B.W. Stevenson

B.W. Stevenson, a Dallas-born singer-songwriter who became a fixture of the 1970s progressive country and “redneck rock” scene in Austin, Texas, also recorded a contemporary Christian album later in his career. Born Louis Charles Stevenson on October 5, 1949, in Dallas, Texas, he was nicknamed “Buckwheat,” a name that gave him his stage initials. He attended W.H. Adamson High School, where his classmates included future musicians Michael Martin Murphey and Ray Wylie Hubbard. After serving in the United States Air Force, Stevenson began pursuing music full-time.

Stevenson signed with RCA Records in 1971 and released his self-titled debut album the following year. A 1973 single, “My Maria,” reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and became his most recognized song. That same year he recorded “Shambala.” Stevenson’s other RCA albums included Lead Free (1972), Calabasas (1974), We Be Sailin’ (1975), and Lost Feeling (1977).

In 1980, Stevenson released Lifeline on the MCA/Songbird label. The album is categorized as contemporary Christian music, marking a shift in his artistic direction. B.W. Stevenson died on April 28, 1988, at age thirty-eight, following complications from heart valve surgery.