Sly Stone

 Their fusion of R&B rhythms, infectious melodies, and psychedelica
created a new pop/soul/rock hybrid.

Born in Denton on March 15, 1943, Sylvester (Sly) Stone was raised in Vallejo, California, playing keyboards by the age of 7 and singing in a family gospel group. Working as a radio DJ and record producer in the Bay Area, he formed Sly and the Family Stone in 1967. The group had their biggest success with their fourth album, "Stand!", which contained the hit single "Everyday People". The Manchester Guardian included the release of this album in their history of 50 key events in the history of rock music.

Sly was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and honored at the Grammy Awards in 2006. His work has been covered my many artists, most recently Cee Lo Green on The Voice.

Barbara Johnson Tucker

The first person to record Glen Burleigh's gospel classic "Order My Steps", Barbara Johnson Tucker was born June 28, 1949 in Conroe. The song won the 1994 Texas Gospel Music Awards Song of the Year and was nominated for a Dove award the following year.

Mrs. Tucker began her career singing as a child with her mother, brother and sister, and later attended Texas Southern University. In 1969 she appeared in the Broadway play "The Great White Hope" and performed at Carnegie Hall. She sang at the funerals of Mickey Leland and Barbara Jordan. In 2000 she was presented in concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

Gatemouth Brown

Raised in Orange, Grammy winner Brown is among the many noted Texas bluesmen. He began his career in San Antonio and later moved to Nashville where he appeared on Hee-Haw. During the 1970's he toured in Europe and Africa, including tours sponsored by the U. S. State Department. He retired to Louisiana where his home in Slidell was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, resulting in a return to Orange where he passed away on September 10, 2005. His grave is noted with a Texas Historical Commission marker.