Tommy Shannon
Content
Tommy Shannon
Tommy Shannon (born Thomas Lafitte Smedley;
April 18, 1946) is an American bass guitarist, who is
best known as a member of Double Trouble, a blues rock
band led by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Shannon moved to Dumas, Texas when he was nine,
where he originally started as a guitarist, though he started
playing bass at the age of 21. He appeared with Johnny
Winter at Woodstock in 1969. He later joined Double
Trouble in 1981 and became a permanent member of
Double Trouble until Vaughan’s death in 1990. Shannon and bandmate Chris Layton later formed supergroups
such as the Arc Angels and Storyville.
1
no room for Shannon or Turner. They landed in a San
Francisco band called Krakerjack that comprised Uncle John Turner, drums; Mike Kindred, piano; Shannon,
bass; Bruce Bowland, vocals; and John Stahely, guitar,
Jesse “guitar” Taylor played lead guitar with the band
as well for a time during 1970 (there is a band photo
as proof). According to Tommy’s website, Stevie Ray
Vaughan, known as “Skeeter,” was part of this band in its
later Austin incarnation, along with Robin Syler on guitar. Krakerjack apparently remained a group from 1970
to 1971.
During the 1970s, Shannon became involved with drugs,
and began a cycle of jail, probation and rehab that would
last for some time.[1] He played with the Austin band The
Fools briefly. Due to recurring drug arrests and failure of
rehab in San Antonio and other locations, Shannon was
finally sent to a “farm” in Buda and, as a result of his
probation on release, he was not allowed join any bands
because of the pervasiveness of drugs in the music scene.
Shannon became a bricklayer for a few years until he was
eventually able to return to music in 1977. He played in a
few unknown bands, then received a call from Rocky Hill,
brother of ZZ Top's Dusty Hill. He moved to Houston to
play with Hill and Uncle John, and in the late 1970s went
on to play with Alan Haynes in the “Texas Boogie Band”
(Shannon later played on Haynes’ well received 1994 release, “Wishing Well”). Shannon also toured, opening for
Bachman–Turner Overdrive and for KISS at the Warehouse in New Orleans.
Biography
Shannon was born in Tucson, Arizona, and moved to
the Texas Panhandle when he was nine.[1] He grew up
mainly in Dumas, Texas, north of Amarillo on Highway
287. Shannon joined his first band, The Avengers,[1]
around age 13. The band members were Shannon (guitar), Tim Easley (vocals), Jim Love (guitar) and David
Davis (drums). It would be a while before they realized
the importance of the bass guitar, but eventually Shannon
did. Their first gig paid them $80. That excited them so
much, they gave half their paycheck back.
In high school Shannon was in the band Ekos. Soon after
high school he moved to Dallas and joined a soul cover
band in 1966, initially called The New Breed,[1] and later
The Young Lads. Shannon recorded two 45s with this
band, which featured Tim Easly on vocals and Uncle John 1.2 With Stevie Ray Vaughan
Turner[1] on drums.
Shannon moved between Dallas and Austin, and saw
Stevie Ray Vaughan at The Fog with Vaughan’s group
Blackbird. Vaughan later formed a group called Dou1.1 Early career
ble Trouble, and in 1980 Shannon wound up taking the
Shannon had the first of two important meetings at The place of the bass player, Jackie Newhouse, after seeing
Fog in Dallas in the late 1960s. There he first saw Johnny Double Trouble at Rockefellers in Houston. The group
Winter. Shannon ended up backing Winter, and they could have been short-lived—Vaughan was tapped to do
formed a project known as The Progressive Blues Ex- some guitar tracks for David Bowie (the haunting guiperiment in 1968. They cut one album for Sonobeat tar on "Let’s Dance", for instance), and was then offered
Records titled The Progressive Blues Experiment before the chance to tour with Bowie. Ultimately, Vaughan’s
being signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis for manager turned down the offer. Vaughan, Shannon and
$600,000 in 1969. Shannon appeared on both of these drummer Chris Layton would stay together as Stevie Ray
Columbia LP’s, each released 1969; Johnny Winter (self- Vaughan & Double Trouble—and become one of the
titled), and Second Winter. At Woodstock, Johnny’s most famous blues bands of all time.
brother Edgar joined them onstage. Johnny Winter ended After joining Double Trouble, Shannon met his future
up moving to a band featuring Rick Derringer in early wife Kumi and they eventually married in 1986. He had
1970 that already had a rhythm section,[2] and there was returned to ever-increasing drug use, this time with the
1
2
3
EXTERNAL LINKS
StingRays, other Fender Precision and Jazz basses
(mostly American, American Deluxe and Custom Shop
models) and custom Fodera basses.
