Lou Ann Barton (born February 17, 1954) is an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

singer based in

Austin 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 ...

, Texas since the 1970s.

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 databas ...

noted that "The grace, poise, and confidence she projects on-stage is part of a long tradition for women blues singers".

Biography

In 1975, she joined up with

W. C. Clark W. C. Clark (born Wesley Curley Clark, November 16, 1939) is an American blues musician. He is known as the "Godfather of Austin Blues" First aired in 1990. for his influence on the Austin, Texas blues scene since the late 1960s. Biography ...

to form his W. C. Clark Blues Revue. In late September 1977 Barton joined a new Austin blues group Triple Threat Revue, with

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, ...

and

. It was renamed Double Trouble when Clark left in May 1978, and Barton continued with Double Trouble until November 1979. In the early 1980s, she did a stint with the

jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s as ...

band

Roomful of Blues Roomful of Blues is an American blues and swing revival big band based in Rhode Island. With a recording career that spans over 50 years, they have toured worldwide and recorded many albums. Roomful of Blues, according to the ''Chicago Sun-Tim ...

. It was there that she was spotted by the record producer

Jerry Wexler Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

. She recorded the album ''Old Enough'' for

Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...

in 1982, a well-received recording that was co-produced by Jerry Wexler and

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don ...

. Despite positive reviews, ''Old Enough'' did not sell well, and her tenure with Asylum Records was a short one. Barton's ''Forbidden Tones'', a pop-oriented EP slated as her Asylum follow-up, was released by Spindletop Records in 1986. It also failed to find a wide audience. Her next release was the 1989 album '' Read My Lips'' for the Austin-based Antone's Records, a return to her blues roots that featured versions of songs made famous by

Slim Harpo Slim Harpo (born James Isaac Moore; January 11, 1924 – January 31, 1970) was an American blues musician, a leading exponent of the swamp blues style, and "one of the most commercially successful blues artists of his day". He played guitar and w ...

Hank Ballard Hank Ballard (born John Henry Kendricks; November 18, 1927 – March 2, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter, the lead vocalist of The Midnighters and one of the first rock and roll artists to emerge in the early 1950s. He played an inte ...

and

Wanda Jackson Wanda LaVonne Jackson (born October 20, 1937) is an American singer and songwriter. Since the 1950s, she has recorded and released music in the genres of rock, country and gospel. She was among the first women to have a career in rock and roll, ...

, among others. Barton later collaborated with singers

Marcia Ball Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949, Orange, Texas, United States) is an American blues singer and pianist raised in Vinton, Louisiana. Ball was described in ''USA Today'' as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock a ...

and

Angela Strehli Angela Strehli (born November 22, 1945) is an American electric blues singer and songwriter. She is also a Texas blues historian and impresario. Despite a sporadic recording career, Strehli spends time each year performing in Europe, the US an ...

on the release ''Dreams Come True'' (1990). In 1990, Barton made an appearance on ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show t ...

'' with the W. C. Clark Blues Revue. The show was taped in celebration of Clark's 50th birthday. Other artists included Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, and

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 ...

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 Records ...

. In 2001, she again appeared on ''Austin City Limits'', as a guest of Double Trouble. In 2006, she was a featured act at the

Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-based ...

. As of 2010, she was touring 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 ...

and the Tilt-a-Whirl Band. Through 2018 Barton continued to perform in Austin, and elsewhere, sometimes " cked by Derek O'Brien,

Denny Freeman Dennis Edward Freeman (August 7, 1944 – April 25, 2021) was an American Texas and electric blues guitarist. Although he is primarily known as a guitar player, Freeman also played piano and electronic organ, both in concert and on various recor ...

, Scott Nelson, & Jay Moeller", sometimes with

Sue Foley Sue Foley (born March 29, 1968) is a Canadian blues guitarist and singer. She has released 15 albums since her debut with ''Young Girl Blues'' (1992). In May 2020, Foley won her first Blues Music Award, in the 'Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues ...

Discography

*1979 ''Austin Festival'' with

*1982 ''Old Enough'' (

) *1986 ''Forbidden Tones'' (Spindletop Records) *1989 '' Read My Lips'' ( Antone's Records) *1990 ''Dreams Come True'' with

and

(Antone's) *1998 ''Sugar Coated Love'' with Rockola and Stevie Ray Vaughan (M.I.L. Multimedia) *1999 ''Thunderbroad'' with Rockola and Stevie Ray Vaughan (Blues Factory) *2002 ''Someday'' (Catfish) *2007 ''On The Jimmy Reed Highway'' with Omar Kent Dykes and

(

Ruf Records Ruf Records is a German independent record label, which was founded in 1994 by Luther Allison’s manager, Thomas Ruf, to promote Allison's career. The motto of the blues label is "Where Blues Crosses Over". The company's office is located in Lin ...

) *2010 ''Jimmie Vaughan Plays Blues, Ballads, & Favorites'' with Jimmie Vaughan (Proper Records; Shout! Factory) *2011 ''Jimmie Vaughan Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites'' with Jimmie Vaughan (Proper; Shout! Factory) *2014 ''The Best!'' (Rockbeat Records)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barton, Lou Ann 1954 births Living people American blues singers American women singers Songwriters from Texas Record producers from Texas People from Fort Worth, Texas Texas blues musicians American women record producers 21st-century American women