Heybale's Gary Claxton

Heybale's Gary Claxton dies at 50  --  Richard Crenwelge

Austin lost another of its great musicians last week, and may he rest in peace.  Gary Claxton was a singer/songwriter, and the frontman for Austin-based supergroup Heybale, which boasts some of the most sought-after musicians in country music.  With Earl Poole Ball and Redd Volkaert on the roster, the band has a virtual all-star lineup, and that perhaps explains why they are able to so effectively capture that real, authentic honky tonk sound. 

You can learn more about Gary and Heybale at (insert link) http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/music/entries/2011/01/07/rip_heybale_singergary_claxton.html?cxntfid=blogs_austin_music_source.

Although Gary is an icon of the Austin country music scene, I did not meet Gary through his music, but rather through another amazing talent of his, and that was Brazilian jiu-jitsu.  I write about this because it is important for us, as music fans, to realize that our local musicians have lives outside of music.  When I first began learning jiu-jitsu here in town, he was one of the few men in the room that wore a black belt, and for those who are familiar with jiu-jitsu, you are aware of how difficult it is to earn a black belt in that system.  It is an honor that very, very few people are able to achieve.  Gary did not just achieve a black belt, however; he went on to win the jiu-jitsu world championships (the Mundials) in 2010, which is even more rare of a feat, as most jiu-jitsu enthusiasts never even fight or compete at all, and he fought successfully at the highest levels.  Therefore, it is an honor for me to have trained on the same mats as him.

The best jiu-jitsu practitioners in the world are not just competition-proven champions, though.  They also display an almost child-like eagerness in learning, a gentle aggressiveness in training, and extreme grace in their losses.  I saw all of these things in Gary.  I was not a training partner of his, but I watched him spar many times, and the immediacy and potency of jiu-jitsu lays everyone's personality bare for all in the room to see.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.  It tests your mental toughness, your patience, and your humility.  Even then, I did not see Gary ever lose his patience or become frustrated, and every training session seemed like a joy for him. 

Ultimately, there are several things that we can learn from Gary's passing, and they are all extremely important to our understanding of Austin as a community.  One is that Austin really is the Live Music Capital of the world, and we must enjoy it for all that it is.  There are a seemingly infinite number of bands playing an infinite number of shows, so go out and enjoy them while you can.  Secondly, all of these musicians are working against time, and will not be around forever.  Get to know their music.  And third, get to know them as people.  There is much, much more to everyone out there than the face that they give to the public.