Mid-Week Intermission Friend Edition: Terry Lickona, Executive Producer of Austin PBS’ Iconic Austin City Limits
It’s a big week in Austin music history. If you haven’t heard by now, it’s the 50th anniversary of the pilot episode of Austin City Limits featuring Willie Nelson, who performed on the now iconic television show for the first time in 1974. Exactly 50 years later (exactly!), on October 17, Willie Nelson & Family take the stage again, but this time at the Long Center.
In this Mid-Week Intermission, hear from long-time ACL TV Executive Producer, Terry Lickona, on his unique perspective of the longest-running music television series ever and what it means for Austin, while we await Thursday’s 50th Birthday Bash.
Meet Terry Lickona, Executive Producer of Austin PBS' iconic television series, Austin City Limits.
Long Center: Welcome to Mid-Week Intermission!
We usually ask people for a song to go with their interview — does anything come to mind? A Willie song, perhaps?
Terry Lickona: “Funny How Time Slips Away”
LC: We understand that you’re a New Yorker, but you obviously got to Texas as quick as you could. What’s your background and how did you get tangled up in the Austin music scene?
(For those not familiar with Terry’s time in the music television business, they should check out this quick Austin PBS writeup, honoring his 2024 Beacon Award.)
Terry Lickona: I’m from Poughkeepsie NY, and after getting my college degree in American History, I worked as a radio DJ. I moved to Austin in 1974 when I was in my 20s and my first job was at KUT Radio, which happened to share the same building as KLRU. I’m not a musician, but have always loved music. I moved to Austin with a musician friend to check out the scene here, and stayed!
LC: We know that Willie joined ACL TV for the first-ever episode way back in 1974, a few years before you got to the show. Can you walk us through how significant it is that he’s returning for year 50? What was that conversation like?
Terry Lickona: When we realized a few years ago that our 50th anniversary was approaching, we thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool to get Willie to do a new show on the same exact day that he did our original pilot show back in 1974?” He’s appeared on ACL more times than any other artist, so it was a no-brainer. We reached out to his management about 6 months ago to start the ball rolling.
LC: And how significant is this milestone for the show? When you joined the crew, did anyone think that the show would be running all these years later?
Terry Lickona: There is no other music program on television anywhere in the world that has been in production continuously for 50 years, and very few programs of any kind. So it is a significant milestone for ACL, of course, but also for broadcast television and PBS in general.
LC: Any favorite episodes come to mind that especially speak to the spirit of the show?
Terry Lickona: Too many to list! But a few standouts: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ray Charles, Leonard Cohen, Dolly Parton, Kendrick Lamar, Jon Batiste, Brandi Carlile.
LC: What’s the secret ingredient that allows ACL TV to continue to capture the zeitgeist in a city that’s changing as fast as Austin is now?
Terry Lickona: No secret. We create a relaxed, friendly environment for an artist or band to do what they do best — make music — with an enthusiastic, live audience of Austin music fans. Then we capture it all in the highest quality video and sound, and that magic is preserved for posterity and shared with millions of viewers.
LC: We’re incredibly honored to get to host the 50th Birthday Bash out on our 3d-printed stage in front of Austin’s iconic skyline (a nice homage to the show’s in-studio backdrop). How special is that?
Terry Lickona: All of our shows are recorded in our home venue at The Moody Theater, so it’s extremely rare to step outside our “safe space” to stage and capture a show outside and for the general public to share. One of the special highlights is that for the first time ever, we will have the actual, live City of Austin skyline as our backdrop, instead of the replica we have at The Moody Theater.
LC: Having produced the show for so long (and some Grammys along the way), what keeps you here, making Austin City Limits happen for the world? Anything you’ve learned in your 50 years of producing that really sticks with you?
Terry Lickona: Besides being fun, it’s important to capture so many one-of-a-kind music performances to share with the world. It’s become an archive of not only American music, but music from all over the world. One important thing: keep the good music coming, and keep it simple.
Thanks, Terry!
Be sure to tune into the Austin City Limits 50th Birthday Bash livestream, happening October 17 at 7pm Central and streamed straight from the Long Center lawn.
Find it on ACL TV’s event website or on their YouTube channel. Don’t be late!
