Meet the Blues Singer Behind Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Texas Flood”

There’s something particularly intoxicating about “Texas Flood,” especially the way Stevie Ray Vaughan plays it. In addition to the electrifying guitar riffs, the song also boasts ominous lyrics that compare a broken relationship to a devastating storm that’s wreaked havoc across the state of Texas. But before Vaughan made it one of his signature hits, it was originally recorded by blues singer Larry Davis. So who wrote this timeless track? Find out below.

Meet the Writer Behind “Texas Flood”

Davis and his bandmate Joseph Scott are the songwriters of “Texas Flood.” Though Davis famously sings about Texas, he wasn’t actually from there. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in 1936, Davis grew up in nearby England and Little Rock. Though he originally learned to play drums, he ultimately became a virtuoso on bass guitar. He later lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where he played guitar in blues artist Albert King’s band. In the 1950s, he signed a deal with Duke Records, with “Texas Flood” released as his debut single in 1958 on vinyl, followed by another single, “Angels in Houston.”

Davis faced his share of struggles, as a motorcycle accident in 1972 left him partially paralyzed. But a decade later in 1982, he released the album Funny Stuff on the indie record label, Rooster Blues. That same year, he was the recipient of four Blues Music Awards. Throughout his career, Davis released two other albums in addition to Funny Stuff, Ain’t Beggin’ Nobody in 1987 and Sooner or Later in 1992. Davis passed away in April 1994 at the age of 57 after a bout with cancer. His final two albums, B. B. King Presents Larry and Sweet Little Angel, were both released posthumously in 2002.

Meanwhile, Scott is a native of Texas who was born in Texarkana in 1924 and later moved to Houston where he became a musician. Scott had a multifaceted skill set, serving as a trumpeter and band leader. He was also the arranger for blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland and co-wrote some of their hits including “Turn on Your Love Light.” Scott worked as a producer and A&R executive for Duke Records during the time he and Davis co-wrote “Texas Flood” where he also wrote and arranged songs for Big Mama Thornton, Johnny Ace, Junior Parker and others, in addition to acting as the manager of their tour bands. His trademark was the use of brass instruments in his production.

“Joe Scott was the man who created the big horn sound for blues bands,” said Bland band member Melvin Jackson in the book House of Hits: The Story of Houston’s Gold Star/SugarHill Recording Studios. “His arrangements typified the Duke sound, as exemplified in Bobby Bland’s recordings,” writes author Eric S. LeBlanc in the book Blues – A Regional Experience. “His important compositions and arrangements feature stellar musicians.” Scott moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s. He passed away in 1979 at the age of 54.

Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns