Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommy Byrd.
Hi Tommy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
“Back in ’64 John and me… saw the Beatles singing on TV. That’s all it took, that was the start, something new was beating in our hearts”…”Big Stars in a Little Sky” (from a song Tommy wrote.)
And it’s been going ever since.
After seeing The Beatles, Tommy and his friend John bought guitars, learned some chords, and started writing songs. They started a band and played all around their hometown in south Arkansas and even recorded a couple of records which made it to the top of the charts on the local AM radio station. That’s when Tommy knew music was going to play a big part in his life.
A lot has happened since then. Tommy and John lost touch when Tommy went off to college, where he helped start a band called River City Street Band. River City wound up in Memphis and became the first all-white band to be signed by STAX Records. They made 2 albums, played concerts, even sold records in Japan. But it didn’t last, and soon Tommy found himself in Austin, Texas, drawn by the mix of the cosmic cowboys and hippies and the wonderful Austin lifestyle. “To make a living I started writing jingles”, Tommy recalled. Sammy Allred, a KVET morning radio show personality, heard his jingles and asked him to play with the Geezinslaw Brothers which he did for several years. “That led to singing with Willie Nelson on Amazing Grace on his album, The Sound in Your Mind. That’s one of my all-time favorite memories”.
After leaving the Geezinslaws, Tommy became a partner and engineer in a local recording studio where he worked with and learned from some of the best Texas musicians around, like Jerry Jeff Walker, the late greats, Walter Hiatt and Champ Hood of Uncle Walt’s Band, Mitch Watkins, Roscoe Beck, Eric Johnson, Marcia Ball, Kinky Friedman, the amazing Johnny Gimble, and so many more. What a wonderful education that was!
Soon he put together his own home recording studio where he recorded demos of his songs, a couple of which were signed to Famous Music in Nashville. Tommy jokingly, and honestly, says, “Some of my songs have been rejected by the biggest names in country music!”
He’s won many songwriting contests and awards over the years. In the 2006 Austin Songwriters Group Competition, he wrote the #1 country song. But he says that writing the winning song in the Official Song of Austin contest is one of his proudest moments. He won $12,000 in cash and prizes, was interviewed by local TV shows and the Associated Press. He was also mentioned in USA Today. “But by far, the real highlight was performing it live on the main stage at Austin Aqua Fest with Christine Albert. What a great memory.” Tommy is engineer and producer at BYRD HOUSE STUDIO where he’s been making recordings for musicians from Texas, Arkansas, Denmark, Germany and beyond.
(Just recently (2026) one of my songs has been licensed to a movie production company in Los Angeles.)
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
At times smooth, at times rough. But that’s a universal thing.
After my daughter was born, I needed to find a steadier source of income than song writing and music could provide. I ended up teaching electronics at tech school and later at Austin Community College. Also, I worked as a Senior Technical Support Analyst for Sears.
Though not exactly a struggle, it was difficult setting my music aside for a while.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I consider myself a creative artist specializing in music, both as a songwriter and as a producer. I’ve received numerous awards for my songs. And I’m most proud of my body of work and my persistence at pursuing my art.
One other area I had some success in is my pen and ink artwork.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I now mostly work with people online. Artists send me their music tracks which I mix and master them, Much of my music is available from numerous streaming services: cdbaby, Amazon Music, Itunes, Facebook, YouTube, etc.
The Byrd & Street website also has links to my music as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.byrdandstreet.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tommy.byrd.14
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tommybyrd6380
