Over the years, he has become one of the most famous guitarists in Texas
and well-known in the blues music circles. He has played with many bands,
including Black Oak Arkansas, opened for many of the big acts of the day
and currently has a successful solo career.Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lou Ann Barton
I have just started reading "Soul to Soul", a book about Stevie Ray Vaughan. This book, written by Kerri Leigh, was to be Stevie's biography and was started before his death. I have been a SRV fan since 1984, since the first LP "Texas Flood" came out. I had also seen LouAnn Barton on a music TV show at about the same time.
Lou Ann was and still is one of the great female blues singers. She worked with Stevie in an early incarnation of Double Trouble, back in the mid 1970's. She and Stevie shared the vocals, as Lou Ann could be undependable at times. She was battling substance abuse right along with Stevie, and their egos often clashed. In the late 70's, Stevie fired her from the band, took over the vocals and went off to become a music legend.
The reason for this post is that there are a few songs from those days on YouTube. After hearing them, one can realize just how good they were. The band was very popluar in Austin, Texas and the surrounding area. At one point, they traveled to San Francisco, where they stole the show at a festival with their sheer musical power.
Here are a few links. This is audio only. The SRV sound we all love is in full force back in 1978.
Here is Lou Ann with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, a band she was a member of in the early days of the band. This video shows why I like Stratocasters!
Her website has lots of videos as well. Lou Ann never got really famous, but is greatly admired and respected in the music business.
To quote her bio on her website: "Barton has to be seen live to be fully appreciated. She belts out her lyrics in a twangy voice so full of Texas that you can smell the barbecue sauce. She swaggers confidently about the stage, casually tossing her cigarette to the floor as the band kicks in on its first number. The grace, poise and confidence she projects on stage is part of a long tradition for women blues singers. The blues world still needs more good female blues singers like Barton, to help to broaden the appeal of the music to diverse audiences and to further its evolution."
RELATED READING AND LISTENING
Bob Weir and his Telecaster
I read this story years ago, and wanted to share it. Some of you have probably heard this story but here it is anyways. You can click on this link to read it all.
Bob Weir was adopted.
After the death of his parents, he went searching for his real parents.
He found his biological mom, who gave him the name of his biological dad.
After Bob got in touch with his father, they found they were very much alike
and have become close. After a time, the father gives Bob a guitar that
belonged to his late son (Bob's half brother). It was an old Telecaster.
You can read the rest on the link.
This is a great story, that after all those years, this guitar was sitting in the closet after its owner passes on. It is now (or was at that time) Bob's number one guitar.
Quote from this website: "After no one wanting this guitar it fell out of the sky one me. All of the family, as opposed to feeling forsaken, are really overjoyed at seeing a piece of their older brother and eldest son make it on the big stage. The whole story is really a little bit of mysticism. The lesson I learned from my new dad is confirming for me that fate follows in your footsteps so you need to have faith in your path and live life with a sense of wonderment."
Alan Wilson of Canned Heat
I was suprised and happy to hear "Going Up the Country" by Canned Heat used in the movie "Blind Side." Here is a bit of information about the signer and guitarist for Canned Heat, Alan Wilson.
I have just finished reading a book called "The 27 Club." The book is about all the influential musicians who have died at the age of 27. The book covers Robert Johnson, Alan Wilson, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, D. Boon, Kristen Plaff and many others who left this world. I wanted to more about
Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson was the leader, singer, and primary composer in Canned Heat, played guitar and harmonica, and wrote most of the songs for the band. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, majored in music at Boston University and played the Cambridge coffeehouse folk-blues circuit.
The nickname "Blind Owl" was due to his nearsightedness. While a member of Canned Heat, Wilson performed at both the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969. Canned Heat appeared in the film Woodstock, and the band's "Going Up the Country," which Wilson sang, has been referred to as the festival's unofficial theme song.
Alan was dedicated to the blues, and to the environment. He was one of the better bottleneck slide guitar players of the day, and was considered on of the best harmonica players around.
Wilson died in Topanga Canyon, California of a drug overdose at age 27.
He had reportedly attempted suicide two times before and his death is sometimes reported as a suicide, this is not clearly established and he left no note.
I have been watching video of Alan on YouTube, of which there are quite a few. His slide playing, on a 50's era Les Paul Goldtop, was not in the style of Duane Allman, but based on players like Johnny Lee Hooker. I wonder where that old Goldtop is. That would be cool to see.Here are a few videos from YouTube.