Austin City Limits

For the music festival, see Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Austin City Limits
Created by	Bill Arhos Paul Bosner Bruce Scafe
Directed by	Bruce Scafe (1976–1977) Charles Vaughn (1978) Clark Santee (1979) Allan Muir (1980–1982) Gary Menotti (1983–present)
Narrated by	Terry Lickona (1979–present)
Theme music composer	Alan Tew (1980–1982) John Mills (1982–1998; seasons 7–23) Gary P. Nunn (1977–2004; seasons 2–29) Fats Waller (1977–1981; seasons 2–6) Kevin Roth (1992–1996; seasons 17–21) Tequila Mockingbird (2000–2004; seasons 25–29) Charlie Sexton (2004–2007; seasons 30–32) Explosions in the Sky (2011–2014; seasons 37–39) Gary Clark Jr. (2014–2015; season 40) White Denim (2015–2017; seasons 41–42) The Black Angels (2017–2019; seasons 43–44) Spoon (2019–2020; season 45, 2021–2022; season 47) Black Pumas (2020–2021) St. Vincent (2022–2024; seasons 48–49) Adrian Quesada (2024–2025)
Opening theme	"London Homesick Blues" (1977–2004) "Louisiana Fairy Tale" (1977–1981) "Shining Time Station" (1992–1996) "An Introduction" (2011–2014) "Travis County Line" (2014–2015) "New Shake" (2015–2017) "History of Women" (2017–2019) "Hot Thoughts" (2019–2020, 2021–2022) "Colors" (2020–2021) "Cruel" (2022–2024) "An Introduction" (2024–2025)
Ending theme	"The Big One" (1980–1982)
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	50
No. of episodes	(over) 1,000
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Austin PBS
Original release
Network	PBS
Release	January 3, 1976 (1976-01-03) – present

Austin City Limits is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to receive the National Medal of Arts, which it was awarded in 2003. It also won a rare institutional Peabody Award in 2011 "for its more than three decades of presenting and preserving eclectic American musical genres". Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS under the Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council. The show was created in 1974 by Bill Arhos, Bruce Scafe, and Paul Bosner.

Beginning in Season 15 (1990), Austin City Limits began broadcasting in Dolby Surround, and continued until season 24 (1999). From 1976 to 2004 (seasons 1–29), the show was broadcast in NTSC. From 2004 to 2007 (seasons 30–32), the show was broadcast in HDTV 720p. Beginning in season 33 (2007–2008), the show began broadcasting in widescreen 1080i.

Format

Each episode begins with a preview of the artist as read by executive producer Terry Lickona, which leads into an opening credit sequence. After the credits, Lickona would introduce the artist. The camera was usually positioned during the performance to permit various closeup shots. After the performance, there was an interview segment. After the interview segment, Lickona would introduce the next artist, and another interview segment, followed by the closing credits. The show consisted of two performers in a half-hour format, as well as one performer in a one hour format. Beginning in Season 30 (2004–2005), Lickona would ask the artist a question. The show was originally taped at KLRU's Studio 6A during the first 36 seasons (1976–2011). Beginning in season 37 (2011–2012), the show moved to its new home at the Moody Theater.

Songwriters Special

Beginning in Season 5 (1980), Austin City Limits introduced its Songwriters Special, which remained in use until Season 34 (2008–2009). The first Songwriters Special included performances by Willie Nelson, Floyd Tillman, Hank Cochran, Red Lane, Whitey Shafer, and Sonny Throckmorton.

Television pilot

The pilot was taped on October 17, 1974, and starred Willie Nelson. (B.W. Stevenson was actually taped the night before, but the recording was deemed unusable). The deliberate lack of production slickness plus attention to audio detail pleased even the notoriously TV-shy Nelson. Lead Marketer Ken Waggoner, and Austin City Limits creator Bill Arhos pitched the pilot to PBS as part of its 1975 pledge drive. The show's success as a fundraiser was enough for Arhos to get Austin City Limits green-lighted as a series.

Availability

The show inspired the creation of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, an annual live music festival at Zilker Park in Austin. In 1981, Austin City Limits became the highest rated live music show on PBS during Season 6. In 1982, Bill Arhos returned to Austin City Limits as the executive producer starting in Season 7, and he stayed until his retirement in Season 24 (1999). In 2015, Arhos died at the age of 80. In 2014, he was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. Some of the performances from Austin City Limits have been released as CDs and DVDs in the Live from Austin, TX series. Full episodes can also be viewed online at the show's official website. There is an Austin City Limits store at the Austin Bergstrom International Airport.

On June 21, 2012, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, announced that nearly 40 years of Austin City Limits footage would be digitally archived "in perpetuity" at the Museum's new Library and Archives; recordings from more than 800 live performances will be made available to the public. On September 9, 2018, Austin City Limits Radio was launched in Austin at 97.1 FM (utilizing a leased HD Radio subchannel of KGSR (93.3-HD2)), with an eclectic playlist representative of the television show's history.

Syndication

In 1981 during Season 6, when Austin City Limits became the highest rated live music show on PBS, Austin City Limits went to commercial syndication, and the show began syndicating commercially to local stations under the moniker Austin City Limits Encore. MTV Live (formerly Palladia HD) acquired rerun rights to the series in 2016 under the moniker Best of Austin City Limits. From 2002 to 2003, CMT (formerly Country Music Television) repackaged several country music-themed episodes under the moniker Best of Austin City Limits. When Austin City Limits aired on CMT, episodes ran for 42 minutes to make room for commercials, and began with an introduction by Charlie Robison and Tara McNamara. From 1992 to 1993, TNN repackaged older Austin City Limits performers under the moniker Austin Encore. The program also aired on CMT Canada from 1998 to 2002. In 2022, Circle Country (formerly Circle Network) began repackaging older Austin City Limits episodes under the moniker Austin City Limits: Country, which was hosted by Rodney Crowell during Season 1 in 2022, and Ray Benson during Season 2 in 2023.

