Doyle Bramhall II was born in Dallas, Texas on 24 December 1968 but was raised in Austin. His father, drummer Doyle Bramhall, is a Texas music legend known for his work with Lightning Hopkins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan in the 1960s and 1970s.
At age 16, Doyle Bramhall II toured with Jimmy Vaughan’s band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, as second guitarist. He then co-founded the Arc Angels at the Austin Rehearsal Center (ARC), whose initials gave them their name, after the death of their friend and fellow musician Stevie Ray Vaughan in 1992. The band broke up in 1994. The Arc Angels reunited in early 2009 and will serve as tour support for Eric Clapton’s Spring dates.
Doyle’s 1999 solo recording, Jellycream, brought him to the attention of both Roger Waters and Eric Clapton. During 2000, he toured with Water’s band (along with Andy Fairweather-Low and Katie Kissoon). Eric Clapton and BB King recorded two of his compositions (“Marry You” and “I Wanna Be”) on Riding With The King .They invited Doyle join them in the studio. Impressed with his work, Eric had Doyle join him in the studio for the recording of Reptile. Along with Doyle’s wife, Susannah Melvoin, they wrote “Superman Inside” for the CD.
In 2001, Doyle and his band, Smokestack, opened for Eric’s World Tour in Europe and America. His most recent solo album was 2001’s Welcome.
Doyle has been part of Eric’s studio band since 2000 and became the second guitarist in his touring band in 2004. Doyle was out on the road with Eric for the entire 2006 / 2007 World Tour and is part of the band for the Summer 2008 Tour. Doyle will be out on the road with Eric for the 2009 Japan, New Zealand and Australia tour dates. These were his final dates with Eric Clapton.
He can be seen in Eric’s two most recent DVDs, Crossroads Guitar Festival and Sessions for Robert J. He can be heard on the following CDs: Riding With The King, Reptile, Me and Mr. Johnson, Sessions for Robert J and Back Home.