2 References
[1] Moser, Margaret (13 April 2007). “Tommy Shannon: 'I
Live in Trios’". Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
[2] Being former members of The McCoys, as was Derringer.
Randy Hobbs (d. 1993) became Winters’ bass player.
[3] "Interview:Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan &
Double Trouble,Johnny Winter)". Hit Channel. Retrieved
7 January 2015.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (Shannon at right) in
1983.
3 External links
• Tommy Shannon website
band leader. Eventually both realized that they wouldn't
last if that lifestyle continued, so they checked into rehabilitation in separate cities and both became clean and
sober.[1] Things seemed like they couldn't be better, with
the band being healthier, making popular music, and
gaining fame and fortune—until the helicopter carrying
Vaughan crashed into a hillside after a show at Alpine
Valley Music Theater, near East Troy, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1990, and all aboard died.
1.3
Later career
After a period of mourning, Shannon’s musical career
eventually continued. He played with Doyle Bramhall,
Denny Freeman and Chris Layton in The Mighty Zor.
Shannon was asked by The Rolling Stones to audition to
replace Bill Wyman, but did not get the role.[3] Other
notable projects included the Arc Angels with Doyle
Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton, and Storyville with
Malford Milligan. He toured with Susan Tedeschi and,
along with Chris Layton, toured and recorded with Kenny
Wayne Shepherd. He and Layton played on Jimmy D.
Lane's “It’s Time”. He has played with other notable
musicians, including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones,
Little Richard, Hubert Sumlin, Mike McCready, Jonny
Lang, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Johnson, David
Grissom, Mato Nanji, Jeff Beck, Lou Gramm and John
Mayer.
In 2001, Double Trouble reformed, releasing their only
album without Vaughan. Titled “Been a Long Time”, it
featured many guest performers (including Tedeschi) filling Vaughan’s frontman role.
His primary bass was a battered Arctic White 1962
Fender Jazz Bass with a red tortoise shell pickguard.
He has been seen playing Yamaha BB’s, Music Man
3
4
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
4.1
Text
• Tommy Shannon Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Shannon?oldid=668237940 Contributors: Nv8200pa, Suzanne Astorino,
Bender235, Viriditas, Pearle, Koavf, Cassowary, FlaBot, Ysangkok, Celestianpower, Mordicai, Wasted Time R, Dvdmoviefan1, AjaxSmack, SmackBot, ProveIt, Chris the speller, Whpq, Jwy, Derek R Bullamore, Robofish, Jetman, CuriousEric, Outriggr, Bluez4u2, Cydebot, Otto4711, Dogaroon, Escarbot, Chubbles, RadioKAOS, VoABot II, Waacstats, FMAFan1990, Crawlin Kingsnake, Whbjr, Aboutmovies, Pdcook, Walrus655321, TheMindsEye, Wordsmith, Sbrouse, Moodyfloydwhofan, Addbot, KrisMaccxoph, Dreadarthur, Luckasbot, Yobot, Stolic532, Materialscientist, Cjones132002, RjwilmsiBot, Wexeb, Dewritech, Memorymole, ClueBot NG, Txmusic, Blueslova,
Khazar2, VIAFbot, Dr Progenstein Ph.P, Paniliakos85, Edwhys93, KasparBot and Anonymous: 31
4.2
Images
• File:Ambox_important.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work, based off of Image:Ambox scales.svg Original artist: Dsmurat (talk · contribs)
• File:Stevie_Ray_Vaughan_And_Double_Trouble_Don_Hunstein.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/
66/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan_And_Double_Trouble_Don_Hunstein.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: MTV Original artist: Don Hunstein
4.3
Content license
• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Tommy Shannon (born Thomas Lafitte Smedley;
April 18, 1946) is an American bass guitarist, who is
best known as a member of Double Trouble, a blues rock
band led by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Shannon moved to Dumas, Texas when he was nine,
where he originally started as a guitarist, though he started
playing bass at the age of 21. He appeared with Johnny
Winter at Woodstock in 1969. He later joined Double
Trouble in 1981 and became a permanent member of
Double Trouble until Vaughan’s death in 1990. Shannon and bandmate Chris Layton later formed supergroups
such as the Arc Angels and Storyville.