By Season 16 in 1991, Austin City Limits was broadcast both in the United States and Canada, so Austin City Limits started broadcasting internationally in different countries from satellites around the world, with translations cropping up in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, Iran, South Korea, Australia, and Japan.

Production

Terry Lickona – producer of Austin City Limits

Joe Gracey was the talent consultant during Season 1 in 1976. Executive producer Terry Lickona joined the program in 1979 during season 4 as a producer. The first director of Austin City Limits was Bruce Scafe, who was the director for the show's first two seasons in 1976 and 1977; Charles Vaughn took over as producer-director in Season 3 (1978); Clark Santee took over as director in Season 4 (1979); Allan Muir took over as director in Season 5 (1980), and he continued until Season 7 (1982); Gary Menotti replaced Allan Muir as the show's current director starting in Season 8 (1983).

Venues

Austin City Limits sign at ACL Live – Moody Theater in Austin, TX (2012)

For the first 36 seasons (1976–2011), Austin City Limits was taped at Studio 6A in the Communications Building B on the University of Texas at Austin campus. The studio had a seating capacity of approximately 800, but due to limited access to fire exits the audience size was limited to 300. In 2010, the show and its original studio were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A plaque near the entrance to Communications Building B commemorating the occasion proclaims Austin City Limits as the "longest running music show in the history of American television". On February 26, 2011, Austin City Limits held its first taping in its new purpose-built Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin's Block 21. The additional seating capacity of 2,750 is used for an estimated 100 concerts and 100 private events per year at the venue.

40th season

On December 2, 2014, in celebration of Austin City Limits' 40th season, a DVD titled Austin City Limits Celebrates 40 Years was released.

Episodes

Main article: List of Austin City Limits performers

Pilot (1974)

The pilot episode of Austin City Limits was taped on October 17, 1974 at KLRN in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and featuring Willie Nelson. On March 22, 1975, the Austin City Limits pilot episode aired on 34 PBS stations nationwide. Paul Bosner came up with an idea for a live music show, driving back to Dallas, Texas and saw an Austin City Limits highway sign, Bill Arhos said "Why don't we do a music show? I've got the perfect title".

• Willie Nelson.

Season 1 (1976)

The first national season of Austin City Limits aired on PBS in 1976, so they submitted the show to its national PBS distributor; KLRN in San Antonio and Austin, Texas, and the first season consisted of 13 one-hour episodes. Paul Bosner ran the soundcheck at the beginning of the show. This is the first season with the 1971–1984 PBS logo.

• Asleep at the Wheel/Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
• Rusty Wier
• Townes Van Zandt/Clifton Chenier
• Flaco Jimenez and his Conjunto and Ry Cooder
• Doug Sahm
• Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys
• Steve Fromholz
• B.W. Stevenson/Bobby Bridger
• Wheatfield
• Balcones Fault
• Greezy Wheels/Marcia Ball
• The Charlie Daniels Band
• Jerry Jeff Walker/The Lost Gonzo Band

Season 2 (1977)

"London Homesick Blues" by Gary P. Nunn was chosen as the Austin City Limits theme song for the first time, and remained until Season 29 (2003–2004). So director Bruce Scafe took the song from Season 1, Episode 13 in 1976 featuring Jerry Jeff Walker and The Lost Gonzo Band, using as the audio to accompany the landscape and nightclub shots.

• Willie Nelson/Tracy Nelson
• The Amazing Rhythm Aces/Gove Scrivenor
• The Earl Scruggs Revue
• Jimmy Buffett/Rusty Wier
• Gatemouth Brown/Delbert McClinton
• Firefall/Denim
• Guy Clark/Steve Fromholz
• The Dirt Band/Kiwi
• Larry Gatlin/Alex Harvey
• Willis Alan Ramsey/Roy Buchanan

Season 3 (1978)

• Michael Murphey
• Steve Goodman
• John Prine
• The Texas Playboys/Ernest Tubb
• Chet Atkins/Merle Travis
• Doc and Merle Watson/Gove Scrivenor
• Johnny Rodriguez/Linda Hargrove
• John Hartford/The Dillards
• Jesse Winchester/Mother of Pearl
• Asleep at the Wheel/Bobby Bridger
• Vassar Clements/Gatemouth Brown
• Merle Haggard
• Killough & Eckley/The Lost Gonzo Band

Season 4 (1979)

With new producer (now executive producer) Terry Lickona, Austin City Limits broadens its scope to include different styles other than Texas country artists. Beginning with this season, the partnership with KLRN in San Antonio and Austin, Texas dissolved.

• Norton Buffalo
• John McEuen and Friends with Elizabeth Cotten
• Dan Del Santo/Taj Mahal
• The Neville Brothers with Robert Shaw and Lightnin' Hopkins
• Nashville Super Pickers/Tom T. Hall
• Leon Redbone/Steve Fromholz
• Tom Waits
• Delbert McClinton/The Cate Brothers
• Pure Prairie League/Bobby Bare
• Alvin Crow/Marcia Ball
• Hoyt Axton
• Little Joe y La Familia/Esteban Jordan
• Doug Kershaw/Clifton Chenier NOTE: This is the last Austin City Limits episode to air in the 1970s

Season 5 (1980)

As Austin City Limits said goodbye the 1970s and said hello to the 1980s, the show introduced a new set featuring horse fences. Beginning with this season, the Southwest Texas Public Broadcasting Council produces Austin City Limits.

