Country music artist Gary P. Nunn was recognized as a South Plains College Distinguished Alumnus during the institution’s 2025 Scholarship Banquet on Thursday at the Mallet Event Center in Levelland. Nunn received the physical award during the SPC Creative Arts Department’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 1 when he visited Levelland for a performance at the Wallace Theater.
Established in 1987, the award honors outstanding SPC alumni who have made significant contributions to their community. Cory T. Newsom, president and CEO of City Bank, and Brett Brock, production and tour manager for Steve Earle and Robert Earl Keen, also received the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award.
Nunn’s journey in higher education did not initially start at SPC. After graduating from high school in his hometown of Brownfield, he attended Texas Tech University to pursue an education in health sciences. His search for a particular chemistry course led him to SPC.
“I just jumped into the car, drove over to Levelland and walked into the dean’s office to explain my situation,” the Texas Hall of Famer said. “He fixed me up a schedule that was perfect for me.”
The chemistry class Nunn took had seven students, which was an advantage SPC had over the large classes at Tech. He said his professor was always available to answer questions when students worked in the lab.
From taking engaging classes to learning from dedicated faculty, Nunn said his three semesters at SPC were enjoyable.
“I think I absorbed more from the education part of my life at South Plains than I did at Tech or the University of Texas,” he said.
Having no classes on Friday was another advantage that gave Nunn the time to travel with his band, the Sparkles. During his second semester enrolled at SPC, he and bandmate Louie Holt rented a house in Levelland and made many fond memories.
The Sparkles recorded a few singles in Nashville while Nunn was still a student at SPC. He remembers working on schoolwork when he had free time during the trip. He said his parents were schoolteachers who emphasized the importance of good grades.
“Stay focused, try to learn as much as you can and weed out the distractions,” Nunn said regarding his advice to current SPC students.
Even as a dedicated student growing up in Brownfield, music was still a big part of Nunn’s life. He performed in junior high band and was influenced by artists such as Ray Charles and Glenn Miller.
“I was always musically inclined, and I always gravitated toward music,” he said.
When he was younger, Nunn said he listened to his sister practice high-level piano exercises, which he tried to attempt. He also learned about jazz from his brother, who attended the music school at North Texas State University (now University of North Texas).
“I started sitting on the piano and picking things up by ear and working them in my band,” he said. “I played bass in the band at that time.”
Throughout his career, Nunn has performed in bands including the Shucks and the Lost Gonzo Band and has worked alongside famous musicians, such as the inspirational Harold “Lucky” Floyd of the Sparkles, as well as Jerry Jeff Walker and Michael Martin Murphey. One of his most well-known songs, “London Homesick Blues,” was the theme for the PBS concert TV show Austin City Limits for nearly three decades.
While performing with the Lost Gonzo Band, Nunn helped record Walker’s ¡Viva Terlingua! album in Luckenbach. He said one of his favorite memories was when Walker asked him to sing “London Homesick Blues” publicly, and the crowd went crazy with a standing ovation.
“In a cold flat in London one day, I had this guitar in my hand and made up this song, never thinking anything would ever happen to it,” he said regarding the time he was homesick and wanted to see his sick father. “But it became a classic in Texas music.”
Murphey, who was with Nunn in London at the time, helped him in many ways. Nunn said he was a very disciplined songwriter who showed him Broadcast Music, Inc. statements and told him he would get a stack of them someday.
“Him saying those words to me changed my life,” he said. “This guy, whom I totally admire and respect, thinks I have some potential.”
In addition to teaching him a lot about the music and publishing business, Nunn said Murphey encouraged him to support other songwriters.
Nunn continues to perform across the state and oversees his record label and song publishing companies. In addition to being honored in the Texas Hall of Fame, he was also inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in Lubbock and recognized as the Ambassador of Texas Music by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
“I couldn’t be more pleased to be recognized,” he said regarding the SPC Distinguished Alumni Award. “Having been [at SPC] and to be recognized in this manner is one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had.”