1
no room for Shannon or Turner. They landed in a San
Francisco band called Krakerjack that comprised Uncle John Turner, drums; Mike Kindred, piano; Shannon,
bass; Bruce Bowland, vocals; and John Stahely, guitar,
Jesse “guitar” Taylor played lead guitar with the band
as well for a time during 1970 (there is a band photo
as proof). According to Tommy’s website, Stevie Ray
Vaughan, known as “Skeeter,” was part of this band in its
later Austin incarnation, along with Robin Syler on guitar. Krakerjack apparently remained a group from 1970
to 1971.
During the 1970s, Shannon became involved with drugs,
and began a cycle of jail, probation and rehab that would
last for some time.[1] He played with the Austin band The
Fools briefly. Due to recurring drug arrests and failure of
rehab in San Antonio and other locations, Shannon was
finally sent to a “farm” in Buda and, as a result of his
probation on release, he was not allowed join any bands
because of the pervasiveness of drugs in the music scene.
Shannon became a bricklayer for a few years until he was
eventually able to return to music in 1977. He played in a
few unknown bands, then received a call from Rocky Hill,
brother of ZZ Top's Dusty Hill. He moved to Houston to
play with Hill and Uncle John, and in the late 1970s went
on to play with Alan Haynes in the “Texas Boogie Band”
(Shannon later played on Haynes’ well received 1994 release, “Wishing Well”). Shannon also toured, opening for
Bachman–Turner Overdrive and for KISS at the Warehouse in New Orleans.
Biography
Shannon was born in Tucson, Arizona, and moved to
the Texas Panhandle when he was nine.[1] He grew up
mainly in Dumas, Texas, north of Amarillo on Highway
287. Shannon joined his first band, The Avengers,[1]
around age 13. The band members were Shannon (guitar), Tim Easley (vocals), Jim Love (guitar) and David
Davis (drums). It would be a while before they realized
the importance of the bass guitar, but eventually Shannon
did. Their first gig paid them $80. That excited them so
much, they gave half their paycheck back.
In high school Shannon was in the band Ekos. Soon after
high school he moved to Dallas and joined a soul cover
band in 1966, initially called The New Breed,[1] and later
The Young Lads. Shannon recorded two 45s with this
band, which featured Tim Easly on vocals and Uncle John 1.2 With Stevie Ray Vaughan
Turner[1] on drums.
Shannon moved between Dallas and Austin, and saw
Stevie Ray Vaughan at The Fog with Vaughan’s group
Blackbird. Vaughan later formed a group called Dou1.1 Early career
ble Trouble, and in 1980 Shannon wound up taking the
Shannon had the first of two important meetings at The place of the bass player, Jackie Newhouse, after seeing
Fog in Dallas in the late 1960s. There he first saw Johnny Double Trouble at Rockefellers in Houston. The group
Winter. Shannon ended up backing Winter, and they could have been short-lived—Vaughan was tapped to do
formed a project known as The Progressive Blues Ex- some guitar tracks for David Bowie (the haunting guiperiment in 1968. They cut one album for Sonobeat tar on "Let’s Dance", for instance), and was then offered
Records titled The Progressive Blues Experiment before the chance to tour with Bowie. Ultimately, Vaughan’s
being signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis for manager turned down the offer. Vaughan, Shannon and
$600,000 in 1969. Shannon appeared on both of these drummer Chris Layton would stay together as Stevie Ray
Columbia LP’s, each released 1969; Johnny Winter (self- Vaughan & Double Trouble—and become one of the
titled), and Second Winter. At Woodstock, Johnny’s most famous blues bands of all time.
brother Edgar joined them onstage. Johnny Winter ended After joining Double Trouble, Shannon met his future
up moving to a band featuring Rick Derringer in early wife Kumi and they eventually married in 1986. He had
1970 that already had a rhythm section,[2] and there was returned to ever-increasing drug use, this time with the
1
2
3
EXTERNAL LINKS
StingRays, other Fender Precision and Jazz basses
(mostly American, American Deluxe and Custom Shop
models) and custom Fodera basses.
