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words by > Betsy Model

Country music artist Collin Raye’s latest album may be called Twenty Years and Change, but, asked politely, the 47-year-old musician will laugh easily and admit that he’s spent a bit more than 20 years in the music business. Considering that he initially began singing in front of an audience when he joined his musician mother onstage at age seven, it’s been more like 20 years… times two.

No matter how you count them, the last 20 years have been successful ones for Raye; he’s amassed more than 10 number one singles on the music charts and was the recipient of five Country Music Award nominations. He’s racked up a host of gold and platinum albums that have included chart-topping singles like the gentle “Love Me” and “In This Life.” The lyrics to his “That’s My Story (and I’m Sticking To It)” have launched a thousand excuses all over the globe.

Born in DeQueen, Arkansas, Raye relocated to Texarkana as a child and to the suburbs of Dallas as an adult. As far as Raye’s concerned, he’s a Texan. “I may record in Nashville and tour all over the world, but when it’s time to come home, it’s Texas that’s home,” he says.

Is there one genuinely unique characteristic to Dallas?

I know it sounds corny and cliché, but it really is the people… it is simply the way people are brought up here. Most people here are open and accommodating. It’s a place where, if a person has car trouble, you’ll see four other cars pull over to help. And then of course, there’s “Texas Pride.” We’re proud of our sports teams and proud of our city.

Any myths about Dallas you’d like to dispel?

That we’re all cowboys, wearing hats and riding horses! We’re a modern, elegant city, and while there’s an element of western tradition that’s alive and well, we’re a very urban, contemporary city. We have amazing theater for great off-Broadway productions, a happening opera house, and, in my opinion, a fantastic symphony. Do we love country music here? Sure, but we’ve got everything under the sun to choose from.

So, with a nod to country music, what other kinds of music scenes can visitors find in Dallas?

Country’s big here—always has been, probably always will be—but Dallas is a very cultural city, and it has any kind of music you can imagine. A lot of alternative bands have made it big from Dallas, bands like Bowling for Soup, and a lot of rock ‘n’ roll came from Dallas in the ’60s and ’70s, including folks like Don Henley. Of course, when it comes to country, you’ve got musicians like Willie Nelson, Jack Ingram, the late Waylon Jennings and all the way back to Charley Pride.

So where do you recommend going for great music in Dallas?

You have a lot of great nightclubs in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas. It’s sort of the “college culture” area of the city, where you go to see up-and-coming bands and national bands at these fairly small clubs. It’s where a lot of bands try out their new stuff, and even bands like The Wallflowers will play a small club. You can find everything there from acoustic music to punk, jazz, folk and alternative rock. It’s got everything.

For country music and for someone who wants to experience a genuine Texas night out complete with music and dancing, I’d probably recommend a place called Cowboys; either Cowboys Red River in North Dallas or Cowboys Arlington. Both are big country dance clubs that have state-of-the-art sound systems and top lighting, and they regularly have local acts and bring in big, national acts maybe once a month.

On the west end of Dallas, there are also a bunch of nightclubs and great restaurants. Especially when the weather’s nice, it’s a great place to walk from venue to venue with your family or with a date.

Is there one restaurant you’d recommend for someone trying to get a real sense of Dallas as a city?

Reunion Tower. It’s a bit like Seattle’s Space Needle in that it’s a restaurant at the top of a tall tower and it’s got a beautiful view of Dallas’ skyline. You take this long elevator ride up and the restaurant revolves around. You can see all the way to Fort Worth, and it’s really beautiful to see Dallas all lit up at night. If it’s a date and you’re feeling a little romantic, you can go for a horse-and-buggy ride in a hansom carriage around Daly Plaza. Now, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, if it’s a buddy and you’re looking to have a beer and just hang out, there’s a place called Sports City that’s both a restaurant and a bar, and it’s got a TV at every table with a separate satellite feed for each one.