Gillette Songwriter Co-Wrote Blake Shelton’s No. 1 Smash Country Hit ‘Texas’

“Texas” is Blake Shelton’s 30th song to hit No. 1 on the country music charts. And part of that success can be attributed to Gillette native and Nashville songwriter Josh Dorr.

Dorr is one of the four songwriters for “Texas,” a song about hitting the bar and wondering what's been lost after a breakup. The song has tinges of melancholy memory, but this moment is one Dorr will remember fondly for the rest of his life.

“It’s pretty surreal,” Dorr told Cowboy State Daily. “I got back from a celebration party in Las Vegas last night, and I was sitting in my apartment thinking, ‘What the hell just happened?’ It feels good to have your hard work pay off.”

He Writes The Songs

Dorr has been working as a singer-songwriter in Nashville for 15 years. He’s already had considerable success, writing songs for country artists like Jordan Davis, Jon Pardi, and Kolby Cooper.

Dorr was one of the composers of “Tough,” a single by Lana Del Rey and Quavo, the rapper and former frontman of Migos. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Spotify US Global Chart and Top 40 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Global 200 charts.

“I’ve been a big fan of Lana Del Rey for a long time,” he said. “To have a song with her and Quavo was really cool.”

“Texas” was the result of a jam session Dorr had with the other songwriters: Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock, and Lalo Guzman. Dorr said they all had sessions cancelled that day, so they decided to get together and see what happened.

“Lalo started doing this Spanish guitar thing, and we were just vibing on what he was doing for a while,” he said. “Johnny was going through a breakup at the time, and we were asking him how it was going. He said every time he went to the bar, people would ask him how his girl was. He’d say, ‘She’s not my girl.’ They’d ask where she’s at, and he’d say, ‘I don't really know, but like, she's probably somewhere in Texas.’”

Everyone agreed — that sounded like a song. Dorr said Clawson's frustrated exchange was the start of something.

“We had to do that exchange, ‘How’s your girl? She ain’t my girl,’” he said. “Sometimes, you have to write forward and go backward. Kyle started riffing, ‘she cut me loose and caught herself somewhere when.’ He had that line, and we're like, ‘That's dope. That's the beginning of the song.’ And we pieced it together like a mosaic.”

As they kept going, the jamming and riffing became the song “Texas.” Dorr said they didn’t think much of it once it was finished.

“We wondered who would do a song like that,” he said.

Blake Shelton’s Next No. 1

“Texas” was a promising jam session until it caught the ear of Scott Hendricks, the record producer who oversaw the careers of Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, and other legendary country performers.

“He’s a legend, and the nicest, coolest guy you’ll ever meet,” Dorr said. “‘Texas’ was his 81st No. 1 hit.”

Jeremy Groves, one of Dorr’s publishers and the Senior Creative Director at the Nashville-based music publishing and management company SMACKSongs, brought a recording of “Texas” to Hendricks’s home.

“Jeremy played our song for Scott, and he said, ‘Holy crap, that’s a smash hit for Blake Shelton.’ So Scott called us up, they recorded it, and he’s been a champion of it ever since,” Dorr said.

After Hendricks heard the song, he invited Dorr and the other songwriters to his house. He has a unique way of showing his enthusiasm for their work on “Texas.”

“Scott has a super-nice house on the river with a little wake boat,” he said. “He told us, ‘The best speakers I own are on this boat, so let's take a boat ride. play this sucker as loud as hell and just drive around.’  So, we listened to it five times in a row, blasting it on this boat. It was a 75-degree day with blue skies, and the river was like glass. It was the perfect day.”

Loved It From The Start

Hendricks and Shelton decided “Texas” would be the lead single for Shelton’s upcoming album, “For Recreational Use Only.” It was officially released on Nov. 15, 2024.

Shelton has praised “Texas” in several interviews since its release. He’s said it’s a song he “knew he loved” from the moment he heard it and called it the ideal lead single for his thirteenth album because it’s “the perfect start to the next chapter of (his) career."

Shelton has also made sure to acknowledge the songwriters at every opportunity. Dorr said Shelton has heaped praise on him and the other songwriters at events and performances they’ve been invited to attend.

“Blake's been wildly above and beyond awesome to us,” he said. “He put us on his Instagram page, gave us shout-outs at the parties, hung out with us, and gave us advice.”

The party in Las Vegas to celebrate the success of “Texas” was a complete surprise, even to Shelton’s people. Dorr got to spend time with one of his music idols, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter (and Shelton’s wife) Gwen Stefani.

“She’s been one of my biggest influences since I was younger,” he said. “One of my favorite artists growing up, oddly enough. I loved her music, and she was super sweet.”

Country’s Justin Bieber

Dorr is savoring the success of his first country hit while continuing to add accolades to his career. He’s been working with and writing songs for 15-year-old Maddox Baxton, an up-and-coming country music star.

“Maddox’s management was looking for songwriters who were willing to take the time and show him the ropes,” he said. “When I met and started working with him, I realized he’s got this top-star quality to him. You want to be around him. He’s got a gravitational pull of charisma.”

Baxton, also a co-writer for “Tough,” was one of the youngest artists to sign with Warner Records. Dorr wrote several songs on Baxton’s first extended playlist, “First Dance (The After Party).”

Dorr called Baxton “country music’s Justin Bieber” because he’s performing to sold-out crowds of cheering teenage girls. He’s been with Baxton “since day one” and believes he’s the next talent in country music waiting to take off.

“It’s been fun to watch him grow as a person and an artist,” he said. “He’s very responsive and dialed in to what I’m teaching him, and he’s going to get massive, whether it’s next year or in four years.”

Never Met Anyone From Wyoming

Dorr’s biggest success to date might be “Texas,” but Wyoming is one of the biggest secrets to his past and future success. He gets a lot of mileage and staying power from his roots in the Cowboy State.

“I can't count how many times I've introduced myself with, ‘I'm from Wyoming,’” he said, “and I can’t count the number of people who respond, ‘Whoa, I’ve never met anybody from Wyoming.’”

Nashville is saturated with singer-songwriters, from newcomers trying to make inroads to the biggest names in the music industry. As a true Wyomingite, Dorr stands out.

“I meet two or three new people every day, and a lot of people forget who you are,” he said. “It helps if you're that dude from that place they’ve never met anyone from.”

While writing songs for Baxton and other artists, Dorr is working on music he intends to release on his own album. He is continuously inspired by the visuals and themes of a life well-lived in the Cowboy State.

“Wyoming’s in my DNA,” he said. “My grandpa has a bunch of old cowboy stories from when he was doing it back in the day. My cousin used to ride bulls and broncs, and I love the rodeo coach culture, and my brother works in the oil field, so it’s hard not to think or talk about it.”

Dorr admits that writing his album makes him “homesick” for Gillette and Wyoming. It’s also a deep well of raw emotion and inspiration for a successful singer-songwriter.

“Writing music is like journaling,” he said. “Writing your thoughts up makes me feel better. It’s therapeutic for me.”

Does that mean there’s a future where “Wyoming” becomes a #1 hit for Blake Shelton, Maddox Baxton, or Dorr himself?

“That might be too on the nose, but maybe not,” he said. “I’ll have to write it and find out.”

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.