Dead Texas musicians live on every time you hear their songs.  Their songs play everywhere, so the dead Texas musicians appear to be immortal.  Here's the short list: 

Buddy Holly.  The Lubbock man who inspired the Beatles.  I’ve met enough people to fill a concert hall who claim they knew Buddy Holly and hung with him in Lubbock and road motorcycles with him.  Buddy died in a plane crash during an Iowa snow storm at age 22.

Janis Joplin.  This Port Arthur, Texas artist changed rock and roll.  Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster wrote “Me and Bobby McGee,” but Joplin’s raw rendition of this song sent it to the number one single chart spot after her death at age 27.

Roy Orbison.  An eerie voice.  Born in Vernon, Texas.   Only the Lonely.

Stevie Ray Vaughan.  Born in Dallas, Stevie of Double Trouble died in a helicopter accident in Wisconsin at age 35. 

Blind Lemon Jefferson.  Born in Couchman, Texas,  Jefferson recorded hundreds of songs and allegedly froze to death in a Chicago snow storm in 1929. 

Waylan Jennings.   Whenever I think of the town, I think of Luckenbach, Texas, and therefor I think of Waylan Jennings.