A Texas music icon is headed to Lubbock.
Robert Earl Keen, one of the Lone Star State's most celebrated songwriters and performers, is proving "the road goes on forever and that the party never ends," as he is set to perform Tuesday, Dec. 15, at Buddy Holly Hall. The event is called "I Will Survive ... Christmas" with support from Drayton Farley.
The announcement was made noon Tuesday, with tickets scheduled to go on sale 10 a.m. Oct. 23.
Keen, 70, who started to play guitar a littler after starting at Sharpstown High School in Houston, developed his skills and learned to play classic country covers and bluegrass prior to enrolling at Texas A&M University.
He graduated from A&M in 1978 and moved to Austin in order to get reps by performing in nightclubs
and live-music venues in and around Central Texas and near his hometown. He paid his dues, fine tuned his craft and saw the success build.
Some of that included having songs sung by legends like George Strait and The Highwaymen, while garnering the BMI Troubadour Award and having the Texas Legislative Conference name him Texan of the Year earlier in the year.
Keen was awarded the "Texan of the Year" distinction to honor his flood relief efforts in 2025, which included an "Applause for the Cause" benefit concert that helped raise more than $3.2 million for victims of the Central Texas floods.
"I always wanted to play music, and I always knew that you had to get some recognition in order to continue to play music," Keen said in a quote on his official website. "But I never thought in terms of getting to be a big star. I thought in terms of having a really, really good career writing good songs, and getting onstage to share a really good time."
Keen shined bright, churning out 21 records to his name, assembling an eclectic band of musicians and playing thousands of shows throughout his decades-long career.
Keen, who wanted to write and sing his own songs while continuing to write and sing them for as long as possible, is doing that despite retiring from touring and public performances back in 2022.
Lubbock will be another stop on his music journey that figuratively, "goes on forever." And, if you know the rest of the lyrics, the Lone Star music icon will make sure the party never ends and be part of the soundtrack of Texas for generations to come.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas music icon Robert Earl Keen announces show at Buddy Holly Hall
