Darrell K Royal Patron Award

Each year, the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Association not only recognizes three songwriters as inductees, but also honors those who have provided recognition and support to songwriters by presenting them with our Darrell K Royal Patron Award. Coach Royal, the original recipient, has spent years supporting and honoring songwriters, and we’re proud to carry the spirit of his efforts forward, in his name.

Robin Shivers 2013 Awardee

Robin Ratliff Shivers left an indelible mark on the city of Austin and its community of musicians in so many ways. Born in Graham, Texas in 1956, Robin might seem an unlikely hero to the creative class. She came to Austin to attend the University of Texas, and it was there that she met the man who would become her husband and partner in life, Allan “Bud” Shivers. With Bud by her side, Robin began building a legacy that will never be forgotten; from banking to health care to the music industry, she was a champion in everything she touched.

Among so many things, she was a generous philanthropist, shrewd businesswoman and accomplished manager known for pioneering affordable healthcare services for Austin’s low-income, uninsured working musicians. As the driving force behind the creation of Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), Robin allowed so many musicians to maintain their health and wellbeing so they could continue to make the music that has become a staple in the city of Austin and the state of Texas as a whole.

While Robin was instrumental in creating the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, her other efforts within the music community were equally substantial. Besides years of service to the Seton Health Care Family, she also worked with KLRU and chaired its benefit concerts. When her interest in music began dominating her time, she started a management company and took on roots-rockers Loose Diamonds and their frontman Troy Campbell as clients. Among numerous boards she served on, she advised the Gibson GuitarTown project and Clifford Antone’s annual fundraiser for American YouthWorks. Throughout her lifetime, Robin Shivers constantly gave back to the community, yet it was when she focused on music that Austin changed forever.

Robin worked with the Seton health care system for 28 years – with roles at The Seton Fund and serving the Daughters of Charity. When the opportunity came to serve as a volunteer board member at KLRU she took it, chairing music fundraisers that featured such acts as George Jones and then up-and-coming Garth Brooks. Those KLRU fundraisers supported the Austin City Limits TV show, and provided her with artistic gratification in her work and its results. In the early 1990s, Robin opened a management company, RRS Management.

Robin established HAAM as the vehicle for musicians to access existing Austin health care providers, by creating collaborative relationships between the Seton Healthcare Family, St. David’s Foundation, and The SIMS Foundation, with HAAM coordinating services on behalf of the musicians. This first-of-its-kind model is instrumental to the success of the organization, which has continued to thrive and add additional life-altering health services in recent years.

In 2009, Robin Ratliff Shivers passed away. Since then, her contributions to the community continue to be recognized by organizations and inviduals throughout the city through memorials created in her honor, including the HAAM endowment in her name, the KUT green room named after Robin, and “The Robin Shivers Collection” at the University of Texas.

Robin’s mark on our community of talented musicians and songwriters is undeniable. She managed to merge her passion for music and innate generosity of spirit with her business acumen to create something that is truly inspiring, unique and everlasting in Austin, Texas.

Darrell K Royal

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In fond memory

Darrell K Royal, revered across Texas and the country as a football coach, led the University of Texas to eleven conference championships and three national championships. He was not only respected for his accomplishments on the field, but also in life—a life of integrity with over half a century of service to the University and to Texas. Coach was also known for his deep love, respect and appreciation for songwriters, especially Texas songwriters.

He befriended singer-songwriters who performed around Austin and soon became friends with an individual from Abbott, Texas by the name of Willie Nelson. Starting in the late sixties, Coach and Edith threw “pickin’ parties” with the likes of Willie, Charlie Pride, Charlie Rich, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Mickey Newberry, Red Lane, Larry Gatlin, Jerry Max Lane, Freddy Powers, Sonny Throckmorton, Red Steagall and many others. He hosted both the Darrell & Willie, and the Ben Willie Darrell golf tournaments for 35 years to showcase singer-songwriters, while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. These events were important to Coach Royal because he knew that these songwriters deserved recognition for writing the songs. He wanted to share his love and appreciation for these unique wordsmiths with his friends. Coach Royal played a key role in building the foundation for the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Association (TxHSA). He embraced the mission of the organization and provided valuable guidance and direction throughout the formative years. He was a fixture at all of the TxHSA events. One of our goals is to ensure that Coach Royal’s legacy of honoring and celebrating songwriters continues indefinitely. In 2009 we established the Darrell K Royal Patron Award to recognize and honor individuals from Texas who have made significant contributions to songwriters over the years. In 2011 we named the “pickin’ party” that is held the night before the Texas Heritage Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame induction show, the Darrell K Royal Homecoming. Few have done as much to support songwriters over the years as Darrell Royal. Please assist us in preserving this tradition – a tradition so important to Coach Royal and to Texas culture.