Tommy Shannon

Tommy Shannon
Tommy Shannon performing on stage in 2006.
Background information
Birth name	Thomas Lafitte Smedley
Born	(1946-04-18) April 18, 1946 (age 70) Tucson, Arizona, United States
Genres	Blues rock, Texas blues
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Bass, guitar
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Epic, Legacy, Sony, Geffen, Atlantic
Associated acts	Stevie Ray Vaughan, Double Trouble, Johnny Winter, Arc Angels, Storyville

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 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.

Shannon was born in Tucson, Arizona, and moved to the Texas Panhandle when he was nine. He grew up mainly in Dumas, Texas, north of Amarillo on Highway 287. Shannon joined his first band, The Avengers, 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, and later The Young Lads. Shannon recorded two 45s with this band, which featured Tim Easly on vocals and Uncle John Turner on drums.

Shannon had the first of two important meetings at The Fog in Dallas in the late 1960s. There he first saw Johnny Winter. Shannon ended up backing Winter, and they formed a project known as The Progressive Blues Experiment in 1968. They cut one album for Sonobeat Records titled The Progressive Blues Experiment before being signed to Columbia Records by Clive Davis for $600,000 in 1969. Shannon appeared on both of these Columbia LP's, each released 1969; Johnny Winter (self-titled), and Second Winter. At , Johnny's brother Edgar joined them onstage. Johnny Winter ended up moving to a band featuring Rick Derringer in early 1970 that already had a rhythm section, and there was 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.