Top 20 Artists in Dallas Texas
Top 20 Artists in Dallas Texas
As explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, Dallas, Texas is home to many talented individuals, from musicians to muralists and painters, and lots of other artists in between. While it may not quite have the same reputation as, say, Austin, when it comes to music, Dallas is still home to plenty of legendary artists. This article will look to shine a spotlight on them by listing the top 20 artists in Dallas, Texas.
Selena Gomez
Born just outside of Dallas in Grand Prairie in 1992, Selena Gomez was named after fellow famous Texan Selena Quintanilla-Perez as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Gomez appeared on the Dallas-born series Barney & Friend before starting her television and music career as a Disney Channel star in the mid-2000s.
Swapna Gardner
Popularly known as The Nerd Lady on Instagram, Gardner is a DFW lettering artist who creates stickers, posters, keychains, and even hand-painted decorative skulls inspired by literature. She is a full-time English teacher, a mother, and an independent thinker on top of being one of the area’s best local artists.
Nicole Zules
A graduate of the renowned Parsons School of Design in NYC, and Design Industry Partner, Nicole Zules has been serving clients in the realm of decorative painting and artistry in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex since 1978 according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Her family lineage of fine and commercial artists has given rise to a lifetime devotion to creating unique, tasteful, and quality images and decorative finishes on all wall and furniture surfaces.
Post Malone
Born Austin Richard Post, rapper Post Malone moved to the Dallas suburb of Grapevine at the age of 9, where he lived and shared his first mixtapes with his high school classmates. He later moved to Los Angeles where he rose to fame and has since developed a cult following of fans and sold millions of albums.
Stephanie Nordlund
Stephanie is a Plano native and full-time art educator with a passion for creating art people can relate to. She specializes in feminist art, mainly prints and stickers of powerful women throughout history. One of the most relatable local artists out there, her work often promotes themes of self-care and work-life balance.
Demi Lovato
As per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, vocalist Demi Lovato was born in New Mexico but raised in Dallas, Texas. She appeared on the children’s show Barney & Friends, also created in Dallas, as a child, before going on to her breakout role in Disney’s Camp Rock in 2008. She has since evolved into a full-fledged star, with seven full-length albums under her belt.
Polyphonic Spree
Formed in 2000 by bandleader Tim DeLaughter, the Polyphonic Spree is one of the most innovative bands in music history. A massive choir that has released five full-length albums, the band’s sound blends orchestral instruments with pop sensibilities for a totally unique sound.
Geetha Rao
Geetha Rao is a Plano resident, painter, former architect, Indian American, and a mother of two as captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Most of her works are oil on canvas and depict serene landscapes, vases of blossoming flowers, animals, and occasionally scenes from her childhood growing up in Iran and India. She is one of those local artists who takes you to another time and world with her work.
Annie Clark
A former member of the Polyphonic Spree, Annie Clark, better known to fans as St. Vincent, is a killer guitarist and vocalist. Known for songs like “Digital Witness” and “Love This Giant”, her collaboration with artist David Byrne, Clark moved to Dallas as a child and lived there before moving to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music.
Vanilla Ice
The stage name of ‘90s rapper Robert Van Winkle, Vanilla Ice was born in Dallas and bounced between the suburb of Carrollton and Miami as a young man. Van Winkle first got his start as a rapper participating in open mics at Dallas nightclub City Lights before his colossal hit “Ice Ice Baby” was released in 1990.
Melarie Odelusi
Melarie Odelusi is a freelance illustrator from Duncanville whose work emphasizes Black women’s joy and the strength of women in solidarity as covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. She uses minimal lines and soft shades of rose, beige, butter yellow, and bronze to create art that exudes femininity.
The Chicks
Founded by bassist Laura Lynch, guitarist Robin Macy, and Martie and Emily Erwin, the Dixie Chicks got its start in Dallas in 1989. Lubbock native and powerhouse vocalist Natalie Maines joined the band in 1995 after Lynch and Macy’s respective departures, and the rest is history.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
One of the most iconic names in Texas music history as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, Stevie Ray Vaughan grew up in the city’s Oak Cliff neighborhood. The guitar virtuoso moved to Austin in 1972, where he became a fixture of the city’s legendary music scene.
Kat Goodloe
Based in Dallas, Texas, Kat Goodloe is well known for her book cover illustrations, the most recent of which was for North Texas author Julie Murphy’s “Faith”. She also publishes fan art on her Instagram with her signature bright color palettes, playful fonts, and themes of body positivity and racial diversity.
Maren Morris
Pop-country star Maren Morris was born in the Dallas suburb of Arlington and got her start as a performer at the town’s beloved Johnnie High’s Country Music Revue. From there, she moved to Nashville, working as a songwriter before releasing her wildly popular self-titled EP in 2015.
Norah Jones
Born in New York and raised in the Dallas suburb of Grapevine, Jones attended the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. After school, she moved back to New York and began her musical career.
Old 97’s
This prolific alt-country band, fronted by Rhett Miller, formed in Dallas in the early ‘90s and has been going strong ever since. The band released its 12th studio album, Twelfth, in August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tevin Campbell
Born south of Dallas in Waxahachie, R&B singer Tevin Campbell first started singing gospel music at his family church as outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. From there, he connected with legendary producer Quincy Jones and released his first number one, “Tomorrow: in 1990.
Meat Loaf
Born in Dallas and a graduate of the city’s Thomas Jefferson High School, Michael “Meat Loaf” Aday’s first performances came in high school musicals like “The Music Man”. Aday moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, where he scored his first record deal and went on to appear in iconic films like “Rocky Horror Picture Show”.
Yella Beezy
Born in the far-flung suburb of McKinney, Markies “Yella Beezy” Conway first started rapping at the age of 13. Later, he moved to the city’s Oak Cliff neighborhood and started releasing mixtapes. His breakout can in 2017, with the hit “That’s on Me”, which peaked at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.
These are the 20 best artists in Dallas, Texas, with more on this topic, and much more, to be found over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.
