Of all the letters we receive each month, the ones that always grab our attention are from readers who’ve come upon an old Texas Monthly story and want to know what has happened to the principal characters since it was published. Sometime last year we’d gotten so many of these queries that we began to wonder if there were enough once-famous and once-infamous folks out there—in business, politics, culture, and the like—to fill an entire “Where Are They Now?” issue. Quickly we discovered that there were and, more important, that their lives outside the spotlight were as interesting as their lives in. (It helped that Sports Illustrated, a magazine we respect around here, has started producing its own successful annual “Where Are They Now?” issue. Yes, we all steal from each other.)
On the pages that follow, you’ll find our first attempt at an entire issue devoted to the whereabouts of the men and the women who have shaped Texas over the past few decades. Some, like Candy Barr, disappeared from the public eye long ago and haven’t been heard from since. Others, like Ben Barnes, are on their umpteenth comeback. Some, like Lena Guerrero, have had health problems. Others, like Earl Campbell, have had money problems. In addition, you’ll find out what became of John Paul Cisneros, Walker Railey, and a couple dozen more from our most memorable stories.
Our hope is that by learning where they are now, you’ll learn where we are now—all of us—and how Texas today is a product of Texas yesterday.
