A staple of the Austin, TX, club scene, singer/songwriter/harmonica wizard Ted Roddy paid his dues alongside the likes of Dale Watson, the Reverend Horton Heat, and the Bad Livers. Born in Corpus Christi, Roddy played his first live shows in the late '70s, eventually moving to Dallas to form the Midnighters with blues guitarist Mark Pollock. After the group disbanded, he turned to rockabilly and in 1983 started a new outfit, Ted Roddy and the Talltops, with Jim Heath (later known as Horton Heat) and Danny Barnes (who went on to join the Bad Livers). After relocating to Austin, the Talltops began to build a strong fan base not only locally but abroad, releasing several records in Europe. After going solo, Roddy played on LPs by Watson and Chris Smither before releasing his 1995 debut, Full Circle. Tear Time followed five years later. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
