HEY LOCO FANS – Austin, TX based blues singer Lou Ann Barton was born February 17, 1954. Her voice was a powerful, soulful voice made her a key figure in the city’s late-1970s blues explosion.
In September 1977, Barton joined the Austin blues collective Triple Threat Revue alongside Stevie Ray Vaughan and W. C. Clark. Renamed Double Trouble in 1978, the group became a cornerstone of the Austin blues scene. Barton remained with Double Trouble until late 1979, helping shape its early identity before Vaughan moved forward with the trio format that later found international success.
In the early 1980s, Barton toured with the jump-blues powerhouse Roomful of Blues, where she was spotted by legendary producer Jerry Wexler. That connection led to her solo debut Old Enough (1982) on Asylum Records, produced by Wexler and praised for its blend of blues, soul, and roots rock. A planned follow-up stalled, but the pop-leaning EP Forbidden Tones appeared in 1986 on Spindletop Records.
Barton returned decisively to blues with Read My Lips (1989) on Antone’s Records, covering material associated with Slim Harpo, Hank Ballard, and Wanda Jackson. She later teamed up with fellow Austin singers Marcia Ball and Angela Strehli for Dreams Come True (1990), celebrating the city’s tight-knit blues sisterhood.
Barton has appeared multiple times on Austin City Limits, including a 1990 performance with the W. C. Clark Blues Revue and a 2001 guest spot with Double Trouble. She has remained an active live performer, appearing at the Austin City Limits Music Festival and touring with Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirl Band. In recent years, she has continued to perform selectively in Austin and beyond, often sharing bills with Sue Foley.
Lou Ann Barton’s legacy rests not on hype, but on presence, a voice steeped in soul, grit, and lived-in blues, forever woven into Austin’s musical DNA.
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Fabulous Thunderbirds with Lou Ann Barton
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