Jimmie Vaughan (born March 20, 1951) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. He is the older brother of the late

Texas blues Texas blues is blues music from Texas. As a regional style, its original form was characterized by jazz and swing influences. Later examples are often closer to blues rock and Southern rock. History Texas blues began to appear in the early 1900s ...

guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Several notable blues guitarists have had a significant influence on Vaughan's playing style, including the "Three Kings" (

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...

, Freddie, and

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

) and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.

Early career

Jimmie Vaughan was born on March 20, 1951, in Dallas County, Texas, United States, to parents Jimmie Lee Vaughan and Martha Jean Cook. Raised in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, Vaughan attended L V. Stockard Junior High where on February 3, 1965, he first played before an audience in a group named The Pendulums, or the JSP's, along with Phil Campbell and Ronny Sterling. Vaughan moved to Austin in the late 1960s and began playing with such musicians as Paul Ray and WC Clark. In 1969, Vaughan's group opened for

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

. It was at this show that Vaughan lent Jimi Hendrix his Vox

Wah-wah pedal A wah-wah pedal, or simply wah pedal, is a type of electric guitar effects pedal that alters the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a distinctive sound, mimicking the human voice saying the onomatopoeic name "wah-wah". The ped ...

which Hendrix ended up breaking. In return, Hendrix gave Vaughan his own touring Wah-wah pedal. Jimmie Vaughan developed his own easily recognized personal style. He formed the band

The Fabulous Thunderbirds The Fabulous Thunderbirds are an American blues band formed in 1974. Career After performing for several years in the Austin, Texas blues scene, the band won a recording contract with Takoma/Chrysalis Records and later signed with Epic Recor ...

with lead singer and

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual string (music), strings running at an angle to its sound board (music), soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various way ...

Kim Wilson Kim Wilson (born January 6, 1951) is an American blues singer and harmonica player. He is best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the Fabulous Thunderbirds on two hit songs of the 1980s, " Tuff Enuff" (which was the group's only Top 40 ...

, bassist Keith Ferguson, and drummers Mike Buck and Fran Christina. (The original Fabulous Thunderbirds were all protégés of Austin, Texas blues club owner

Clifford Antone Clifford Antone (October 27, 1949 – May 22, 2006) was the founder of the eponymous Austin blues club Antone's and independent record label Antone's Records and Tapes, as well as a mentor to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, Kim Wilson, ...

). The band's first four albums, released between 1979 and 1983, are ranked among the most important 'white blues' recordings. These early albums did not sell well, so the band was left without a recording contract for a couple of years (during the time when Vaughan's younger brother achieved commercial success). During this time, Vaughan played lead guitar on fellow Texas blues musician Bill Carter's 1985 album, ''Stompin' Grounds'', also playing Carter's most well-known song, "Willie The Wimp", which would be introduced a year later to Stevie Ray Vaughan and played on live albums. The Fabulous Thunderbirds got a new contract in 1986, and made several albums with a more commercially popular sound and production style. Vaughan left the band in 1990, and made his only "duo album", ''

Family Style Restaurants fall into several industry classifications, based upon menu style, preparation methods and pricing, as well as the means by which the food is served to the customer. This article mainly describes the situation in the USA, while catego ...

'', with his younger brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Before the album's release, Stevie Ray died in a helicopter crash along with three members of Eric Clapton's entourage in

East Troy, Wisconsin East Troy is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,687 at the 2020 census. The village is located southwest of the Town of East Troy. A small portion extends into the adjacent Town of Troy. Geography Eas ...

, on August 27, 1990. The album was released a month after the accident. The artist listed on the album was "The Vaughan Brothers". The album was light, blues-influenced rock, with Jimmie Vaughan singing on several tracks.

Personal life

Vaughan released his first solo album '' Strange Pleasure'' in 1994. The album contained a song "Six Strings Down" that was dedicated to the memory of his brother. He has continued his solo career since then. Vaughan's solo albums contain mostly blues-rock material that he writes himself. He made a special guest appearance on

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...

