Ward Davis at Winnsboro Center for the Arts

Ward Davis is a country singer-songwriter from Arkansas who has built a reputation as a writer's writer in the Texas and Red Dirt music scenes. He has written songs for Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and many others, and his own records blend honky-tonk tradition with the kind of hard-earned storytelling that comes from a life on the road. On July 11, 2026, he played The Bowery Stage at Winnsboro Center for the Arts, about 40 minutes northwest of the property.

Show details

About the artist

Ward Davis grew up in Neosho, Missouri, and moved to Nashville in his early twenties. He co-wrote "The Weekend" with Willie Nelson and "Somewhere Between I Love You and I'm Leavin'" with Cody Jinks. His own records, including "15 Years in a 10-Year Town," are filled with hard country songs about heartbreak, drinking, and the spaces in between. His voice carries the gravel of someone who has lived what he sings, and his live shows strip the songs down to their bones. The Bowery Stage set was a rare chance to see a songwriter of his caliber in a room that seats about 100 people.

The venue

Winnsboro Center for the Arts is a community arts organization housed in a historic building on Market Street in downtown Winnsboro. The Bowery Stage is their smaller, more intimate performance space, hosting singer-songwriter showcases, poetry readings, and acoustic concerts in a close-up setting where the audience sits within a few feet of the performer. It is one of those venues that serious music fans seek out, and it consistently punches above its weight in the acts it brings through East Texas.

Winnsboro is about 40 minutes northwest of the property via US-271 and TX-11. It is a straight shot on two-lane highways through the Piney Woods, an easy evening drive that ends at one of the best listening rooms in the region. Even though this show has passed, the Winnsboro Center for the Arts books acts year-round, and it is worth watching their calendar.