Gary P. Nunn launched his path as a Texas singer and songwriter during the 1960s by first performing with the Fabulous Sparkles, then joining the Lost Gonzo Band throughout the next decade. His status as a Texas institution stems from repeated live appearances paired with compositions that celebrate the state’s people and traditions. An early indication of his musical direction surfaced in seventh grade upon entering a garage band, after which he pursued studies at South Plains College and Texas Tech University while performing weekend shows across West Texas. By 1968 he had become a pharmacy student at the University of Texas in Austin, the city that drew country outlaws Willie Nelson—who relocated there in 1972—along with Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphy. Nunn supplied bass for each of these artists at various times.
Throughout the 1970s he supported Walker as a member of the Lost Gonzo Band, a period when his songwriting matured. David Allan Coe and Roseanne Cash joined Murphy, Nelson, and Walker in recording his material, and the resulting successes yielded platinum and gold certifications. Walker, Nunn, and the Lost Gonzo Band issued six albums on MCA Records across four years. Nunn’s association with Walker concluded in 1977, after which he and the band produced three additional albums released by Capitol and MCA. The Lost Gonzo Band disbanded in 1980, prompting Nunn to operate independently without a manager or agent. From that point he has handled publishing, fan newsletters, and every facet of his career, including tour scheduling.
Four independent-label albums preceded his 1993 affiliation with San Antonio’s Campfire Records, which issued It’s a Texas Thing in 2000. In 1985 Governor Mark White designated him Official Ambassador to the World for Texas. The San Antonio chapter of the Texas Music Association presented him its Award of Appreciation in 1990, and the following year Oklahoma’s House of Representatives recognized his contributions to southwestern music. His name entered Lubbock’s West Texas Walk of Fame in 1995. Austin City Limits has used his composition “London Homesick Blues” as its theme for more than twenty years. He continues touring with backing group Sons of the Bunkhouse, and he and his wife own and manage a cattle ranch in Oklahoma.