's 1996 album ''A Man Amongst Men,'' playing guitar on the tracks "He's Got A Key" and "Coatimundi". In 2001, Vaughan paid an installment on his (and the Fabulous Thunderbirds') debt to harmonica

swamp blues Swamp blues is a type of Louisiana blues that developed in the Black communities of Southwest Louisiana in the 1950s.Malone, Evelyn Levingston, "Swamp Blues: Race And Vinyl From Southwest Louisiana" (2016). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertatio ...

when he contributed guitar to the

Lazy Lester Leslie Johnson (June 20, 1933 – August 22, 2018), better known as Lazy Lester, was an American blues musician who sang and played the harmonica and guitar. In a career spanning the 1950s to 2018, he pioneered swamp blues, and also played h ...

album ''Blues Stop Knockin.' '' He has a son, Tyrone Vaughan. Since 1997 Fender has produced a Jimmie Vaughan Tex-Mex Stratocaster. Vaughan appeared in the 1998 released film '' Blues Brothers 2000'' as a member of the fictional "Louisiana Gator Boys" blues band led by BB King. Vaughan is close friends with

Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...

. They worked together on the film ''

Great Balls of Fire "Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 popular song recorded by American rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie '' Jamboree''. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer. The Jerry Lee Lewis 1957 rec ...

''. Vaughan was the third opening act for most of the dates of

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's summer 2006 tour, preceded by Elana James and the Continental Two and Junior Brown. Vaughan loves classic and

custom Custom, customary, or consuetudinary may refer to: Traditions, laws, and religion * Convention (norm), a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted rules, norms, standards or criteria, often taking the form of a custom * Norm (social), a r ...

cars, and is an avid car collector. Vaughan has had many of his customs and hot rods displayed in museums, as well as featured in rodding and custom magazines.

Recent activities

Vaughan continues to perform. He has also been politically active to some degree. He endorsed

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Presidential candidate Ron Paul in 2008 and played before one of Paul's speeches at the University of Texas. Vaughan also opened for Ron Paul's keynote address at the Rally for the Republic in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 2, 2008. Vaughan appeared with Boz Scaggs & The Blue Velvet Band at the 2009 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Vaughan performed at Ron Paul's "We are the Future" rally in Tampa, Florida on August 26, 2012. Shout! Factory released Jimmie Vaughan's first new album in nine years, ''Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites'', on July 6, 2010. Vaughan played with Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, BB King, Hubert Sumlin, and others during the 2010

Crossroads Guitar Festival The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a series of music festivals and benefit concerts founded by Eric Clapton. The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center in Antigua. The concerts showcase a variet ...

. Vaughan performed on the episode of the TBS cable television show '' Conan'', that aired December 22, 2010. Jimmie Vaughan with Eric Clapton and Gary Clark, Jr

Jimmie Vaughan with Eric Clapton and Gary Clark, Jr

Vaughan performed at the 11th Edition of the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival on Friday, June 29, 2012. In 2014, Vaughan performed at the

Mahindra Blues Festival Mahindra Blues Festival (MBF) is an annual blues music festival that happens in February at Mehboob Studios, Bandra, Mumbai. Living legends of the genre who have performed here at this festival over the past years include Buddy Guy, Walter Trout, ...

in India alongside the

Tedeschi Trucks Band The Tedeschi Trucks Band () is an American blues and blues rock group based in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 2010, the band is led by married couple Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Their debut album, '' Revelator'' (2011), won the 2012 Gra ...

. Vaughan performed guitar as a guest on an episode of the PBS cable television show ''Austin City Limits'', with the Foo Fighters, which aired on February 7, 2015. He and the Foo Fighters were accompanied on stage by another guest guitarist,

Gary Clark, Jr. Gary Lee Clark Jr. (born February 15, 1984) is an American musician from Austin, Texas. He is known for his fusion of blues, rock and soul music with elements of hip hop. In 2011, Clark signed with Warner Bros Records and released ''The Brigh ...

