Toughing it out; Performer hitchhikes across Texas
For Dean Strickland, hitch hiking across Texas has become an essential part of his performing career.
“Since I was six I’ve always known what I wanted to do,” Strickland said. “I never thought I would be doing it like this.”
A budding country music artist, Strickland, 39 has been performing across the entire state, catching rides from venue to venue and turning many heads.
Since he first started traveling 19 months ago, Strickland said he has been to 25 different cities and received close to 650 rides from strangers who have encountered him on the road.
Strickland said he has traveled as far west as El Paso, Texas and as far north as Armarillo, and often walks five to ten miles along the interstate before he catches his next ride.
Prior to pursuing his dream of becoming a country music performer, Strickland said he spent seven years reading water meters for the city of Forrest Hill, Texas, and was able to buy a house and a brand new truck.
However, Strickland said he was not comfortable retiring to such a lifestyle and knew something had to change.
“When I finally got my house paid off I was 28 years old, and I just decided that I wasn’t happy,” Strickland said. “I decided just to strike out and see if I could make things happen.”
Strickland said he soon sold his house and truck and enrolled in a nearby college to focus on his true desire of performing his music.
Later, he traveled to California and received three journeyman certificates from the Musician’s Institute before he decided it was time to return to Texas.
Strickland said he usually makes between 60 to 100 dollars a performance and does not yet have a residence or even basic transportation.
At times, Strickland said, he catches the Greyhound bus, or sleeps in hotels or homes of nearby friends. Yet often, Strickland is on his own, relying mostly on the goodwill of strangers to make it to his next gig.
“I’m more or less the struggling musician,” Strick-land said. “I’m willing to tough it out and sleep behind buildings if I have to.”
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Dean Strickland performs at the SKYY Bar and Lounge
5908 Padre Blvd.
South Padre Island, Texas
