Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan has played a significant role in shaping the distinctive sound of modern-era roadhouse blues. Deeply influenced by the three Kings (Freddie, Albert and B.B.), he's been a steady part of Austin's music scene since the '70s. After cutting his teeth in groups such as The Chessmen (who once opened for Jimi Hendrix), he helped form Texas Storm, which featured his younger brother Stevie Ray on bass. By this time, Vaughan had honed a sound that fused heritage blues with forward-thinking concepts, building a foundation that would propel rock forward by drawing from its past.
It was The Fabulous Thunderbirds (for years the house band at the now-legendary Antone's nightclub), founded with Kim Wilson, that cemented Vaughan's reputation as more than just a retro-cool bluesman. Amidst a string of T-Birds albums (including the platinum-selling Tuff Enuff), Vaughan partnered with his brother to record the slick Nile Rodgers-helmed Family Style (1990). Jimmie, a vital part of Stevie Ray's comet-like success, was devastated by his brother's unexpected death shortly before the album's release.
Vaughan eventually struck out on his own, with Strange Pleasure (1994), Out There (1998) and Do You Get The Blues? (2001), and he's since settled into the role of inspirational big brother to a large family of regional musicians and godfather to young guns including Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang.
On The Jimmy Reed Highway, was recorded with Omar & The Howlers' Omar Kent Dykes and a slew of Austin locals including James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Delbert McClinton and Lou Ann Barton.
Provenance: Raised in Dallas, Vaughan lives in Austin now.
Latest release: On The Jimmy Reed Highway with Omar Kent Dykes (2007)
© 2007 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
Jimmie Vaughan