• Roy Clark and Gatemouth Brown NOTE: This is the first Austin City Limits episode to air in the 1980s.
• Don Williams/Janie Fricke
• Songwriters Special
• Ray Charles and His Orchestra
• Ralph Stanley/Uncle Walt's Band
• Joe Ely/Jerry Jeff Walker
• Hank Williams Jr/The Shake Russell-Dana Cooper Band
• Johnny Gimble and His Bosque Bandits/Texas Swing Pioneers
• Johnny Paycheck/Billy Joe Shaver
• Flaco Jimenez/Beto y Los Fairlanes
• Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley/Marty Robbins
• Carl Perkins/Joe Sun
• Mel Tillis/Gail Davies

Season 6 (1981)

• The Charlie Daniels Band
• Bobby Bare/Lacy J. Dalton
• George Jones with Hank Thompson and Johnny Gimble
• Ray Price/Asleep at the Wheel
• Johnny Rodriguez/Alabama
• David Grisman Quintet/Mandolin Special
• Bill Monroe/Riders in the Sky
• Tony Joe White/Gary Stewart
• Songwriters Encore
• Charley Pride/Razzy Bailey
• Michael Martin Murphey/Ed Bruce
• Leo Kottke/Passenger
• Joe "King" Carrasco & The Crowns/Sir Douglas Quintet NOTE: This is the last Austin City Limits episode to use the horse fences set.

Season 7 (1982)

Beginning with this season, Austin City Limits introduced its iconic Austin skyline backdrop. During this season, Austin City Limits nominated and won their Academy of Country Music Awards and Country Music Association Awards. Austin City Limits creator and founder Bill Arhos returned as the executive producer. Also, Austin City Limits introduced its opening theme music by John Mills.

• Emmylou Harris & The Hot Band/Rodney Crowell & The Cherry Bombs NOTE: This is the first Austin City Limits featuring the Austin skyline backdrop.
• Kris Kristofferson with special guest Billy Swan
• Jerry Reed/Chet Atkins
• Johnny Lee/Charly McClain
• Willie Nelson/Guy Clark
• Merle Haggard with Leona Williams and The Strangers
• Bellamy Brothers/John Anderson
• Larry Gatlin/Ricky Skaggs
• Tompall and the Glaser Brothers/George Strait
• Don McLean/Terri Gibbs
• Roy Clark/The Geezinslaws
• Pete Fountain/Jazzmanian Devil
• George Thorogood & The Destroyers/David Olney & The X-Rays

Season 8 (1983)

• Mickey Gilley/T.G. Sheppard
• Don Williams/West Texas Songwriters Special
• Roy Orbison
• Songwriters Showcase
• B.B. King
• Janie Fricke/B.J. Thomas
• Frizzel & West/Con Hunley
• Michael Martin Murphey/Gary P. Nunn
• Rosanne Cash/Steve Wariner
• Rank and File/Delbert McClinton
• Tammy Wynette/John Conlee
• Loretta Lynn & The Coal Miners

Season 9 (1984)

This is the last season with the 1971–1984 PBS logo. Also during this season, "London Homesick Blues" was rerecorded in a more modern style, featuring Gary P. Nunn on lead vocals and several backup vocalists, which was taken from Season 8, Episode 8 in 1983 featuring Michael Martin Murphey and Gary P. Nunn.

• Ray Charles/Lee Greenwood
• Jerry Lee Lewis & The Memphis Beats
• Freddie Powers with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
• Gary Morris/Gail Davies
• The Whites/New Grass Revival
• Jimmy Buffett & The Coral Reefer Band
• Johnny Rodriguez/David Allan Coe
• Dottie West/Floyd Cramer
• Bonnie Raitt with The LeRoi Brothers, Ray Campi and Sleepy LaBeef
• John Anderson/Lisa Gilkyson
• George Strait/The Kendalls
• Country Legends
• Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble/The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Season 10 (1985)

This season marked the 10th anniversary of Austin City Limits by showcasing great music, from singers and pickers to today's legends and the stars of tomorrow, with the best of country music and then some. Austin City Limits airs its first tribute show featuring Steve Goodman. This is the first season with the 1984–1989 PBS logo.

• Oak Ridge Boys/Bob Wills' Texas Playboys
• Neil Young
• Exile/The Maines Brothers with Terry Allen
• Waylon Jennings/Billy Joe Shaver
• Eddie Rabbitt/Tammy Wynette
• Ricky Skaggs/The Judds
• Glen Campbell/Eddy Raven
• The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band/A Tribute to Steve Goodman
• Juice Newton/Mark Gray
• Larry Gatlin/Nanci Griffith
• Freddie Powers with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard/Whitey Shafer
• Earl Thomas Conley/Vince Gill

Season 11 (1986)

• Gary Morris/Sylvia
• Mel Tillis/The Geezinslaw Brothers
• George Jones/Vern Gosdin
• John Schneider/Southern Pacific
• Tanya Tucker/Sawyer Brown
• Merle Haggard with special guest Freddie Powers
• Rockin' Sidney/The Neville Brothers
• Roger McGuinn/Kate Wolf
• Louise Mandrell/Mel McDaniel
• George Strait/Dwight Yoakam
• Legends of Bluegrass
• Songwriters Special
• Austin City Limits Reunion Special

Season 12 (1987)

This is the last season produced by the Southwest Texas Public Broadcasting Council, due to PBS stations KLRN and KLRU splitting up.

• Ronnie Milsap
• Steve Wariner/Restless Heart
• Brenda Lee/Sweethearts of the Rodeo
• Leon Russell with Edgar Winter/Steve Earle
• Fats Domino
• Chet Atkins and Friends
• Randy Travis/Kathy Mattea
• Squeezebox Special
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds/Omar and the Howlers
• Lyle Lovett/Judy Rodman
• Riders in the Sky/Hot Rize
• Michael Martin Murphey/Marty Stuart

Season 13 (1988)

Beginning with this season, KLRU; The Capital of Texas Public Telecommunications Council produces Austin City Limits, and remained until Season 44 (2018–2019).

• The O'Kanes/Highway 101
• The Forester Sisters/Thom Bresh and Lane Brody
• Rosanne Cash/Desert Rose Band
• Reba McEntire
• Larry Gatlin/Holly Dunn
• John Prine/Asleep at the Wheel
• K.D. Lang/Foster & Lloyd
• Jerry Jeff Walker/Loudon Wainwright III
• Leo Kottke/Schulyer Knobock and Bickhardt
• Ricky Van Shelton/Darden Smith
• Ricky Skaggs/The Whites
• The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band/New Grass Revival
• Gene Watson/Moe Bandy
• Bellamy Brothers/The Wagoneers

Season 14 (1989)

This is the last season with the 1984–1989 PBS logo.

• George Strait & The Ace in the Hole Band
• K. T. Oslin/Rodney Crowell
• The Charlie Daniels Band/Gary P. Nunn
• Stanley Jordan
• Emmylou Harris/Nanci Griffith
• Delbert McClinton/The Crickets
• Dwight Yoakam/Patty Loveless
• Songwriters Special
• Buck Owens/The Geezinslaws
• Texas Music Showcase
• Leonard Cohen
• Keith Whitley/Skip Ewing
• Timbuk3/Eric Johnson
• John Hiatt/Los Lobos NOTE: This is the last Austin City Limits episode to air in the 1980s.

Season 15 (1990)

Goodbye 1980s hello 1990s, Austin City Limits brought a new decade of live music to roll out the 1990s. This season, Austin City Limits celebrated its 15th anniversary of showcasing great music in 1990 to celebrate 15 years of Austin City Limits. This is the first season with the 1989–1993 PBS logo.

• George Jones/Carl Perkins NOTE: This is the first Austin City Limits episode to air in the 1990s.
• Marcia Ball/Beausoleil
• Gary Morris/Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Kathy Mattea/Tish Hinojosa
• Waylon Jennings/Marty Stuart
• Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble/W.C. Clark Blues Revue
• Will the Circle Be Unbroken with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Friends
• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
• Michelle Shocked/Strength in Numbers
• Lucinda Williams/Guy Clark
• Garth Brooks/Shenandoah
• James McMurtry/Sweethearts of the Rodeo
• Lorrie Morgan/Steve Wariner

Season 16 (1991)

• Ricky Van Shelton/Kelly Willis
• Sara Hickman/Kennedy-Rose
• Shelby Lynne/Willie Nelson
• Alan Jackson/Mark Collie
• Cowboy Junkies/Walter Hyatt
• Texas Tornados/McBride & The Ride
• Merle Haggard/Masters of Bluegrass
• Chet Atkins with Johnny Gimble and the Cluster Pluckers
• The Robert Cray Band with the Memphis Horns/Buddy Guy
• Shawn Colvin/John Hammond
• Little Feat
• Joe Ely/Foster & Lloyd
• A Salute to the Cowboy

Season 17 (1992)

This is the last season with the 1989–1993 PBS logo.

• Songwriters Special
• Los Lobos/C.J. Chenier
• Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks/The Acoustic Warriors
• Vince Gill/Alison Krauss and Union Station
• Albert Collins/Danny Gatton
• K. T. Oslin
• Travis Tritt/Holly Dunn
• The Subdudes/Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
• Trisha Yearwood/Hal Ketchum
• Rosanne Cash with Bruce Cockburn and Lucinda Williams
• Kevin Welch/Will T. Massey
• Doug Stone/Maura O'Connell
• John Prine/Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Season 18 (1993)

This is the first season with the 1993–1996 PBS logo. Also, Austin City Limits began focusing on classic performers, such as a replay of B.B. King from Season 8 in 1983.

• Michael Nesmith/Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers
• Marc Cohn/Leo Kottke
• Aleep at the Wheel/Riders in the Sky
• Pam Tillis/Mike Reid
• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band/Dr. John
• Delbert McClinton/Lee Roy Parnell
• Mary Chapin Carpenter
• Garrison Keillor with Chet Atkins and Johnny Gimble
• Tracy Lawrence/Suzy Bogguss
• Kathy Mattea/Great Plains
• John Gorka/Steve Forbert
• Taj Mahal/Tish Hinojosa

Season 19 (1994)

During this season, PBS aired an Austin City Limits special "Merle Haggard in Concert", featuring a compilation of Merle Haggard's Austin City Limits performances from his first appearance in Season 3 in 1978 to his latest appearance in Season 16 in 1991.

• Rosanne Cash/Carlene Carter
• Hal Ketchum/Kelly Willis
• Zachary Richard/The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
• Bruce Hoensby/John Mayall
• John Anderson/Billy Dean
• Songwriters Special
• Joan Baez/Rory Block
• Diamond Rio/John Michael Montgomery
• Suzanne Vega/Darden Smith
• Leonard Cohen/Christine Albert with Paul Glasse
• John Hiatt/Radney Foster with Mary Chapin Carpenter

Season 20 (1995)

1995 was the 20th anniversary of Austin City Limits, as we celebrate 20 years of great music.

