Doyle Bramhall

Born in Dallas in 1949, this singer/songwriter/drummer grew up listening to Dallas radio (with heavy doses of <a href="spotify:artist:41ZMMuFFLPTVPkUsSI5KlV">Jimmy Reed</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1eYhYunlNJlDoQhtYBvPsi">Ray Charles</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:48nwxUvPJZkm8uPa7xMzmj">Bobby Blue Bland</a> on rock & roll stations) and locals <a href="spotify:artist:66FLgeWLMt38yiag6hrnC5">the Nightcaps</a>, one of the country's first white electric blues bands. In high school he joined the Chessmen, which soon included a young <a href="spotify:artist:4gPGI1vW8TOypARV9Ykzae">Jimmie Vaughan</a> on guitar; they opened in Dallas on <a href="spotify:artist:776Uo845nYHJpNaStv1Ds4">Jimi Hendrix</a>'s first U.S. tour. Moving to Austin in 1970, he and <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Vaughan</a> formed Texas Storm, which later shortened its name to Storm and occasionally included <a href="spotify:artist:4gPGI1vW8TOypARV9Ykzae">Jimmie</a>'s younger brother <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Stevie</a> on bass. Doyle next formed <a href="spotify:artist:6JL3PT0EhE3wDIaqGcIjBb">the Nightcrawlers</a> with <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Stevie</a> (now on lead guitar), who later credited Bramhall as a primary vocal influence. During this time the two also co-wrote "Dirty Pool," which <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Vaughan</a> included on his debut, Texas Flood. Doyle wrote or co-wrote seven more songs on subsequent <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Stevie Ray</a> albums, and collaborated on three for Family Style by <a href="spotify:artist:2mwN5WQ1mAhOibFEbfFfsG">the Vaughan Brothers</a> (which also featured Bramhall on drums).

While drumming with <a href="spotify:artist:0kK3ZgTw6mvlYgekz4xf18">Marcia Ball</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7pAt3LUtuhJozvzrmSMxAL">Mason Ruffner</a> in the early '80s, Bramhall began stockpiling solo recordings, which eventually comprised his long-awaited debut on CD, featuring both <a href="spotify:artist:5fsDcuclIe8ZiBD5P787K1">Vaughan</a>s and Doyle's son, guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:7Chzu4eSaqDHFXFvjaycAV">Doyle Bramhall II</a>, formerly of <a href="spotify:artist:4kZgzUZbpe4CmnehxflUNE">the Arc Angels</a>. He also began a collaboration that proved interesting -- with pop singer <a href="spotify:artist:1BwHztAQKypBuy5WBEdJnG">Jennifer Warnes</a>. The striking Bird Nest on the Ground appeared in 1994 from <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Discovery%22">Discovery</a>, followed by Fitchburg Street in 2003 and Is It News in 2007, both from <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Yep+Roc%22">Yep Roc</a>. Bramhall died in his sleep on November 12, 2011 in Alpine, Texas. He was 62. ~ Dan Forte, Rovi