Doyle Bramhall's career spanned more than 40 years. He was the man behind two important blues-rock bands: he joined The Chessmen as a teenager and went on to support Jimi Hendrix. He also created the Nightcrawlers with brothers Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan.

When Stevie Ray Vaughan went solo, his drummer penned a string of songs for him, including fan favorites Dirty Pool, Lookin' Out the Window and The House is Rockin.

The SRV song that Bramhall is probably most admired for, is the uplifting Life By the Drop, which appeared on Vaughan's posthumous 1991 release, 'The Sky is Crying':

In Texas Doyle was a draw on his own, a band leader with a gritty and soulful blues voice that greatly influenced the way Vaughan sang.

Doyle released three solo albums, his last being 'Is It News' in 2007.

Doyle Bramhall is survived by his wife, Barbara Logan, daughter Georgia and his son, acclaimed musician Doyle Bramhall II, sidekick with Eric Clapton among others.