• Vince Gill/Junior Brown
• Nanci Griffith/Iris DeMent
• 20th Anniversary Bluegrass Special
• Alan Jackson
• The Neville Brothers/Jimmie Vaughan
• The Mavericks/Robert Earl Keen
• Tejano Music Special
• Tammy Wynette/Rick Trevino
• Mark Chesnutt/Tracy Byrd
• Shawn Colvin/Bill Miller
• David Ball/Gary P. Nunn with Jim Henson's Muppets
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: A Retrospective
• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band

Season 21 (1996)

This is the last season with the 1993–1996 PBS logo. During that season, PBS aired an Austin City Limits Sagebrush Symphony special featuring Michael Martin Murphey, the Sons of the San Joaquin, Hank Thompson, Robert Mirabal, and Herb Jeffries and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. This season's classic encores include Roy Orbison from Season 8 in 1983, Roger Miller also from Season 8 in 1983, and Marty Robbins from Season 5 in 1980.

• Alison Krauss/Merle Haggard
• John Prine/Todd Snider
• Asleep at the Wheel's 25th Anniversary Celebration
• B.B. King
• Pam Tillis/A Guitar Pull with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Iris DeMent, and Freddie Powers
• Lee Roy Parnell/A.J. Croce
• The Allman Brothers Band
• Lisa Loeb/Jimmy LaFave
• Los Lobos/Joe Ely
• Faith Hill/Trisha Yearwood
• Gatemouth Brown/Keb' Mo'

Season 22 (1997)

Starting with season, Austin City Limits and other PBS shows go on the internet with the launch of the Austin City Limits website, featuring interactive elements from our performers along with history of the show. The website also has new features designed for the World Wide Web, the Austin City Limits website can be found at www.pbs.org. During this season, Austin City Limits aired a retrospective episode featuring a bluegrass tribute to Bill Monroe, and a tribute episode featuring Walter Hyatt, with performances by Lyle Lovett, David Ball, Champ Hood, Willis Alan Ramsey, Marcia Ball, Shawn Colvin, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Junior Brown, David Halley, and Allison Moorer. This season's Best of Austin Country Showcase features Libbi Bosworth, Dale Watson, The Derailers, Wayne Hancock, Don Walser, and Mary Cutrufello. This is the first season with the 1996–1998 PBS logo.

• Wynonna
• Songwriters Special
• A Bluegrass Tribute to Bill Monroe
• A Tribute to Walter Hyatt
• Best of Austin Country Showcase
• Mary Chapin Carpenter/BR5-49
• Travis Tritt/Wade Hayes
• Eric Johnson/Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Lyle Lovett & His Large Band
• Son Volt/Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
• Robert Earl Keen/Jack Ingram
• Sheryl Crow
• Blues Night with Delbert McClinton and Miss Lavelle White

Season 23 (1998)

Beginning with this season, Austin City Limits won the W.C. Handy "Keeping the Blues Alive" award. This season's Townes Van Zandt tribute features Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Rodnet Crowell, Nanci Griffith, John T. Van Zandt, Lyle Lovett, Peter Rowan, and Jack Clement. This is the last season to use the 1996–1998 PBS logo.

• Junior Brown/Robbie Fulks
• Patty Loveless/Collin Raye
• Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, and Tracy Nelson
• The Manhattan Transfer with special guests Ricky Skaggs and Asleep at the Wheel
• The Indigo Girls with Vonda Shepard, Freedy Johnston, and Mark Eitzel/Kim Richey
• Loretta Lynn & The Coal Miners
• Nanci Griffith with The Crickets
• Hal Ketchum/Terry Allen
• A Celebration of Townes Van Zandt
• Boz Scaggs/8 1/2 Souvenirs
• Old 97's/Whiskeytown
• Clay Walker/Trace Adkins
• Buddy Guy/Storyville

Season 24 (1999)

1999 was the last Austin City Limits season with Bill Arhos as the executive producer, as the Austin City Limits creator, executive producer, and founder retired after the season ended. Also, Austin City Limits adopted the tagline "Where Music Lives". This season's Mexican Roots Music: A Celebration features Los Lobos, Freddy Fender, Flaco Jimenez, Ruben Ramos, Rick Trevino, Joe Ely, Tish Hinojosa, and Campanas de America. This is the first season to use the 1998–2002 PBS logo.

• Deana Carter with special guests Matraca Berg and Fred Carter Jr.
• Dixie Chicks/Charlie Robison
• Ruth Brown/Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra
• Billy Brag sings Woody Guthrie/Lucinda Williams.
• Vince Gill/Martina McBride
• Ray Price with Junior Brown/Hank Thompson with Junior Brown
• Jonny Lang/Jimmie Vaughan
• Mexican Roots Music: A Celebration
• Fastball/Mary Cutrufello
• Dave Alvin/Loudon Wainwright III
• Bruce Hornsby/Monte Montgomery
• Hootie and the Blowfish with Nanci Griffith and Peter Holsapple
• Bobby Blue Bland/Susan Tedeschi NOTE: This is the last Austin City Limits episode to air in the 1990s.

Season 25 (2000)

Austin City Limits celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2000, marking its silver anniversary season celebrating 25 years of American music.

• An Hour with Garth Brooks
• Robert Cray/Doyle Bramhall II
• Clint Black with Lisa Hartman Black, Eric Johnson, and Ray Benson
• Willie Nelson and Family with Leon Russell
• Marty Stuart with Pam Tillis and Earl Scruggs/Susan Ashton
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Texas Tornados with a Tribute to Doug Sahm
• Kenny Rogers
• The Mavericks/The Warren Brothers
• Wilco/Bela Fleck & Friends
• Songwriters Special
• Joe Ely/Indigenous
• Lyle Lovett with special guests Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen, Michael Martin Murphey, Eric Taylor, Vince Bell, and Steve Fromholz
• Trisha Yearwood/Alison Krauss
• Jewel
• Garth Brooks II

Season 26 (2000–2001)

For this season only, Terry Lickona appeared on camera for the Austin City Limits classic encores, this season's classic encores include a tribute to Townes Van Zandt from Season 23 in 1998, Tom Waits from Season 4 in 1979, Fats Domino from Season 12 in 1987, the outtakes of Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1984 and 1990 performances from Season 9 and Season 15, and Leonard Cohen from Season 14 in 1989.

