- List of Texas blues musicians
Texas Blues is a subgenre of theblues , and of course is not limited to Texas-based musicians. It has had various style variations but typically has been played with more swing than other blues styles. Texas blues differs from styles such as Chicago blues in use of instruments and sounds, especially the heavy use of the guitar. Musicians such asStevie Ray Vaughan contributed by using various types of guitar sounds like southern slide guitar and different melodies of blues and jazz. Texas blues also relies on guitar solos or "licks" as bridges in songs. Below is a list of Texas blues musicians.A
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Alger "Texas" Alexander - (September 12 ,1900 –April 16 ,1954 ) Born inJowett, Texas , Alexander was acountry blues singer who was one of the original forebearers ofTexas blues music. He never did learn to play guitar, though he was backed by such artists asLonnie Johnson andLightnin' Hopkins . He also did singing gigs forKing Oliver . Over his impressive career, he recorded forOkeh Records andFreedom Records , among others.B
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Lou Ann Barton - BornFebruary 17 ,1954 inAustin, Texas , Barton is ablues-rock andTexas blues singer who has performed with artists likeStevie Ray Vaughan andThe Fabulous Thunderbirds . She has released at least seven albums starting in the 1980s for labels likeDiscovery Records andCatfish Records .*
Bobby "Blue" Bland - BornJanuary 7 ,1930 inRosemark ,Tennessee as Robert Calvin Bland, Bland was strictly ablues music singer that performed in a gambit of genres, everything fromsoul-blues andTexas blues torhythm and blues . He is more remembered for his sides withClarence Hollimon and later withPat Hare early on. During his later career he has moved into theelectric blues arena and over his career has released countless albums.*
Juke Boy Bonner - (March 22 ,1932 –June 29 ,1978 ) Born inBellville, Texas as Weldon Bonner, Bonner was aTexas blues andWest Coast blues guitarist andblues harp player as well as a vocalist. Though based primarily in Texas for most of his career, he did work in the 1950s inOakland, California and recorded there forIrma Records . Like so many of the early blues musicians, Bonner was forced to work in a meat processing plant in his later career just to make ends meet. He performed in both acoustic andelectric blues environments.*
Doyle Bramhall - BornFebruary 17 ,1949 inDallas, Texas , Bramhall is stricly aTexas blues musician, a talentedguitarist ,drummer andsinger who worked withStevie Ray Vaughan and his brotherJimmie Vaughan . His son,Doyle Bramhall II is also a blues musician. He has released several solo albums.*
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - (April 18 ,1924 –September 10 ,2005 ) Born inVinton, Louisiana , Brown was one of the regulars of theTexas blues scene. Amulti-instrumentalist , he performed onguitar ,harmonica ,mandolin ,bass guitar ,violin and sang. Brown was the first artist to record forPeacock Records , and his style of play was influential on burgeoning talent in Texas. Later in his career he moved more away from acoustic modes of play in favor ofelectric blues , often fusing in his sound elements of calypso andzydeco .C
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Perry Cain - Born c.1929 inNew Waverly, Texas *
W. C. Clark - BornNovember 16 ,1939 inAustin, Texas , Clark was one of the originators of blues in the city of Austin. Asoul music singer and electricTexas blues guitarist, he had his start performing withT.D. Bell . He also can be seen performing onstage withStevie Ray Vaughan for a 1980s episode ofAustin City Limits . Following a tragic car wreck in 1997 that resulted in the death of hisfiance anddrummer , Clark has slowed down on touring and recording in the years since.*
Arnett Cobb - (August 10 ,1918 –March 24 ,1989 ) Born inHouston, Texas , Cobb is most remembered as ajazz tenor saxophonist , though his contributions toTexas blues and other sounds likeNew York blues andjump blues should not be taken lightly. He is the person who discoveredJames Brown and, in his later years, he led his own band called "Texas Jazz and Blues".*
Albert Collins - (October 1 ,1932 –November 24 ,1993 ) Born inLeona, Texas , Collins was one of the true greats of theTexas blues scene. An originalsongwriter , as well as an accomplishedguitarist andsinger , Collins performed with some of the best musicians the state of Texas had to offer. He released many recordings over his career, and enjoyed renewed appreciation for his art during the blues revival of the 1960s.*
Johnny Copeland - (March 27 ,1937 –June 3 ,1997 ) Born inHaynesville, Louisiana , Copeland was both an acoustic and electricTexas blues guitarist and vocalist who only enjoyed real success late in his career during the 1990s. He recorded numerous solo albums, many forRounder Records .*
