Turner on Music Friendly Community designation: 'This certification recognizes our city’s place in music history'

Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the City of Houston has been designated as a Music Friendly Community by the Texas Music Office (TMO) on Tuesday, per a press release from the Office of the Texas Governor.

The governor’s office said that Houston, Texas’ largest and the nation’s fourth-largest city, successfully completed a multi-step certification process to earn the accolade. 

“I congratulate the City of Houston on earning the Music Friendly Community designation, and I look forward to working together on their continued success,” Abbott said in the release.

Abbott said that the TMO helped the state’s music industry generate over 210,000 jobs, as well as pumped around $28 billion into the Lone Star economy in 2019.

"Houston was one of the first cities I approached when the Music Friendly Community program began,” TMO head Brendon Anthony said in the release. "We are looking forward to partnering with and welcoming in the most diverse city in Texas. We can’t wait to see what they do."

Per Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, the city’s diversity is easily seen and heard in its music scene.

“Whether it’s performances at our world-renowned Jones Hall, a sold-out stadium during the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo or artists selling mixtapes in barbershops and in neighborhoods, we’re proud to cultivate an environment where musicians can flourish,” Turner said, according to the release. “This certification recognizes our city’s place in music history.”

Houston has produced renowned artists such as Beyoncé, ZZ Top, UGK, Robert Earl Keen, DJ Screw and La Mafia, the city’s Music + Cultural Tourism Officer Gracie Chavez said in the release.

Anthony and TMO Community Relations & Outreach Specialist Chip Adams will visit Houston on Tuesday to present the Music Friendly Community designation at The Heights Theater at 6 p.m., the release said.

"With this certification, the Bayou City’s music community will proudly continue to gain deserved recognition beyond our state and international borders," Chavez said.

Houston City Councilwoman Abbie Kamin will accept the designation.