d The armadillo has been associated with the Austin music scene since the late 1960s but came to full prominence as the namesake and mascot of Armadillo World Headquarters, the iconic Austin music hall that opened in summer 1970. The distinctive illustrations of the armor-shelled mammal that adorned Armadillo World Headquarters are the creation of legendary Austin artist Jim Franklin.
The beginning of the Austin music scene
(Re)discover the roots of Austin music

Yesterday Once More
Now that 2021 is firmly in our rear-view mirror (whew!), let's jump back 50 years to Austin, the nation, and the world in 1972. From the Watergate scandal to the final Apollo manned moon missions to The Godfather to the birth of HBO and Atari to the massacre at the Munich Olympics, 1972 was yet another year of firsts, lasts, and the good, bad, and ugly. Return with us now to 1972.

The Sonobeat Story
An integral seed of the Austin music revolution that began in the mid-'60s, Sonobeat Records' prodigious output introduced Johnny Winter, Eric Johnson, Rusty Wier, the Afro-Caravan, and dozens of other luminary Texas musicians to the world. The Sonobeat story is the collective stories of hundreds of singers, songwriters, and musicians who made music history in Austin.

The Sonobeat Family Tree
From 1967 to 1976, Sonobeat recorded hundreds of Austin, regional, national, and international singers, songwriters, and musicians. Sonobeat Historical Archives continuously mines the Sonobeat archives and connects with members of the acts Sonobeat recorded and their families and friends to compile an up-to-date list of the legends who make up Sonobeat's Who's Who.