Pee Wee Crayton - (December 18 ,1914 –June 25 ,1985 ) Born inRockdale, Texas , Crayton was a frequent member of theTexas blues scene. Both an acoustic and electric blues guitarist and singer, he also performedrhythm and blues andWest Coast blues when moving toLos Angeles, California in 1935. He recorded at least nine albums over his career, in addition to collaborations with other artists. Among the labels he worked for wereCrown Records andCharly Records , among others.D
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Larry Davis (blues musician) - (December 4 ,1936 –April 19 ,1994 ) Born inKansas City, Missouri but raised inLittle Rock, Arkansas , Davis was an acoustic and electricTexas blues andsoul-blues musician who was greatly influenced byAlbert King . He recorded often withFenton Robinson . He released albums for many labels, including Bullseye Blues,Duke Records , and many others.*
Omar Kent Dykes E
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Leroy Ervin - ATexas blues acousticguitarist and singer, Ervin recorded for theGold Star Records label.F
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The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Formed in1974 inAustin, Texas byJimmie Vaughan and others, this group played the gambit of music. They performblues-rock ,Texas blues and flat-outrock and roll . Vaughan left the group in 1990.*
Denny Freeman - BornAugust 7 ,1944 inOrlando, Florida , Freeman is aTexas blues electricguitarist andpianist better known for his collaborations withJimmie Vaughan and hissongwriting for theVaughan Brothers .*
Lowell Fulson - (March 31 ,1921 –March 6 ,199 ) Born inTulsa, Oklahoma , Fulson was an innovator who performedguitar and sang in a variety of blues-based genres, particularlysoul-blues , electricTexas blues andWest Coast blues , as well asUrban blues . He performed with musicians likeAlger "Texas" Alexander , and also had a long recording career releasing many solo albums.G
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Grady Gaines - BornMay 14 ,1934 inWaskom, Texas , Gaines is an electricTexas blues andjazz blues tenor saxophonist who recorded withLittle Richard in the 1950s. He also backed other musicians likeClarence Hollimon , Joe Medwick andJames Brown . He released a few records forBlack Top Records .*
Grey Ghost (musician) - (December 7 ,1903 –July 17 ,1996 ) Born as Roosevelt Thomas Williams, Grey Ghost was aTexas blues pianist andsinger who has few recordings that have survived from his early years. He did record a self-titled record forCatfish Records , as well as many other field recordings.H
*Andrew "Smokey" Hogg - (
January 27 ,1914 –May 1 ,1960 ) Born inWestconnie, Texas , Hogg began his career as arhythm and blues musician. An acoustic and electricguitarist ,singer andpianist , Hogg performed with musicians in Texas likeBlack Ace .*
Lightnin' Hopkins - (March 15 ,1912 –January 30 ,1982 ) Born Sam Hopkins inCenterville, Texas , Hopkins was an acoustic and electricguitarist and a major exponent ofTexas blues . During his late career he performed mostly on electric guitar, though in the same manner that he would perform on an acoustic one. Like John Lee Hooker, Hopkins is one the better known blues musicians of history.*
Joe "Guitar" Hughes - (c.1938 –may 19 ,2003 ) Born inHouston, Texas . One of the unsung heroes of theTexas blues scene, Hughes was an acoustic and electricguitarist and vocalist. He performed withBobby "Blue" Bland in the 1960s and released a series of solo albums in the late 1980s and 1990s for labels likeBlack Top Records andDouble Trouble Records .*
Lee Hunter (musician) - An accomplishedpianist who performedTexas blues andpiano blues , Hunter was the brother ofIvory Joe Hunter and was most active during the 1930s.J
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Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson - (August 16 ,1915 –May 30 ,1976 ) Born inTyler, Texas , Jackson was a regular of theTexas blues scene, an acoustic and electriccountry blues guitarist andsinger who seemed most comfortable performing acoustic. He cut a few records forArhoolie Records over the years.*
Blind Willie Johnson - (c.1897 –1945 ) Born inMarlin, Texas was first and foremost agospel blues guitarist andsinger , an early innovator of theslide guitar (using apocketknife ). His birthdate and place of birth are somewhat mysterious. Johnson mixed his evangelical lyrics with earlyTexas blues , and he is most remembered for some studio recording he did forColumbia Records in 1927.K
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Freddie King - (September 3 ,1934 –December 28 ,1976 ) Born inGilmer, Texas , King was an electricrhythm and blues andTexas blues guitarist who performed with a long list of blues greats throughout his career. He recorded extensively in the 1960s forKing Records .*
Smokin' Joe Kubek - BornNovember 30 ,1956 ) inGrove City, Pennsylvania but raised mostly in Texas, Kubek is anelectric blues guitarist andvocalist in theTexas blues tradition. His band, "The Smokin' Joe Kubek Band", released their debut album in 1991 for Bullseye Blues titled "Steppin' Out Texas Style". He first had his start backing musicians likeFreddie King . Since their debut, Kubek has released other albums with his band and also has done some solo work.M
