More Memories

  • This was taken in Houston, in approximately 1978.  That's me, and the guitar player is  Alan Haynes. We played together about two years.  Alan is a great guitar player and singer and a very good friend.  I played on his record Wishing Well.  It is a great record that I’m very proud of.  Check it out if you get a chance.
  • Jimmie Vaughan and I at the Austin City Limits Tribute to Stevie.  I was the only one that played every single song at that show.  It was a great night; everyone was there - B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Ivan Neville, Dr. John, Chris, Reese, and I'm sure I've forgotten some.  It wasn't very long after Stevie's death and was very emotional for many of us.
  • This was taken in 1994 - I was signing autographs at the unveiling of Stevie's statue in downtown Austin.
  • This is the great Keith Ferguson and me.  He is gone now, and I, and a lot of other people, still miss him a lot.
  • Another picture of me and Keith Ferguson. He was absolutely the coolest person on earth.  A rare bird.  I met Keith in 1968. We were friends from then on. As Billy Gibbons said "He was the one who changed the way blues musicians dressed all over the nation."
  • This band was called The Mighty Zor.  It was Doyle Bramhall II, Denny Freeman, Chris, and myself.  We only played a few times.  If I had more pictures from that band I'd have put up a separate section in my album dedicated to them.  It was an incredible band.  Denny is a monster guitar player.  Stevie loved Denny and the way he played.  Doyle is one of the very best guitar players in the world.  I wish you could have heard us.
  • This photo was taken by my friend Paul Thomas for Fender, I believe.
  • Another photo by Paul Thomas from the same shoot.
  • This picture of Chris and I was taken backstage at the Indy Blues Festival.  We were on tour with Susan Tedeschi for a while and had a great time.  Photo credit:  Paul Thomas
  • Me as a baby, sitting in my dad's chair.
  • What the hell?
  • This is my dear friend Bruce Bowland and me picking each other's nose.  If you really love someone, show them.  Ram your finger up their nose.  They will love you for it. Keep on pickin'.
  • Me and my friend Clifford Antone.  His passing was a huge shock for the entire Austin music community and we miss him very much.
  • Dr. John.  Mac is the coolest guy I know.  One of the things I love about him, is he is always the same, on stage, or off.  Life is music to him.  I love to hear him talk.  He has his own language.  He could keep you laughing for hours at a time.  What a great guy.
  • Me and the great Hubert Sumlin. I called Hubert my Dad.  I love playing with him.  If you listen to the old Howlin’ Wolf  records, you will realize what an impact Hubert had on what so many guitar players are doing today. Stevie brought him to Austin at a period when he was all but forgotten. We all loved Hubert.
  • Me and the great James Cotton at Antone's on September 25, 2004 Photo credit:  Mark Murray
  • This and the next photo were taken during rehearsal with John Mayer in the old Austin City Limits studio on September 3, 2003.  I really enjoyed playing with John. I felt something very special coming from him the night we played together.   That’s rare these days.
  • John Mayer during Austin City Limits rehearsal.
  • I remember when I first met 15 year old Jonny Lang.  I was with Storyville, and Beverly introduced us backstage at a festival in Louisville, KY. He seemed like a really nice kid. I was talking to some people by the stage when he started playing, then I heard that voice - I was literally stunned!  I looked to see if someone older was singing, but no, it was Jonny!  Every since that day, I have loved him.  Not just as a musician, but as a person. He is intelligent, talented, and one of the nicest people I have ever met.  I am happy for his success, and grateful for his friendship. Photo credit:  Beverly Howell
  • This picture was taken backstage at La Zona Rosa in Austin before Jonny's show, I think it was around 1998 or 1999.  He was showing us some magic tricks. After his show, he came down to Antone's and sat in with The Mighty Zor (me, Chris, Denny Freeman and Doyle Bramhall II.)  That was a really fun night.
  • I played and recorded with Kenny off and on for a long time.  I love the way he plays.  He’s my little brother.  He still respects those who came before him.  His roots are deep in blues.   I have seen him grow so much over the years.  What I love most about Kenny’s playing is the fire, intensity and power.  It makes me rise to a higher level in my own playing.  Kenny digs deep within himself when playing; that’s what makes him special.  We played Alpine Valley together on one of the tours.  After the show I broke down in tears.  He shared his own tears with mine.  That’s something I will never forget.  Love ya, Bro.
  • The photo on this, and the next two pages, were taken during the 2004 Experience Hendrix Tour.  It is so much fun playing Hendrix songs all night! Photo credit:  Ken Kulpa, Creem Media
  • Another from Experience Hendrix 2004:  This is Jerry Cantrell, the guitar player for Alice in Chains, and me working up Spanish Castle Magic.  We played Manic Depression earlier and one other song I can't remember.  We decided we were going to go right into Spanish Castle Magic the next night (before anyone could stop us, because we were supposed to only play two songs).  Jerry is a great guitar player and has a great feel for Hendrix.  He's a cool guy as well. Photo credit:  Ken Kulpa, Creem Media
  • Another from Experience Hendrix 2004:   This is the great Buddy Guy, with Chris and me.  We were playing Red House.  Playing with Buddy is great; he doesn't play by the rules, he just plays.  It's always an honor to play with him. Photo credit:  Ken Kulpa, Creem Media
  • This picture was taken during the Experience Hendrix Tour in 2007.  I'm backstage with Hubert Sumlin and Patrick Droney in Atlantic City, NJ.
  • This is a picture of VIP Jody Williams of BMI Records presenting awards to us to commemorate the song "Crossfire" being played on the radio one million times!    September 13, 2007   L to R:  Chris Layton, me, Ruth Ellsworth Carter, Bill Carter, Jody Williams Photo Credit:  Jill McGuckin, BMI
  • Another photo from the awards presentation.  Jody from BMI said that "Crossfire" would have to be played continuously for eight years to achieve a million performances!  Hard to imagine, isn't it? September 13, 2007  L to R: Mark Mason, me, Chris Layton, Bill Carter, Ruth Ellsworth Carter, Jody Williams Photo Credit:  Jill McGuckin, BMI