Editing Stevie Ray Vaughan (section)

=== First recordings ===
In September 1970, Vaughan made his first studio recordings with the band Cast of Thousands, which included future actor [[Stephen Tobolowsky]]. They recorded two songs, "Red, White and Blue" and "I Heard a Voice Last Night", for a compilation album, ''A New Hi'', that featured various teenage bands from Dallas.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|pp=36–38}}</ref> In late January 1971, feeling confined by playing pop hits with Liberation, Vaughan formed his own band, Blackbird. After growing tired of the Dallas music scene, he dropped out of school and moved with the band to [[Austin, Texas]], which had more liberal and tolerant audiences. There, Vaughan initially took residence at the Rolling Hills Club, a local blues venue that would later become the Soap Creek Saloon. Blackbird played at several clubs in Austin and opened shows for bands such as [[Sugarloaf (band)|Sugarloaf]], [[Wishbone Ash]], and [[Zephyr (band)|Zephyr]], but could not maintain a consistent lineup.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=61}}: Blackbird opening for Zephyr; {{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=63}}: Blackbird opening for Sugarloaf; {{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=65}}: Blackbird opening for Wishbone Ash; {{harvnb|Gill|2010}}: Blackbird's inconsistent lineup.</ref> In early December 1972, Vaughan left Blackbird and joined Krackerjack; he performed with them for less than three months.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|pp=67–70}}: "December 2 is the last entry for Blackbird in Charlie Hatchett's booking records until December 30–31. It would not be surprising if the band had broken up early in the month but had the 30th and New Year's Eve gigs planned well in advance. Stevie probably moved into Krackerjack at this time."</ref>

In March 1973, Vaughan joined [[Marc Benno]]'s band, the Nightcrawlers, having met Benno at a jam session years before.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=23}}: Vaughan meets Marc Benno at a jam session; {{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=73}}: Vaughan joins Marc Benno's band, the Nightcrawlers.</ref> The band featured vocalist [[Doyle Bramhall]], who met Vaughan when he was twelve years old.<ref>{{harvnb|Patoski|Crawford|1993|p=21}}</ref> The next month, the Nightcrawlers recorded an album at [[Sunset Sound Recorders]] in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] for [[A&M Records]]. While the album was rejected by A&M, it included Vaughan's first songwriting efforts, "Dirty Pool" and "Crawlin'".<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=74}}: Vaughan's first songwriting efforts; {{harvnb|Patoski|Crawford|1993|p=68}}: Nightcrawlers' rejection by A&M Records.</ref> Soon afterward, he and the Nightcrawlers traveled back to Austin without Benno.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=77}}</ref> In mid-1973, they signed a contract with [[Bill Ham]], manager for ZZ Top, and played various gigs across the Southern United States, although many of them were unsuccessful.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=80}}</ref> Ham left the band stranded in Mississippi without any way to make it back home and demanded reimbursement from Vaughan for equipment expenses; Ham was never reimbursed.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=84}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to authors Joe Nick Patoski and Bill Crawford, Bill Ham had invested $11,000 for a [[U-Haul]] truck and backline equipment.<ref name="Hopkins 2010 23" />}}

In 1975, Vaughan joined a six-piece band called Paul Ray and the Cobras which included guitarist Denny Freeman and saxophonist Joe Sublett.<ref>{{harvnb|Patoski|Crawford|1993|p=83}}</ref> For the next two-and-a-half years, he earned a living performing weekly at a popular venue in town, the Soap Creek Saloon, and ultimately the newly opened Antone's, widely known as Austin's "home of the blues".<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|pp=91–92}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Founded and opened by [[Clifford Antone]] on July 15, 1975, Antone's was managed by singer [[Angela Strehli]] and hired [[The Fabulous Thunderbirds]] as the unofficial house band.<ref>{{harvnb|Patoski|Crawford|1993|p=95}}</ref>}} In late 1976, Vaughan recorded a single with them, "Other Days" as the [[A-side]] and "Texas Clover" as the B-side. With Vaughan playing guitar on both tracks, the single was released on February 7, 1977.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=99}}</ref> In March, readers of the ''[[Austin Sun]]'' voted them as Band of the Year.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=103}}</ref> In addition to playing with the Cobras, Vaughan jammed with many of his influences at Antone's, including [[Buddy Guy]], [[Hubert Sumlin]], [[Jimmy Rogers]], [[Lightnin' Hopkins]], and [[Albert King]].<ref>{{harvnb|''Request''|1989}} (primary source); {{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=92}} (secondary source)</ref>

Vaughan toured with the Cobras during much of 1977, but near the end of September, when they decided to strive for a mainstream musical direction, he left the band and formed Triple Threat Revue, which included singer [[Lou Ann Barton]], bassist [[W. C. Clark]], and drummer Fredde "Pharaoh" Walden.<ref>{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=109}}</ref> In January 1978, they recorded four songs in Austin, including Vaughan's composition "I'm Cryin'". The thirty-minute audio recording marks the only known studio recording of the band.<ref name="Hopkins 2010 117">{{harvnb|Hopkins|2010|p=117}}</ref>