 Western Swing , a musical genre with roots in Country Music , was made popular at Tulsa 's Cain 's Ballroom . The Tulsa Sound , a variation of Rockabilly , Blues , and Rock ' n ' Roll , was started and largely developed by local musicians J. J. Cale and Leon Russell in the 1960s and 1970s . The Tulsa Sound heavily influenced musicians Eric Clapton and Jimmy Markham . Musicians from Tulsa or that started their musical careers in Tulsa include Garth Brooks , The Gap Band , Hanson , Caroline 's Spine , Ronnie Dunn , Gene Autry , David Gates , Jamie Oldaker , Jim Keltner , Bob Wills , David Cook , Broncho , Tyson Meade , The Damn Quails , and JD McPherson . In 2012 , Tulsa was ranked as having one of the best music scenes outside of New York , Los Angeles and Nashville . 
