On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the city of Austin, Texas will come together to celebrate the life and music of the legendary, five-time GRAMMY-nominated, Austin-based musician Marcia Ball. Back in October, Ball announced her retirement from touring and performing due to a recent diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Ball will be on hand for the show alongside some very special guests, but will not perform.
The program, entitled HOME With The Armadillo: An Evening Celebrating Marcia Ball, will take place at Austin’s Paramount Theatre, with proceeds benefiting HOME (Housing Opportunities For Musicians And Entertainers), the musician assistance program Ball founded with friends and fellow musicians in 2012. Tickets, which are expected to sell out quickly, are available here.
The concert event will bring together the artists, collaborators, and friends who shaped Ball’s musical journey. The evening will celebrate Ball’s sound, generosity, and leadership — all which helped define Austin music — and whose impact lives far beyond the stage.
The program will be presented as a four-chapter musical celebration. The tribute concert will feature four bands representing the four most iconic chapters of Marcia’s career:
1. Freda & the Firedogs
A seminal Austin band that helped bridge country, blues, and progressive sounds in the early 1970s. Featured artists include: Bobby Earl Smith, Eric Michael Smith, Floyd Domino, Freddy Fletcher, John X Reed, and more.
2. The HOME Band & Friends
Honoring Marcia’s work offstage as a founder and champion for Austin musicians. Featured artists include: Carolyn Wonderland, Cindy Cashdollar, Emily Gimble, Eve Monsees, Ruthie Foster, Sarah Brown, Shelley King, Akina Adderley, and more.
3. The Marcia Ball Band
Ball’s touring family for decades, bringing her joyful, high-octane shows to audiences worldwide. Featured artists and guests include: Derek O’Brien, Tracy Nelson, Eric Bernhardt, Johnny Moeller, Kaz Kazanoff, Michael Archer, Mo Roberts, Red Young, Sonny Landreth, Terrance Simien, Sue Foley and more.
4. Pianorama
A tradition Marcia helped shape: pianists trading licks, stories, and fire. Featured artists include: Chip Dolan, Floyd Domino, Johnny Nicholas, Nick Connolly, and Red Young. This lineup represents not only Marcia’s collaborators, but the musical family that helped shape Austin’s sound for more than 50 years.
About HOME:
HOME has served hundreds of aging musicians in Central Texas, keeping them housed, keeping their utilities on, and keeping them connected to the community they built. Ball has served as the organization’s founding board leader and guiding soul, ensuring that no musician who devoted their life to Austin’s sound is left behind. Ball’s retirement marks the end of an era in performance – but her impact on Austin’s cultural safety net will continue for generations.
Donations can be made here.
