Though born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1962, Dale Watson established Austin, Texas as his true home.  It’s no wonder considering that he spent his teenage years near Houston, and Austin offered him a progressive-minded country scene where he felt comfortable refining his songwriting and guitar-playing.

After graduating high school, Watson spent seven years playing local clubs.  In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles and joined the house band at North Hollywood’s Palomino Club.  Growing weary of California’s commercial take on country, he packed up and headed back east.  Upon moving to Austin, Watson formed a backing band called the Lonestars.  He eventually broke off and released his debut album, Cheatin’ Heart Attack, in 1995.  The authentic, vintage feel granted him well-deserved recognition in the traditional country and old-style honky-tonk community.  In 2005, Watson became inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame.

Watson suffered a great loss in late 2000 when his fiancée was killed in an automobile accident, leaving him devastated and close to death himself following a near-overdose.  After checking himself into a mental institution to aid in recovery from his breakdown, he wrote the mournful tribute Every Song I Write Is For You.  The painful ordeal was later captured by filmmaker Zalman King in his 2006 documentary, Crazy Again.  King focused on Watson once more with 2007’s bio-picture, Austin Angel.