to Austin, their combined musical energies gave birth to the music movement dubbed "progressive country" or "outlaw music." Those boots that jumped right into the middle of it all were worn by the Jeepster.

Gary P. led the Lost Gonzo Band

For Murphy and Walker, he lead The Lost Gonzo Band on stage, in studios, and in their rocket to fame. All that time, Gary P. was writing songs himself.

Today, Nunn enjoys a near folk status in Texas as he continues to sing the praises of the state, its culture, and its colorful characters. He has been commissioned to write such songs as "You Asked Me What I Like Texas" which Walker recorded, also; come up with countless sensitive songs including "The Last Thing I Needed," recorded by Willie Nelson and my personal favorite girl singer, Cleo Bell with the band Applejack from El Paso; and those about the lighter side of life, including today's popular "Adios Amigo."

So, for four decades, Nunn has been making music history with his lively, humorous, yet image-provoking performances. He's been given just about every honor and award for his music and the Texian in him, which he brings out in all of us. He's appointed as "The Ambassador of Texas Music," "Official Ambassdor to the World," (Gov. Mark White), a leader in the fields of art, athletics and music (Texas Department of Commerce and Tourism), for preserving the unique Southwestern style of music (Oklahoma House of Representatives), Texas Hall of Fame plus regional halls of fame, and been awarded several gold and platinum records for writing, publishing, and performing.

One of his songs, "Austin Pickers," explains that "our D.J.'s gotta do their job, so two and a half minutes are all I've got" on the song, and so to expand that thought here, there's not enough room here to even list all his CD's, songs, or television appearances.

All this while taking charge of his own career, at least during the later years, and that includes handling his own bookings, recordings, publicity, and just about everything else most right-brained musicians turn over to agents and managers.

The Jeepster will be ahead of the herd for years to come, after all, "It's a Texas Thing."