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Mike Morgan (blues musician) - BornNovember 30 ,1959 , Morgan is bandleader of "Mike Morgan & the Crawl", aTexas blues band. He is aguitarist andblues harp player, and has released a series of albums forBlack Top Records .O
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Omar & the Howlers - Formed in the early in 1980s inAustin, Texas and led byguitarist Omar Kent Dykes , the group performs electricTexas blues ,rock and roll andblues-rock . The band is especially popular inEurope . The group has released at least sixteen albums for labels likeColumbia Records ,Watermelon Records andBlack Top Records , to name just a few. Dykes has also had a successful career as a solo artist.R
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Fenton Robinson - (September 23 ,1935 –November 25 ,1997 ) Born inMinter City, Mississippi , Robinson performed everything fromsoul-blues andTexas blues to what he is most remembered for, theChicago blues . He was discovered byBobby "Blue" Bland , who soon got him recording forDuke Records . A guitarist and singer, Robinson played both acoustic and electric guitar. He appeared on "Texas Flood" byLarry Davis (blues musician) in 1958. In the 60s he moved toChicago , where he later recorded extensively for the famousAlligator Records label.*
Thunder Smith - Born Wilson Smith, he was an early acousticTexas blues andpiano blues pianist who recorded withLightnin' Hopkins during the 1940s.T
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Big Mama Thornton - (December 11 ,1926 –July 25 ,1984 ) Born inMontgomery, Alabama , Thornton was the first to perform "Hound Dog" whichElvis Presley later covered. Born Willie Mae Thornton, she performed everything fromrhythm and blues andWest Coast blues toJuke Joint blues andTexas blues . Not only asinger , she also played a decentharmonica and drums.V
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Jimmie Vaughan - BornMarch 20 ,1951 inDallas, Texas ,guitarist andsinger Vaughan is brother to the lateStevie Ray Vaughan . Aside from his work with his brother, he is also a former founding member ofThe Fabulous Thunderbirds along withKim Wilson . Vaughan plays everything fromTexas blues andblues-rock tosoul-blues androots rock . He has released at least three solo albums since 1995 forEpic Records andArtemis Records .*
Stevie Ray Vaughan - (October 3 ,1954 –August 27 ,1990 ) Born inDallas, Texas , Vaughan was a major force on theTexas blues scene and a talentedblues-rock guitarist andsinger . He was leader of the bandStevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble , formerly known as Triple Threat. He recorded many albums forEpic Records , and was one of the more popular blues musicians of the modern era.W
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T-Bone Walker - (May 28 ,1910 –March 16 ,1975 ) Born inLinden, Texas as Aaron Thibeaux Walker, T-Bone Walker is easily one of the most well known artists ofTexas blues . An acoustic and electric guitarist, Walker recorded a slew of albums for record labels likeCapital Records ,Imperial Records ,Brunswick Records , and many others.*
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - (February 3 ,1935 –May 17 ,1996 ) Born inHouston, Texas , Watson had his beginnings performingTexas blues , a tradition he embraced until his death in 1996 while touring inJapan . He also performedrhythm and blues andfunk music , and released well over twenty albums for various record labels.*
L.C. Williams - (March 12 ,1930 –October 18 ,1960 ) Born inCrockett, Texas , Williams was aTexas blues andjump blues singer who did a number of sides forFreedom Records in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He also worked withLightnin' Hopkins on occasion.*
Hop Wilson - (April 27 ,1927 –August 27 ,1975 ) Born inGrapeland, Texas , Wilson was both an acoustic and electricTexas blues guitarist andsinger (he also occasionally performed onblues harp ). Aslide guitar player, Wilson performed with a variety of musicians likeIvory Semien and later recorded in the 1960s forIvory Records .*
Kim Wilson - BornJanuary 6 ,1951 inDetroit, Michigan , Wilson is better known as the leader ofThe Fabulous Thunderbirds . Ablues harp player andsinger , Wilson performsTexas blues ,blues-rock andharmonica blues . Starting in the 1990s, he began pursuing a solo career, out of which he has released at least five solo albums for labels such asDiscovery Records .*
U.P. Wilson - BornSeptember 4 ,1935 inShreveport, Louisiana , Wilson is anelectric blues guitarist andsinger who performsTexas blues . He has recorded three albums forJSP Records , the first being "Boogie Boy: Return of the Texas Tornado".*
Johnny Winter - BornFebruary 23 ,1944 inBeaumont, Texas , Winter is a popular attraction on theTexas blues circuit. Playingslide guitar andblues harp , accompanied with his own vocals, Winter performshard rock ,blues-rock andboogie rock , creating a style uniquely his own. Winter has recorded for many labels, such asColumbia Records ,Dart Records andPacemaker Records , to name only a few.References
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Allmusic
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