Live Music: Earl Poole Ball

Few musicians can claim a résumé like Earl Poole Ball.

A longtime Austin resident and one of the most respected honky-tonk pianists in the country, Ball spent more than two decades touring and recording with Johnny Cash, while also working with legends including Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Gram Parsons, The Byrds, Glen Campbell, and Marty Robbins. His unmistakable piano playing helped shape some of country music’s most influential recordings.

Since making Austin home in 1999, Earl has become a beloved fixture of the local music scene.

Whether performing with Heybale!, The Cosmic Americans, his own Rockabilly Blues Band, or at his long-running Continental Club residency, his shows are packed with world-class musicianship, classic country, rockabilly, and stories from a lifetime spent alongside music royalty.

Around Austin, he’s simply known as one of the finest piano players you’ll ever hear.