Originally formed in 1974 by Jimmie Vaughan and Kim Wilson, the group quickly established itself as one of the premiere bands on the US blues bar circuit. The original version of the band featured female blues star, Lou Ann Barton, but she left before the band really got rolling. They recorded initially for Takoma records and eventually Chrysalis, and were one of the first bands to break out of the Texas blues circuit and cross over to a more mainstream audience. Much of that success came in 1986, when four years after being dropped by Chrysalis, they convinced Epic Records to sign them and bring in producer Dave Edmunds, a star in his own right. Edmunds had successfully transformed the Stray Cats into MTV superstars just a few years earlier.
The result was Tuff Enuff, the hit album and single that provided other follow-up hits such as their version of Sam & Dave's "Wrap It Up." From there, they would go on to release six more LPs and play countless live shows. The group has had over 30 members with Wilson being the only one who has stuck with the group through their whole history. They continue to write music and tour the country to this day.