Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame

November 16, 2018, Paul Schlesinger is a fiddle player and vocalist from Taylor, TX who specializes in traditional Texas swing and country music. He is a popular entertainer who puts on an exciting fiddle trick show that pleases the toughest crowds. Paul's dedication to classic Texas country and western swing music was recognized by his induction into the Gatesville Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. He was named the GCM Hall of Fame Country & Swing Artist of the Year in 2014. He and his wife Tara were named GCM Hall of Fame Entertainers of the Year in 2016. Last year, "You Were Meant to Ruin My Dreams," the first song on his latest CD, was named the Western Swing Song of the Year by the Academy of Western Artists (AWA). This is one of the highest levels of recognition for western artists and entertainers in the world. This year the AWA named Paul one of the top five western swing male vocalists of the year alongside Bobby Flores, Billy Mata, Doug Boggs, and the legendary Leon Rausch of the Texas Playboys. His latest CD, Paul Schlesinger and his Knights of Texas Swing, was released in 2016. Taking 10 years to complete, it unites Paul with many veteran western swing performers whose recording histories date back to the 1940s. From September 2016 to April 2017, the CD was the number one most requested album on the nationally distributed "Swingin' West" western swing radio show. The CD also received a 5-star review in the July 2016 issue of Country Music People, an internationally distributed magazine from the UK. Paul's Knights of Texas Swing have been playing all over Central Texas since 2006. Some highlights include, once performing for Subaru of America's national convention, the Alliance of the American and Texas Dental Associations, and serving as Texas music representatives through Austin Community College's Danish cultural exchange program. The Knights perform monthly at Patsy's Café in Austin, and play many festivals, plus private and corporate events. Paul is also the music team leader for the Lee County Cowboy Church and its band, Second Chance. He and his wife Tara play for many church-related functions, performing their unique blend of country swing, classic western, and traditional gospel tunes. Since 2010, Paul has performed with Glen Collins and the Alibis, a classic-country show and dance hall band who have been featured on the syndicated television program "Songwriters Across Texas". In 2015, Paul had the honor of playing fiddle for David Church, a world-known Hank Williams tribute artist who appears regularly on RFD TV.