Grammy-winning Fort Worth artist Leon Bridges was surprised with a declaration from Mayor Mattie Parker, commemorating his Nov. 15 Dickies Arena debut as Leon Bridges Day in Fort Worth. (Courtesy photo | Jack Bool)
Grammy-winning artist Leon Bridges called his song “Panther City” a love letter to his hometown, and Fort Worth responded with a formal love note of its own.
Mayor Mattie Parker surprised the singer on stage at his sold-out Dickies Arena debut to issue a formal proclamation declaring Nov. 15 Leon Bridges Day in Fort Worth. Outside the arena, Montgomery Street was lined with temporary street signs that read “Leon Bridges Way.”
The singer is the fourth musical act to receive such an honor in the city. Previous honorees include rock band the Toadies, “Stockyards” singer Casey Donahew and independent country-western artist Cody Jinks.
Bridges is every bit as deserving of that honor, Parker said ahead of the show.
“We’re just so proud of Leon and (have a) deep appreciation for not only his music and what he’s done in his own genre, but importantly, what a great ambassador he is for the city of Fort Worth,” said Parker. “We wanted to ensure that we could kind of repay him somehow for all the things he’s doing for our city, as an artist across the world.”
Bridges, who is touring to promote his new album “Leon,” previously described his new music as his “most personal work yet” featuring references to childhood memories and time spent in his beloved Fort Worth.
“This year has been about telling those more personal stories, the ones I wasn’t always sure I could share,” Bridges wrote in a message to fans ahead of his performance. “And there’s something about knowing that y’all are with it — that you’re here for those stories — that makes every single moment on stage even more real.”
Parker lauded Bridges’ musical talents, business acumen and philanthropy, pointing to The Big Good, the charity he co-founded with former TCU head football coach Gary Patterson.
“He really does believe in what’s happening here in his community and is very proud of being from here,” she said. “Furthermore, Leon is just approachable yet oozes with cool. He is just a neat person that you appreciate and want to know more about.”
Hear Fort Worth, an arm of Visit Fort Worth, worked with the mayor’s office on the honor.
Leon Bridges is synonymous with Fort Worth in the same way that Pearl Jam is linked to Seattle and Elvis is intertwined with Memphis, said Tom Martens, vice president of creative, film and music for Visit Fort Worth.
“Leon has been an incredible ambassador for the city of Fort Worth,” Martens said. “From his merch having Panther City on it, to the billboard he took out on Lancaster thanking his city, but also just as an ambassador on the road (and) his backdrop that always has Fort Worth, Texas. He just amplifies and promotes our city.”
That promotion has paid off in big ways, including the visitors that Bridges is drawing through his Dickies Arena show.
“We’re seeing a lot of out-of-town guests coming to the show and a lot of people — especially from the metroplex, Dallas and beyond — that are staying the night for this,” Martens continued. “So it really shows what the impact of concerts at Dickies does to our visitor economy and our nighttime economy.”
In an Instagram post, Bridges said his success is shared with the city.
“It’s not just about me; it’s about all of us, every corner of this city that raised me and shaped me,” he said. “It’s the Southside and Sundance Square, the little pockets of the city where music seeps through the walls and dreams grow wild.”
Disclosure: Mitch Whitten, chief operating officer of Visit Fort Worth, is on the board of directors at Fort Worth Report.
Marcheta Fornoff covers arts and culture for the Fort Worth Report. Reach her at [email protected]. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of the board members and financial supporters. Read more about the editorial independence policy here.
