An essential part of the vibrant Texas country music scene, Lloyd Maines has produced some of the genre’s biggest names—Parker McCollum, Robert Earl Keen, and Jerry Jeff Walker, just to name a few. As the father of The Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines, he also helped jump-start the award-winning trio’s commercial success in the mid-1990s. Today, we’re diving into the life and career of Lloyd Maines, born in Lubbock, Texas, on this day (June 28) in 1951.
How Lloyd Maines’ West Texas Upbringing Shaped His Career
Long before his daughter’s birth, Maines’ life was steeped in country music. His father and uncles formed the Original Maines Brothers Band, and he grew up listening to them play in his grandmother’s kitchen.
Over the years, Lloyd Maines taught himself to play a multitude of instruments, including acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, banjo, and more. He was especially drawn to the pedal steel guitar. Today, he is one of its most renowned experts.
He has contributed his steel pedal skills to records by Joe Ely, Guy Clark, Wilco, David Byrne, and—of course—The Chicks…