, a native of Austin, Texas. His 2019 recording, ''Baby, Please Come Home'', was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

Select discography

Singles

* 1972: The Storm – "The Doo-It" // "Lost On The Ocean Part 2" (Connie Records) * 1986: Jimmie Vaughan &

Duke Robillard Michael John "Duke" Robillard (born October 4, 1948) is an American guitarist and singer. He founded the band Roomful of Blues and was a member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Although Robillard is known as a rock and blues guitarist, he also pla ...

– "Cookin'" (Guitar Player Magazine " flexi-disc

Albums

* 1979: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – '' Girls Go Wild'' ( Takoma/Chrysalis) * 1980: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – ''What's The Word'' ( Chrysalis) * 1981: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – ''Butt Rockin (Chrysalis) * 1982: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – '' T-Bird Rhythm'' (Chrysalis) * 1986: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – '' Tuff Enuff'' (CBS Associated) * 1987: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – ''Hot Number'' (CBS Associated) * 1989: The Fabulous Thunderbirds – ''

Powerful Stuff ''Powerful Stuff'' is a 1989 studio album by Texas based blues rock band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. It was recorded in Memphis and produced by Terry Manning. It was the last studio album to feature Jimmie Vaughan before leaving for a solo career. ...

'' (CBS Associated) * 1990: The Vaughan Brothers – ''

'' Stevie_Ray_Vaughan.html" ;"title="ith Stevie Ray Vaughan">ith Stevie Ray Vaughan( Epic) * 1994: Jimmie Vaughan – '' Strange Pleasure'' (Epic) * 1998: Jimmie Vaughan – ''Out There'' (Epic) * 2001: Jimmie Vaughan – ''Do You Get The Blues?'' (

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...

) * 2007: Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan – ''On The

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

Highway'' ( Ruf) * 2010: Jimmie Vaughan – ''Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites'' ( Shout! Factory/Proper) * 2011: Jimmie Vaughan – '' Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites'' (Shout! Factory/

Proper Proper may refer to: Mathematics * Proper map, in topology, a property of continuous function between topological spaces, if inverse images of compact subsets are compact * Proper morphism, in algebraic geometry, an analogue of a proper map for ...

) * 2017: Jimmie Vaughan Trio – ''Live At C-Boy's'' ith Mike Flanigin, Barry "Frosty" Smith(Proper/Last Music Co.) * 2019: Jimmie Vaughan – ''Baby, Please Come Home'' (Last Music Co.) * 2020: Jimmie Vaughan – ''The Pleasure's All Mine (The Complete Blues, Ballads & Favorites Sessions)'' (Last Music Co.) 2-CD compilation * 2021: Jimmie Vaughan – ''The Jimmie Vaughan Story'' (Deluxe Edition, 5-CD set, with 1 x 12" vinyl LP, 2 x 7" vinyl singles, and a 240-page book) (Last Music Co.)

Awards

Grammy Awards

* 1990: Contemporary Blues Recording ‒ The Vaughan Brothers ‒ ''Family Style'' * 1990: Rock Instrumental Performance ‒ The Vaughan Brothers ‒ "D/FW" * 1996: Rock Instrumental Performance ‒ "SRV Shuffle" * 2001: Traditional Blues Album ‒ ''Do You Get The Blues?''

Blues Music Awards

* 2020: Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year

References

External links

Official websiteJimmie Vaughan Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2020) {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan, Jimmie 1951 births Living people American blues guitarists American male guitarists Lead guitarists American blues singers Blues rock musicians Electric blues musicians Musicians from Dallas Texas blues musicians Texas Republicans Singers from Texas Grammy Award winners Stevie Ray Vaughan Soul-blues musicians Guitarists from Texas The Fabulous Thunderbirds members 20th-century American guitarists People from Oak Cliff, Texas Proper Records artists Epic Records artists