Doyle Bramhall (February 17, 1949 – November 12, 2011) was an American blues singer, guitarist and drummer with deep roots in the
Austin, Texas music scene.
Career
Bramhall joined The Chessmen with
Jimmie Vaughan
Jimmie Vaughan (born March 20, 1951) is an American blues rock guitarist and singer based in Austin, Texas. He is the older brother of the late Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Several notable blues guitarists have had a significant ...
while in high school. The group opened for
Jimi Hendrix
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 ...
when he played Dallas. In 1969, he moved to Austin and formed Texas Storm with Jimmie Vaughan. In the 1970s, Bramhall formed The Nightcrawlers with
Marc Benno
Marc Benno (born July 1, 1947 in Dallas, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Benno teamed with Leon Russell to form the Asylum Choir in the late 1960s. He launched a solo career in the early 1970s, with the 1972 album ''Am ...
, which also included Jimmie Vaughan's younger brother
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...
on guitar. While in The Nightcrawlers, Bramhall co-wrote the tune "Dirty Pool," which appeared on Stevie Ray Vaughan's debut album, ''
Texas Flood''. He would write or co-write several other songs for the younger Vaughan, such as "Life by the Drop" from SRV's ''
The Sky Is Crying'' album, and he played the drums on the Vaughan Brothers only 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 ...
''.
Bramhall released his debut solo record in 1994, which included appearances from the Vaughans and his own son. He also collaborated with
Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet "Up Where We Belong" and in 1987 fo ...
in the 1990s.
He is the father of singer and guitarist
Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II (born December 24, 1968) is an American guitarist, producer and songwriter best known for his work with Eric Clapton and Roger Waters. He is the son of the songwriter and drummer Doyle Bramhall.
Early life
Bramhall was born ...
.
Death
On November 12, 2011, Bramhall died of heart failure while asleep at his home in
Alpine, Texas
Alpine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,905 at the 2010 census. The town has an elevation of , and the surrounding mountain peaks are over above sea level. The university, hospi ...
. He was 62. It was reported that Bramhall had been suffering from
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
in the days immediately preceding his death.
Discography
*''Groovin' with Big D'' – Kathy & the Kilowatts (Lectro-Fine Records, 1991)
*''Bird Nest on the Ground'' (
Antone's, 1994)
*''Fitchburg Street'' (
Yep Roc
Yep Roc Records is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, and owned by Redeye Distribution. Since 1997, the label has released albums from North Carolina and international artists, including Nick Lowe, Paul W ...
, 2003) U.S.
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Top Blues Albums No. 6
[Doyle Bramhall](_blank)
Allmusic.com
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 databas ...
*''Is It News'' (Yep Roc, 2007) U.S. Top Blues Albums No. 7
See also
*
List of Texas blues musicians
Texas Blues is a subgenre of the blues, 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 Ch ...
*
List of electric blues musicians
References
External links
Life by the Drop – Doyle Bramhall returns to Fitchburg Street
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bramhall, Doyle
1949 births
2011 deaths
American blues drummers
American blues singer-songwriters
People from Dallas
Texas blues musicians
Singer-songwriters from Texas
People from Alpine, Texas
Yep Roc Records artists
American male singer-songwriters