Formed in Texas, USA, in 1977, the Thunderbirds originally comprised Jimmie Vaughan (b. 20 March 1951, Dallas, Texas, USA; guitar), Kim Wilson (b. 6 January 1951, Detroit, Michigan, USA; vocals/harmonica), Keith Ferguson (b. 23 July 1946, Houston, Texas, USA, d. 29 April 1997; bass) and Mike Buck (b. 17 June 1952; drums). They emerged from the post-punk vacuum with a solid, unpretentious brand of R&B. Their debut album, The Fabulous Thunderbirds aka Girls Go Wild, offered a series of powerful original songs as well as sympathetic cover versions, including a vibrant reading of Slim Harpo’s ‘Baby Scratch My Back’. This mixture has sustained the group throughout its career, although it took a move from Chrysalis Records to the Epic label to provide the success that their exciting music deserved. The Thunderbirds line-up has undergone some changes, with former Roomful Of Blues drummer Fran Christina (b. 1 February 1951, Westerly, Rhode Island, USA) replacing Mike Buck in 1980, and Preston Hubbard (b. 15 March 1953, Providence, Rhode Island, USA) joining after Ferguson departed.
Throughout these changes, Wilson and Vaughan, the brother of the late blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, remained at the helm until Vaughan jumped ship in 1995. Drummer Buck formed the LeRoi Brothers in 1980, while Ferguson went on to forge a new career with the Tail Gators. Although both of these groups offer similar bar band fare, the Thunderbirds remain, unquestionably, the masters. The Danny Kortchmar -produced Roll Of the Dice was the first album with Kim Wilson leading the band in the wake of Vaughan’s departure and showed the new lead guitarist, Kid Ramos (b. David Ramos, 13 January 1959, Fullerton, California, USA), having a difficult job to fill. The recent line-up in addition to Wilson and Ramos comprises Gene Taylor (piano), Jim Bott (drums) and Ronnie James Weber (bass).
