Born in Amarillo 49 Years Ago, the History-Making Independent Country Singer Who Shuns Major Labels “Out of Principle”

On this day (August 20) in 1977, Aaron Watson was born in Amarillo, Texas. After finishing college, he became a regular on the Texas honky tonk circuit and released his debut album in 1999. In 2015, Watson made history when The Underdog debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. He was the first independent male artist to achieve the feat. More than a decade later, he’s still independent and going strong.

Watson released his debut album, Singers and Songwriters, in 1999. He followed that with Texas Cafe the next year. Neither generated much buzz. Then, in 2002, he released Shut Up and Dance, which garnered national attention and became a regional hit. His 2004 release, The Honky Tonk Kid, saw him rubbing elbows with a pair of Lone Star State legends. Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel) produced the record and Willie Nelson sang on the title track.

Watson’s commercial peak came in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Angels & Outlaws reached No. 24 on the Top Country Albums chart in 2008. It was his first to land within the top 40. The Road & the Rodeo reached No. 25 in 2010. Two years later, he landed his first top 10 with Real Good Time. The history-making LP, The Underdog, came next. Two years later, Vaquero reached No. 2. To date, that was his last album to chart. However, it was far from his last release. His latest full-length, Horse Named Texas, dropped earlier this year.

Aaron Watson Remains Independent

There was a time when Aaron Watson’s brand of honky tonk was far from being in fashion. As a result, he could either change his sound and sign a record deal or stay independent and stick to his guns.

Today’s country music industry is different, though. Artists like Ella Langley and Zach Top are bringing traditional-sounding music back to the forefront. However, Watson remains independent.

[RELATED: Aaron Watson Stands Up for the Right to Write a Fun Song: ‘There is Enough Heavy in the World’]

“Out of principle,” he said when asked why he remains an independent artist. “The first 10 or 15 years, I was independent out of survival. Music is my passion, my dream, my occupation. For the first 15 years, none of the labels had anything to do with me. Now, I’m independent by choice. With our record sales, ticket sales, and merch sales, I think without a doubt, we could probably call anyone we want and get a record deal,” he added.

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