The Grammy’s: DFW Stars Then And Now

Deep in the Heart of Texas you will find some of music’s most prominent icons to ever grace the industry. The idea of ‘regional disadvantages’ in the DFW compared to other major cities like L.A. or Atlanta, didn’t get in the way of these stars from reaching the attention of The Recording Academy. From legends like Erykah Badu, Norah Jones, and Kirk Franklin, to young legends like Leon Bridges and Post Malone, North Texas has had a major role in contributing to ‘Music’s Biggest Night’. Behind the music, we have super producers like J.White who created the beat for Cardi B’s ‘Bodak Yellow’, which pulled in over 1 billion views on Youtube! Read about more DFW celebrities who have made their mark in history at the Grammy Awards!

1. Kirk Franklin

19 Wins | 30 Nominations

Hometown: Ft.Worth, TX

High School: O.D. Wyatt High School

Fun Fact: Kirk Franklin started the playing the piano at only 4 years old! 

2. Norah Jones

 9 Wins| 19 Nominations

Hometown: New York to Grapevine, TX

High School: Booker T. Washington 

Fun Fact: She studied jazz piano at UNT  and played jazz standards at a restaurant on the weekends. 

3. Erykah Badu

4 Wins | 19 Nominations

Hometown: South Dallas

High School: Booker T. Washington

Fun Fact: Some people knew Erykah as “Apples” growing up when she would travel and perform across Dallas.

4. Post Malone

0 Wins | 10 Nominations

Hometown: Grapevine, TX

High School: Grapevine High School

Fun Fact: He was voted “Most Likely to Become Famous” by his classmates in high school and worked at a Chicken Express.

5. Kelly Clarkson

3 Wins | 16 Nominations

Hometown: Fort Wroth, TX 

High School: Burleson High School

Fun Fact: Before Clarkson became the FIRST American Idol, she was offered bull-ride scholarships by both the University of Texas at Austin and the Berklee College of Music.

6. Jamie Foxx

1 Win | 9 Nominations

Hometown: Terrell, TX

High School: Terrell High School

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Fun Fact: Jamie Foxx’s real name is Eric Marlon Bishop. He changed his stage name to honor legendary Redd Foxx, and chose Jamie because it was more ambiguous and thought it would get him further along in his career. 

7. Leon Bridges

1 Win | 6 Nominations

Hometown: Fort Worth, TX

High School: Crowley High School

Fun Fact: His real name is Todd Bridges, his dad was a HUGE fan of Diff’rent Strokes. 

8. LilJuMadeDaBeat

1 Win | 2 Nominations

Hometown: Desoto, TX

High School: Desoto High School

Fun Fact: Lil Ju decided to take his producing career seriously after Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III leaked two weeks before its release. 

9. Bobby Sessions

1 Win |1 Nomination

Hometown: Pleasant Grove, TX

Fun Fact: The first two rappers he remembers hearing were Tupac and Will Smith.

10. Demi Lovato

0 Wins | 2 Nominations

Hometown: Dallas, TX

 School:  Cross Timbers Middle School

Fun Fact: Demi started out as a child actor on ‘Barney & Friends’!

11. Selena Gomez

0 Wins | 2 Nominations

Hometown: Grand Prairie

School: Danny Jones Middle School

Fun Fact: Four years ago Selena Gomez was the most followed person on Instagram with 180 million followers.

12. Vanilla Ice

0 Wins | 1 Nomination

Hometown: Dallas, TX

High School: R.L. Turner High School

Fun Fact: Before he rose to fame, Vanilla Ice used to hang out and dance every weekend at a Dallas nightclub called City Lights.