2 References
[1] Moser, Margaret (13 April 2007). “Tommy Shannon: 'I
Live in Trios’". Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2010.
[2] Being former members of The McCoys, as was Derringer.
Randy Hobbs (d. 1993) became Winters’ bass player.
[3] "Interview:Tommy Shannon (Stevie Ray Vaughan &
Double Trouble,Johnny Winter)". Hit Channel. Retrieved
7 January 2015.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (Shannon at right) in
1983.
3 External links
• Tommy Shannon website
band leader. Eventually both realized that they wouldn't
last if that lifestyle continued, so they checked into rehabilitation in separate cities and both became clean and
sober.[1] Things seemed like they couldn't be better, with
the band being healthier, making popular music, and
gaining fame and fortune—until the helicopter carrying
Vaughan crashed into a hillside after a show at Alpine
Valley Music Theater, near East Troy, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1990, and all aboard died.
1.3
Later career
After a period of mourning, Shannon’s musical career
eventually continued. He played with Doyle Bramhall,
Denny Freeman and Chris Layton in The Mighty Zor.
Shannon was asked by The Rolling Stones to audition to
replace Bill Wyman, but did not get the role.[3] Other
notable projects included the Arc Angels with Doyle
Bramhall II and Charlie Sexton, and Storyville with
Malford Milligan. He toured with Susan Tedeschi and,
along with Chris Layton, toured and recorded with Kenny
Wayne Shepherd. He and Layton played on Jimmy D.
Lane's “It’s Time”. He has played with other notable
musicians, including Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones,
Little Richard, Hubert Sumlin, Mike McCready, Jonny
Lang, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Johnson, David
Grissom, Mato Nanji, Jeff Beck, Lou Gramm and John
Mayer.
In 2001, Double Trouble reformed, releasing their only
album without Vaughan. Titled “Been a Long Time”, it
featured many guest performers (including Tedeschi) filling Vaughan’s frontman role.
His primary bass was a battered Arctic White 1962
Fender Jazz Bass with a red tortoise shell pickguard.
He has been seen playing Yamaha BB’s, Music Man
3
4
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
4.1
Text
• Tommy Shannon Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Shannon?oldid=668237940 Contributors: Nv8200pa, Suzanne Astorino,
Bender235, Viriditas, Pearle, Koavf, Cassowary, FlaBot, Ysangkok, Celestianpower, Mordicai, Wasted Time R, Dvdmoviefan1, AjaxSmack, SmackBot, ProveIt, Chris the speller, Whpq, Jwy, Derek R Bullamore, Robofish, Jetman, CuriousEric, Outriggr, Bluez4u2, Cydebot, Otto4711, Dogaroon, Escarbot, Chubbles, RadioKAOS, VoABot II, Waacstats, FMAFan1990, Crawlin Kingsnake, Whbjr, Aboutmovies, Pdcook, Walrus655321, TheMindsEye, Wordsmith, Sbrouse, Moodyfloydwhofan, Addbot, KrisMaccxoph, Dreadarthur, Luckasbot, Yobot, Stolic532, Materialscientist, Cjones132002, RjwilmsiBot, Wexeb, Dewritech, Memorymole, ClueBot NG, Txmusic, Blueslova,
Khazar2, VIAFbot, Dr Progenstein Ph.P, Paniliakos85, Edwhys93, KasparBot and Anonymous: 31
4.2
Images
• File:Ambox_important.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work, based off of Image:Ambox scales.svg Original artist: Dsmurat (talk · contribs)
• File:Stevie_Ray_Vaughan_And_Double_Trouble_Don_Hunstein.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/
66/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan_And_Double_Trouble_Don_Hunstein.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: MTV Original artist: Don Hunstein
4.3
Content license
• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
