Robert Earl Keen

Alex Rawls talked to Texas' singer/songwriter Robert Earl Keen backstage at Tipitina's, where Keen played earlier this fall. While talking, the two realized that they lived in the same Houston suburb at the same time and because they grew up there, the references in some Christmas songs mean nothing to them.

The conversation focused on the story behind Keen's "Merry Christmas from the Family," which has become an Americana holiday staple. Keen tells its story and talks about its repercussions, and one of his few attempts to cash in on anything, "Happy Holidays, Y'all."

Tickets to see Robert Earl Keen in concert this fall with Lyle Lovett, George Strait, and in his "Cosmic Cowboy Christmas" shows are on sale now through his website.