The Fabulous Thunderbirds

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• Genre: Blues & Boogie Rock

About

Founded by guitarist Jimmy Vaughn (brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughn) and harmonica playing singer Kim Wilson in the fertile Austin Texas music scene of the mid '70s this band became the blueprint for all blues based bands that would come after them. Sonically the band stripped away the excesses of the hippie Blues Rock of the '60s and played lean rocking approximations of classic Chicago, Texas and Gulf Coast blues. Solos were short and the emphasis was on a low down rhythmic groove. Sartorially the band dressed in sharp suits and wore their hair short like a combination of their heroes(Muddy Waters, Lightnin' Slim, Slim Harpo)and a bunch of hoodlums in sharp contrast to the torn blue jeans and tie dye prevalent at the time. the band played close to 300 dates a year for nearly a decade and then had a huge hit with the record "Tuff Enuff". That record proved to be a fluke and founding member Jimmy Vaughn left after the death of his brother, forever changing the sound of the band. Wilson soldiers on with a group of good veteran players.

- Tom Heyman