Blues drummer and composer Doyle Bramhall was born on February 17, 1949, in west Dallas. He said his older brother was an early influence on his musical tastes.



In high school Doyle Bramhall started a band, the Chessmen, with Jimmie Vaughan on guitar; they once opened for Jimi Hendrix when he played Dallas.



By the '70s Doyle Bramhall was keeping the beat in Texas Storm, which featured both Vaughan brothers. The period was one of great creative growth for all three players, as they found eager audiences in Austin for their fiery update of the blues. The sound they created would end up making Stevie Ray a star in the '80s.



One of Bramhall's finest compositions, Life by the Drop, documented the different directions their careers took. Its title also referenced the struggles both men had with addiction. Doyle came out of it alive, though, and in 1994 he finally released an album as a band leader.



'Bird Nest on the Ground' was worth the wait, an exquisite recording of rocking blues that featured Bramhall's son, Doyle Bramhall II.



On November 12, 2011, Bramhall died of heart failure while asleep at his home in Alpine, Texas. He was 62.