What is Red Dirt music Anyway?

Oklahoma’s own musical niche, Red Dirt music, has a rich history filled with colorful characters and interesting adventures.

[Midwest City, Oklahoma – April, 2025] - Many people wrongly believe that Red Dirt music started in the '90s, when names like The Great Divide and Cross Canadian Ragweed made it more popular, but really the foundation for it all started twenty years before that. The birth of the Red Dirt music scene started in the '70s in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The history of this rich and varied musical scene has largely been an oral history, stories told from those that were there. But author Tonya Little wanted to change that, and give these musical pioneers their own history book, while also educating people on how the genre even came to be. This desire culminated in the book Dirt & Spirit: A History of the Red Dirt Music Scene Vol. 1, which will be released on April 9th, 2025.

     “This first book is mostly just to pay homage and respect to the early musicians, venues, patrons and fans who created this scene. These may include names you have never heard of before, but the part they played is just as important as any of the names you have heard of. They may not all have gotten their ‘15 minutes of fame’ or the recognition they deserve, but my goal is to make sure they have a spot in history. They earned it,” said Little. 

     Little, who lives in Midwest City, spent a decade collecting stories from as many people as she could find that had been a part of this music scene. This will just be the first book in a series of books covering the entire Oklahoma Red Dirt music scene and how it has evolved through the years. Little has a passion for Oklahoma music and musicians and wants to share that with the world. While Little has been a journalist for over a decade, this will be the first book she has published. 

     Dirt & Spirit: A History of the Red Dirt Music Scene Vol. 1 is self-published through Little’s own company, Little Okieland Publishing. It is available to purchase on her website at LittleOkieland.com and will be available at other retailers and outlets upon release date. It will also have an eBook, and an audiobook is in the works, featuring the voice of Oklahoma musician Chuck Dunlap. From the bands Moses to Medicine Show, this book takes you on a journey through the beginnings of the Red Dirt music scene, which originated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The book covers the years 1970-1990 and is a collection of memories and firsthand accounts of those that were there. Learn about the first musicians on the scene and how the genre organically came together through dirt and spirit.If you have ever wondered, what is Red Dirt music anyway? Then this book is for you. Learn the history of Oklahoma’s own music genre and get a copy today. There will be a special book launch concert with Cimarron Breeze concerts on Saturday April 5th featuring musicians from the book. Little will also be in Stillwater from April 9th-12th during the Boys from Oklahoma event selling books in person. For more information, you can visit Littleokieland.com or contact the author at Tonya@littleokieland.com.

YOU CAN PURCHASE THIS BOOK HERE ON OUR RED DIRT RAMBLE WEBSITE OR GO TO TONYA’S SITE. We are donating $5 from each book sale here on the website to the RED DIRT RELIEF FUND THAT HAS HELPED HUNDREDS OF OKLAHOMA MUSICIANS IN OUR TIMES OF EMERGENCIES. The AUDIO BOOK READ BY ONE OF RED DIRT GODFATHERS~ CHUCK DUNLAP~ will be available soon at Littleokieland.com or contact the author at Tonya@littleokieland.com