World-Famous Denton Musicians
Think you know Denton music? Think again! You wouldn’t believe some of the artists who got their start in Denton. See if you recognize any of these names:
Norah Jones
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This nine time Grammy-winning artist studied jazz piano at the University of North Texas before she hit it big. She has even performed her music on Sesame Street!
Meat Loaf
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This Grammy winning musician and Fight Club actor attended UNT back when he was known as Marvin Lee Addy and UNT was known as North Texas State University.
Brave Combo
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This polka/unclassifiable band has been a staple of Denton for over 20 years. In that time, they won two Grammy awards and appeared on The Simpsons.
Bowling for Soup
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Grammy-nominated pop-punk band Bowling for Soup has had several radio hits since their inception in 2004. They were also nominated for an Emmy for the theme song of the Disney channel show Phineas and Ferb.
Deep Blue Something
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Their hit single “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a staple of 90’s music, and has even been the subject of a Saturday Night Live sketch.
Don Henley
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The Eagles’ lead singer attended North Texas State University (now UNT) from 1967 until 1969. Some suggest that the Eagles’ band name was inspired by UNT’s mascot Scrappy the Eagle. Henley has had great success with the Eagles and as a solo artist.
Eli Young Band
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Their album Always the Love Songs spent 37 weeks on the Billboard country charts. The album featured the hit single “When it Rains.”
Flickerstick
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This band got their start in Denton, TX, but their star rose when they won VH1’s Band on the Run competition.
Midlake
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Founded by jazz students at UNT, Midlake has found considerable success in Europe. Actor Jason Lee is a huge fan of Midlake; he even directed their music video for “Balloon Maker.”
Pat Boone
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An incredibly popular musician, Boone spent time in Denton when he attended North Texas State University (now UNT). He has also appeared in a number of movies, hosted his own TV show, and released an album of heavy metal covers.
Roy Orbison
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Orbison also attended North Texas State University, where he was enrolled as a geology major. Many of his songs appeared on the Billboard Top 40 charts, and in movies such as Pretty Woman and Blue Velvet.
