Why SXSW Co-Founder Louis Meyers Was a Man with Many Fans

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Photo by Ralph Barrera. Used with permission from the Austin American-Statesman.

You can feel the love rising off the pages when Seduced by Sound musicians talk about Louis Meyers. Louis, who passed away in 2016, was a co-founder of SXSW, making his impact on Austin pretty much incalculable. But he also had a huge impact on a multitude of musicians as a mentor and “head cheerleader.” Louis cared passionately about music and about people – and a lot of people cared about him.

With SXSW 2017 nearly upon us, we thought we’d share a few quotes about Louis from the Legends and Legacies section of the book. We have to say, they’re pretty sweet.

“He would find creative and talented people and give them guidance. From Louis I learned a lot about how to conduct myself professionally, how to keep an even keel and listen to what people had to say. Louis was never dismissive of anyone, ever.”
—Cody Wyoming, musician

“His mantra was simple and consistent: ‘Who’s looking out for the musicians?’ His focus throughout his entire career was on nurturing and supporting the community of people who make music as their vocation. From the working-stiff sideman to the solo singer-songwriter to the hardcore punk band, Louis was their constant advocate and head cheerleader.”
—Mark Rubin, musician/writer

“Louis was one of the finest human beings who ever walked the earth. . . . When he became a person of power in the music business, he was so nice to everyone. He was nice to people he didn’t need to be nice to, and that was really impressive to me. He just seemed to exist to help people.”
—Gurf Morlix, musician/producer

In the Legends and Legacies section, you’ll find some fun stories about Louis from artists who worked with him. You’ll also find musicians telling stories about and paying tribute to other people important in Austin music history, including:

  • Blaze Foley
  • Clifford Antone
  • Doug Sahm
  • Guy Clark
  • Ian “Mac” McLagan
  • Janis Joplin
  • Johnny Gimble
  • Louis Meyers
  • Nick Curran
  • Paul Ray
  • Pinetop Perkins
  • Ronnie Dawson
  • Slim Richey
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan
  • Townes Van Zandt
  • Uncle Walt’s Band

There’s a lot of Austin history in that list. We’re grateful to be able to share it.

Ready to read some great stories? Get your book now at SeducedbySound.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In Seduced by Sound: Austin, over 100 of the city’s best musicians and bands talk about why and how they make music. With stories, reflections and even advice – combined with tributes to legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Townes Van Zandt – it’s a look at the past, present and future of the Austin music scene. The book also comes with 50+ MP3s from some of the artists who keep Austin, Texas, known worldwide as the Live Music Capital of the World.

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

To find out more about Weeva’s custom books, check out Weeva.com.


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