Dale Watson - Unwanted
ABOUT
Dale Watson is a living legend of American roots music. With Texas-sized defiance and drive, he's spent four decades flying the flag for his own brand of honky-tonk, outlaw country, western swing, and rockabilly. That signature sound has a name — "Ameripolitan" — and its originator is Watson himself: a singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, actor, cultural architect, and rule-breaking traditionalist for the modern world, championing the traditions that fly in the face of the homogenous mainstream.
With Unwanted, he fires another double-barreled shotgun blast of country twang and honky-tonk bang fueled by the heartaches, hard-won lessons, and high-speed thrills of a life largely logged on the road. Singing with a booming voice that could cut through the chaos of a packed dancehall, Watson runs the show like a roots-rock ringleader. He salutes his vices on the galloping "Willie Waylon and Whiskey," reflects upon a lifetime of loss with the gorgeous ballad "If You Really Loved Me (Outlive Me)," and gets wistfully contemplative on "Life is Like a Song." Entirely written and produced by Watson, Unwanted is the sound of an Ameripolitan diehard with plenty of life left in the tank, speeding toward a horizon of his own making.
NOTABLE FACTS
2026 Performances at Global Music Fest and Willie Nelson's Luck Reunion @SXSW
Shared stage w/ Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Dwight Yoakam
Appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Austin City Limits, NPR’s All Things Considered
His album El Rancho Azul is still a staple in roots radio rotation
Austin Music Hall of Fame / Multiple Austin Music Awards including Best Country Artist
Featured in Friday Night Lights, On the Borderline, True Blood, Country Strong, Yellow Rose
Performed for U.S. troops internationally as part of multiple Armed Forces Entertainment tours
PRESS/ARTIST PRAISE
“I’m one of Dale Watson’s biggest fans.” - Willie Nelson
“Dale Watson’s music is genuine, stellar country music with a thru-line that goes straight back to Hank and Lefty.” - Johnny Knoxville
“An Austin honky-tonk hero.” - Rolling Stone
“Watson delivers country music the way it’s meant to be: raw, honest, and rooted.” - No Depression
“Watson remains one of the great modern voices of country music.” - The Washington Post
“Watson built a cult following on integrity and tradition.” - Billboard
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