The Fabulous Thunderbirds

It's hard to believe the Fabulous Thunderbirds have been around 35 years. Formed in Austin in 1974, the respected band found its way onto stages with bands like the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton long before it ever had a hit song. Despite the massive respect they got from fellow musicians, it took the T-Birds five years on the blues club circuit even to get a record deal. But producer Dave Edmunds and writer R.S. Field came up with a winner in 1986 with "Tuff Enuff," which made the Billboard Top 10 and propelled the band to worldwide fame. The 'Birds never repeated that success, although the title track to their 1988 album Powerful Stuff was included in Tom Cruise's film Cocktail. With the death of bassist Keith Ferguson and the departure of drummer Mike Buck and guitarist Jimmie Vaughn, vocalist Kim Wilson may be the only original T-Bird left, but it's probably safe to say this show will be like their 1981 album — Butt Rockin'.