• Phish
• John Hiatt/Kelly Willis
• Shelby Lynne/Toni Price
• Lee Ann Womack/Clay Davidson
• Brad Paisley/Eric Heatherly
• Joe Cocker
• Widespread Panic
• Merle Haggard/The Derailers
• Steve Earle/Kasey Chambers
• David Gray/Dar Williams
• Bruce Hornsby/Eric Johnson
• Dixie Chicks
• Double Trouble with Jimmie Vaughan, Susan Tedeschi, Jonny Lang, Doyle Bramhall II, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Charlie Sexton, Lou Ann Barton, and Malford Milligan
• Dolly Parton/Nickel Creek
• Toby Keith/Allison Moorer
• Joan Osborne
• Shawn Colvin with Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, and Bruce Hoensby
• Keb' Mo'/Willis Alan Ransey
• Patty Griffin/Bob Schneider

Season 27 (2001–2002)

This is the last season with the 1998–2002 PBS logo.

• Buena Vista Social Club featuring Ibrahim Ferrier and His Orchestra
• Richard Thompson/Eliza Gilkyson
• Patty Loveless/Del McCoury Band
• Mary Chapin Carpenter/Nanci Griffith
• The String Cheese Incident
• Shemekia Copeland/Jimmie Vaughan
• Brooks & Dunn
• Brad Paisley/Sara Evans
• Robert Earl Keen/Charlie Robison
• Delbert McClinton/Asleep at the Wheel
• John Hammond/Blue Rodeo
• David Byrne
• Natalie Merchant/Eric Taylor

Season 28 (2002–2003)

This is the first season with the 2002–2009 PBS logo, also during this season, the Austin City Limits Music Festival was held for the first time.

• Bonnie Raitt with Oliver Mtukudzi, John Prine, and Roy Rogers
• "By the Hand of the Father" with music by Alejandro Escovedo, Pete Escovedo, Rosie Flores, and Ruben Ramos
• Alison Krauss and Union Station/The Flatlanders
• Los Lobos/RatDog with Bob Weir
• Chris Isaak/Norah Jones
• Robert Plant
• Jackson Browne
• The Blind Boys of Alabama/Robert Randolph and the Family Band
• Nickel Creek/Ralph Stanley
• Beck with The Flaming Lips
• Spoon/Ben Kweller
• Pat Green/Cory Morrow
• Pat Metheny Group

Season 29 (2003–2004)

This is the last season to broadcast in 480i NTSC, and the last season to use Gary P. Nunn's "London Homesick Blues" as the Austin City Limits theme song, after 29 seasons from 1977 to 2004, Austin City Limits no longer used Gary P. Nunn's "London Homesick Blues" as the theme song.

• Steve Winwood
• Susan Tedeschi/Ruthie Foster
• Vince Gill
• Tracy Chapman
• Rosanne Cash/Neko Case
• John Mayer with special guests Buddy Guy and Double Trouble
• Joe Nichols/Jessica Andrews
• Jason Mraz/Fountains of Wayne
• Jonny Lang/Chuck Prophet
• The Jayhawks/Gillian Welch
• Guster/Los Lonely Boys
• Ben Harper
• Keith Urban/Rodney Crowell

Season 30 (2004–2005)

2004 was the 30th anniversary of Austin City Limits, and the show abandoned NTSC in favor of HDTV. Also, Austin City Limits introduced its opening theme music written and performed by Charlie Sexton, replacing Gary P. Nunn's "London Homesick Blues" that was used from 1977 to 2004 (seasons 2–29).

• John Fogerty
• Robert Randolph and the Family Band
• Damien Rice/Patty Griffin
• Michael McDonald/Joss Stone
• Lyle Lovett/Jamie Cullum
• Sheryl Crow
• Polyphonic Spree/Ozomatli
• Elvis Costello
• The Flaming Lips/The Shins
• Wilco/Bright Eyes
• Trey Anastasio
• Modest Mouse/Guided by Voices
• Pixies

Season 31 (2005–2006)

• Jack Johnson/Rilo Kiley
• Alison Krauss and Union Station/Kathleen Edwards
• Etta James
• Ben Folds/Ray LaMontagne
• The Killers/Spoon
• John Prine/Amos Lee
• Franz Ferdinand/What Made Milwaukee Famous
• Coldplay
• Blues Traveler/Cafe Tacuba
• Ryan Adams/Tift Merritt
• Widespread Panic
• Gretchen Wilson/Miranda Lambert
• Death Cab for Cutie/My Morning Jacket

Season 32 (2006–2007)

This is the last Austin City Limits season to use the opening theme music by Charlie Sexton, which had been used since Season 30 (2004–2005).

• Ray Davies
• The New Orleans Social Club
• Juanes
• Alejandro Escovedo
• Sufjan Stevens/Calexico
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Van Morrison
• Corrine Bailey Rae/KT Tunstall
• Los Lonely Boys/The Gourds
• The Raeconteurs/Cat Power
• Damian Marley
• James Blunt/James McMurtry
• The Dixie Chicks

Season 33 (2007–2008)

In this season, Austin City Limits did a Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival special.

