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Tommy Shannon | |
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 Tommy Shannon performing on stage in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas Lafitte Smedley |
| Born | (1946-04-18)April 18, 1946 (age 78) Tucson,Arizona,United States |
| Genres | Blues rock,Texas blues |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Bass,guitar |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Labels | Epic,Legacy,Sony,Geffen,Atlantic |
Tommy Shannon (bornThomas Lafitte Smedley; April 18, 1946) is an Americanbass guitarist, who is best known as a member ofDouble Trouble, ablues rock band led byStevie Ray Vaughan. Born inTucson, Arizona, Shannon moved toDumas, Texas when he was nine, where he originally started as a guitarist, though he started playing bass at the age of 21. He appeared withJohnny Winter atWoodstock 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 bandmateChris Layton later formed supergroups such as theArc Angels.
Shannon was born inTucson, Arizona, and moved to the Texas Panhandle when he was nine.[1] He grew up mainly inDumas, Texas, north ofAmarillo 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).
In high school, Shannon was in the band Ekos. Soon after high school, he moved toDallas and joined a soul cover band in 1966. The cover band was initially called The New Breed,[1] and later changed its name to The Young Lads. Shannon recorded two 45s with this band, which featured Tim Easly on vocals andUncle John Turner[1] on drums.
Shannon had the first of two important meetings at The Fog in Dallas in the late 1960s. There he first sawJohnny Winter. Shannon ended up backing Winter, and with "Uncle" John Turner the three musicians formed a project known asThe Progressive Blues Experiment in 1968. They cut one album forSonobeat Records titledThe Progressive Blues Experiment before being signed toColumbia Records byClive Davis for $600,000 in 1969. Shannon appeared on both of these Columbia LPs, each released 1969;Johnny Winter (self-titled), andSecond Winter.AtWoodstock, Johnny's brotherEdgar joined them onstage. Johnny Winter ended up moving to a band featuringRick Derringer in early 1970 that already had a rhythm section,[2] and there was no room for Shannon or Turner. They landed in aSan Francisco band called Krackerjack that comprised Uncle John Turner, drums; Mike Kindred, piano; Shannon, bass; Bruce Bowland, vocals; and John Staehely, 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. Among other personnel changes, Shannon eventually left the group and was replaced by Dwight Davis. Krackerjack remained a group from 1970 to 1973.
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 inSan Antonio and other locations, Shannon was finally sent to a "farm" inBuda and, as a result of his probation on release, he was not allowed to 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 fromRocky Hill, brother ofZZ Top'sDusty Hill. He moved toHouston to play with Hill and Uncle John, and in the late 1970s went on to play withAlan Haynes in the "Texas Boogie Band" (Shannon later played on Haynes' well received 1994 release, "Wishing Well"). Shannon also toured, opening forBachman–Turner Overdrive and forKISS at the Warehouse inNew Orleans.
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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 Double Trouble, and in 1980 Shannon wound up taking the place of the bass player, Jackie Newhouse, after seeing Double Trouble at Rockefellers in Houston. Vaughan was tapped to do some guitar tracks for David Bowie (including guitar on "Let's Dance"), and was then offered the chance to tour with Bowie, putting the new group's future in doubt. Ultimately, though, Vaughan's manager turned down the offer. Vaughan, Shannon and drummerChris Layton would stay together as Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble.
After joining Double Trouble, Shannon met his future wife Kumi and they eventually married in 1986. His drug-use returned, and in increasing volumes, often with the band leader, Vaughan. Eventually both realized a need to change that lifestyle, and both checked into rehabilitation in separate cities, becoming clean and sober.[1] The newly healthy band was on the upswing, making popular music and gaining wider fame, until the helicopter carrying Vaughan crashed into a hillside after a show atAlpine Valley Music Theater, nearEast Troy, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1990, killing all aboard.
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 byThe Rolling Stones to audition to replaceBill Wyman, but did not get the role.[3] Other notable projects included theArc Angels withDoyle Bramhall II andCharlie Sexton, andStoryville withMalford Milligan. He toured withSusan Tedeschi and, along withChris Layton, toured and recorded withKenny Wayne Shepherd. He and Layton played onJimmy D. Lane'sIt's Time. He has played with other notable musicians, includingEric 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 andJohn Mayer.
In 1999, Shannon, in company with Chris Layton, provided the rhythm section for the Debbie Davies releaseTales From the Austin Motel onShanachie Records.
In 2001,Double Trouble reformed, releasing their only album to date without Vaughan. TitledBeen a Long Time, it featured many guest performers (including Tedeschi) filling Vaughan's frontman role.
His primary bass was a battered Arctic White 1962Fender Jazz Bass with a red tortoise shell pickguard. Both Jimi Hendrix and BB King jammed on this bass with Johnny Winter on guitar, as documented in photos. He has been seen playingYamaha BBs,Music Man StingRays, otherFender Precision and Jazz basses (mostly American,American Deluxe andCustom Shop models) and customFodera basses.
Shannon was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Double Trouble in 2015.[4]
Media related toTommy Shannon at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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