Edited sentence: 's music was probably the closest sound to "Texas Swing", and "Honky Tonk" at that time.) Nationwide Distribution of product, Radio Support and maybe most importantly, the touring side of the industry never took off.Although talent was available, not enough was circulating to keep radio interested in the long run, as the majority of recording artists were independant with self-funded/self-produced projects.Most of the time recorded with poor production values.Randy Coward, Ken Holloway, Bruce Haynes, Chuck Day, White River, Suzie Luchsinger and others also helped birth this new sound.Smith, who's first album was released in 1988.Some of the first pioneering acts to begin this style of music were T.TJ Smith was the original Worship leader at Cowboy Church, in Fort Worth, Texas when services were still held inside the legendary nightclub "Billy Bob's Texas" T.The "heyday" of this genre' seems to have been in the mid-90's when major labels in Nashville were signing Artists.The "sounds like" comparisons were Merle Haggard, George Strait, Reba, Dwight Yoakum.The style of music still exists and Artists still perform and travel, but the number of artists are smaller as are the number of radio stations that support air-play.This all seems to have dissolved since the fundamental pieces for commercial success were not yet in place.there were no real means of getting Artists on the road with established acts and no legitimate booking agents were able to create the demand with Churches