• Norah Jones
• The Decembrists/Explosions in the Sky
• Femi Kuti
• Tribute to Bluesman Jimmy Reed
• Wilco
• Arcade Fire
• Palolo Nutini/Grupo Fantasma
• John Mayer
• Lucinda Williams/Old Crow Medicine Show
• Ghostland Observatory
• Crowded House
• Kings of Leon/Roky Erickson
• Brad Paisley/Dierks Bentley

Season 34 (2008-2009)

This is the last season to use the Songwriters Special, which Austin City Limits had been in use since Season 5 in 1980. After this season, Austin City Limits discontinued the Songwriters Special. This is the last season to use the 2002-2009 PBS logo.

• R.E.M.
• Betty LaVette/Pinetop Perkins
• Lyle Lovett and Friends: A Songwriters Special
• Jacob Dylan/Carrie Rodriguez
• My Morning Jacket
• Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings/Carolyn Wonderland
• Aimee Mann/Iron & Wine
• Gnarls Barkley/Thievery Corporation
• Foo Fighters
• Manu Chao
• Nick Lowe/The Swell Season
• Drive-by Truckers/Ryan Bingham
• Sara McLachlan/Duffy

Season 35 (2009-2010)

This season marked the 35th anniversary of Austin City Limits, as Austin City Limits celebrates 35 years of great music with no limits. This is the first season with the 2009-2019 PBS logo.

• Dave Matthews Band
• Ben Harper and Relentless7
• Kenny Chesney
• Andrew Bird/St. Vincent
• M. Ward/Okkervil River
• Elvis Costello/Band of Heathens
• Willie Nelson & Asleep at the Wheel
• Pearl Jam
• Allen Toussaint
• K'Naan/Mos Def
• The Avett Brothers/Heartless Bastards
• Steve Earle/Kris Kristofferson
• Esperanza Spalding/Madelieine Peyroux
• Them Crooked Vultures

Season 36 (2010-2011)

This is the last season to tape at its original home at Studio 6A, where Austin City Limits taped since Season 1 in 1976.

• Jimmy Cliff with special guest Michael Franti
• Spoon
• Patty Griffin & Friends
• Alejandro Escovedo/Trombone Shorty
• Robert Earl Keen/Hayes Carll
• Steve Martin/Sarah Jarosz
• Rosanne Cash/Brandi Carlile
• John Legend and The Roots
• Cheap Trick
• Monsters of Folk
• The National/Band of Horses
• Sonic Youth/The Black Keys
• Lyle Lovett/Bob Schneider

Season 37 (2011-2012)

After 36 seasons at Studio 6A from 1976 to 2011, Terry Lickona and the Austin City Limits staff moved their location to its new home at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Also starting with this season, Austin City Limits introduced its opening theme music "An Introduction" by Explosions in the Sky. This season's classic encore includes a replay of Tom Waits from Season 4 in 1979, which aired during the Christmas season until 2019.

• Mumford & Sons/Flogging Molly
• Raphael Saadiq/Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears with special guests The Relatives
• Widespread Panic
• The Decembrists/Gillian Welch
• Steve Miller Band/Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guests Yim Yames, Del McCoury Band, and James Petralli
• Miranda Lambert/Jeff Bridges
• Randy Newman
• The Head and the Heart/Gomez
• Arcade Fire
• Fleet Foxes/Joanna Newsom
• Florence and the Machine/Lykke Li
• Wilco
• Coldplay

Season 38 (2012-2013)

• Radiohead
• Bon Iver
• Bonnie Raitt/Mavis Staples
• The Shins/Dr. Dog
• The Civil Wars/Punch Brothers
• Jack White
• Rodrigo y Gabriela
• Norah Jones/Kat Edmonson
• Bob Mould/Delta Spirit
• Tim McGraw
• Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes/tUnE-yArDs
• Gary Clark Jr/Alabama Shakes
• Esperanza Spalding

Season 39 (2013-2014)

This is the last season to have the opening theme music "An Introduction" by Explosions in the Sky, which Austin City Limits had been in use since Season 37 (2011-2012).

• Juanes/Jesse & Joy
• Phoenix
• The Lumineers/Shovels & Rope
• Vampire Weekend/Grizzly Bear
• Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell
• Emeli Sande/Michael Kiwanuka
• Jim James/The Black Angels
• Queens of the Stone Age
• Jason Isbell/Neko Case
• Fun./Dawes
• Portugal. the Man/Local Natives
• Sarah Jarosz/The Milk Carton Kids
• Kacey Musgraves/Dale Watson

Season 40 (2014-2015)

This season marks the 40th anniversary of Austin City Limits, and the show introduced a new opening theme music "Travis County Line" by Gary Clark Jr. Also during this season, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame was established. This season is dedicated to Austin City Limits creator, founder, and executive producer Bill Arhos, he was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2014, sadly, Bill Arhos died on April 11, 2015 at the age of 80, he was a program director and station executive at KLRU, when he joined in 1962 as KLRN. Arhos also served as the executive producer of Austin City Limits from 1982 to 1999 (seasons 7-24), and he served as president and general manager at KLRU from 1986 to 1999, when he retired from producing Austin City Limits.

• Beck
• Ed Sheeran/Valerie June
• Nine Inch Nails
• Tweedy
• Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Los Lobos/Theo & The Get Down Stay Down
• Eric Church
• The Avett Brothers/Nickel Creek
• Spoon/White Denim
• Sam Smith/Future Islands
• Ryan Adams/Jenny Lewis
• The Black Keys/J. Roddy Walston and The Business
• Foo Fighters

Season 41 (2015-2016)

Beginning with this season, Austin City Limits introduced a new opening theme music "New Shake" by White Denim, this is also the first season after the passing of Austin City Limits creator Bill Arhos.

