Family Ties of ACL

By Emily Wilkinson

The beanpole of a man with a gray ponytail, the exuberant young woman who never stops smiling, the frizzy-haired man with that constant twinkle in his eye and the shy older gentleman with the dark complexion do not constitute a traditional family. Instead of blood, they have music. Instead of DNA, they have dedication. Instead of a company BBQ, they have Austin City Limits.

When Austin City Limits first came on the air in 1976, nobody expected the show to be included among the top 50 longest-running television shows in the United States. At a time when money was scarce and success just a dot on the horizon, the staff of ACL somehow turned an idea into a program that has changed lives forever through their dedication and love.

"When you work with people who love what they do, it makes all the difference in the world. It truly is a labor of love," says Leslie Nichols, associate producer of ACL.

Nichols came on board seven years ago, the first new hire in 17 years, coming to ACL via KLRU, where she started in 1996.

"It's why you see people who stay here so long, it is a public television show, no one is getting rich," Nichols says. "It is the feeling of family and people who have worked together for so long. We've seen each other through births, deaths, weddings and divorces -- all the milestones in life."

Nichols said when she first started her role as associate producer, she was nervous because she had never done that type of work before.

"I could not have done it without the camera guys, director and audio crew," she says.

One of the members of the audio crew is David Hough, who has been with ACL since he was an assistant on the pilot episode way back in 1974.

"The friendships and bonds go beyond here, goes outside of these walls, outside of work," Hough says.

The ACL staff members are not the only ones that feel the family vibe; artists have noticed it too.

"Artists that have been to other TV shows say that this is the most fun they have had, but it's also the most professional crew," Nichols says. "It's interesting to get both those answers."

Lyle Lovett is included in this unique family portrait. Lovett has performed in more than 12 tapings of the show over the years. And before he was a performer, he used to come to ACL as a part of the audience.

"When his first performance aired on TV, they put a clip of him in the audience of a taping next to him singing," Nichols says.

Over the years, the ACL family has grown: there's more to the family than Lovett, Nichols and Hough. Terry Lickona, the producer of the show, has been with ACL since the third season in 1978 where he was the assistant producer and emcee.

"It's very much like a family, you have the cranky old uncle that everyone just sort of tolerates but you love them anyway, the lovable big brother and then Terry is the daddy. Everyone has their role to play, it's a pretty democratic undertaking," Nichols says.

On taping days, the ACL crew sometimes works together for 18 hours straight. They know that they can depend on each other to help out, just like a family would.

"We're very much like family," Hough says. "Everyone watches out for each other."