• Cassandra Wilson
• Sturgill Simpson/Asleep at the Wheel
• Don Henley
• Gary Clark Jr./Courtney Bartnett
• TV on the Radio/The War on Drugs
• James Taylor
• Alabama Shakes/Vintage Trouble
• Kendrick Lamar
• Ryan Adams/Shakey Graves
• Angelique Kidjo
• Sleater-Kinney/Heartless Bastards
• Leon Bridges/Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
• Tedeschi Trucks Band

Season 42 (2016-2017)

• Paul Simon
• James Bay/Rhiannon Giddens
• Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters
• Florence and the Machine/Andra Day
• Iggy Pop
• Natalia Lafourcade/Grupo Fantasma
• My Morning Jacket/Ben Harper
• Ms. Lauryn Hill
• Cyndi Lauper
• Margo Price/Hayes Carll
• Band of Horses/Parker Millsap
• CeCe Winans/St. Paul and The Broken Bones
• Foals/Alejandro Escovedo

Hall of Fame

Established as part of the 40th anniversary of Austin City Limits in 2014.

• Bill Arhos (2014)
• Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (2014)
• Darrell Royal (2014)
• Lloyd Maines (2014)
• Willie Nelson (2014)
• Asleep at the Wheel (2015)
• Townes Van Zandt (2015)
• Loretta Lynn (2015)
• ACL Season One Crew (2015)
• Guy Clark (2015)
• Flaco Jiménez (2015)
• Dickie Peterson (2016)
• B. B. King (2016)
• Bonnie Raitt (2016)
• Kris Kristofferson (2016)
• The Neville Brothers (2017)
• Roy Orbison (2017)
• Rosanne Cash (2017)
• Marcia Ball (2018)
• Ray Charles (2018)
• Los Lobos (2018)
• Lyle Lovett (2019)
• Buddy Guy (2019)
• Shawn Colvin (2019)
• Alejandro Escovedo (2021)
• Wilco (2021)
• Lucinda Williams (2021)
• Sheryl Crow (2022)
• Joe Ely (2022)
• Garth Brooks (2024)

Set design

When Austin City Limits taped its pilot episode at Studio 6A on October 17, 1974 and aired on March 22, 1975, the set for the pilot was designed by Bruce Scafe. In Seasons 1–36 (1976–2011), Austin City Limits was taped at Studio 6A. When Austin City Limits premiered nationally on PBS on January 3, 1976 during Season 1, its first set was designed by Bruce Scafe, Paul Bosner, and Augie Kymmel, featuring a black stage backdrop with colored mats, a stage floor with audience seats, and a view of the audience could be seen way behind the performer, this was used during Season 1 in 1976, and Season 2 in 1977. In 1978 during Season 3, the audience behind the performer was removed, and the performer can now be seen on a black stage backdrop with the audience next to it. In 1979 during Season 4, red and blue lights were added to the set, so that the audience could darken the stage to show the performer. In 1980 and 1981 during Season 5 and Season 6, horse fences were added to the set. In 1982 during Season 7, the Austin skyline backdrop was added to the set, along with chairs and tables, trees, and lights behind the audience. In 1983 starting in Season 8, the lights of the Austin skyline backdrop changed a variety of colors. In 1986 starting with Season 11, and ran until Season 22 in 1997, a grid of stairs was added to the middle of the Austin skyline backdrop. In 1998 starting with Season 23, the grid of stairs was removed from the Austin skyline backdrop. Starting with Season 37 (2011–2012), Austin City Limits moved from Studio 6A to its new home at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

Theme song

During Season 1 in 1976, a soundcheck was run by producer Paul Bosner, using as the audio to accompany each episode's two-minute opening sequence. From 1977 to 2004 (Seasons 2–29), Austin City Limits used Gary P. Nunn's "London Homesick Blues" as the show's theme song. From 1977 to 1981 (Seasons 2–6), the theme was "Louisiana Fairy Tale" by Fats Waller, which was later used as the original theme for This Old House from 1979 to 2002 (Seasons 1–23). From 1980 to 1982 (Seasons 5–7), the closing theme was "The Big One" by Alan Tew, which was later used on The People's Court during the Joseph Wapner era from 1981 to 1993. From 1992 to 1996 (Seasons 17–21), the theme music was "Shining Time Station", written by Joe Raposo, and performed by Kevin Roth. From 1982 to 1998 (Seasons 7–23), the opening theme music was performed by John Mills. From 2000 to 2004 (Seasons 25–29), the opening theme music was arranged by Tequila Mockingbird. From 2004 to 2007 (Seasons 30–32), the opening theme music was composed by Austin musician Charlie Sexton. From 2011 to 2014 (Seasons 37–39), the opening theme music was "An Introduction", written and performed by Explosions in the Sky. The opening sequence was created by Jonathan Jackson. For Season 40, "Travis County Line" by Austin native Gary Clark Jr. became the theme. In Season 41, the opening theme music was "New Shake" by White Denim. For Seasons 43–44, "History of Women" by The Black Angels became the theme. For Season 45 and Season 47, the opening theme music was "Hot Thoughts" by Spoon. For Season 46, the opening theme music was "Colors" by Black Pumas. For Season 48 and Season 49, "Cruel" by St. Vincent became the theme. For Season 50, the opening theme was "An Introduction" by Adrian Quesada.

See also

• Sessions at West 54th: a short-lived public television series that also featured music performances
• Soundstage: similar program from WTTW in Chicago
• Music of Austin
• Austin City Limits Music Festival

External links

• PBS: Austin City Limits full-length videos
• Austin City Limits Episode Guide
• The Handbook of Texas Online
• Austin City Limits Artist Interviews at the Wayback Machine (archived December 2, 2006)
• 35 Years of Austin City Limits
• Austin City Limits – Live