Formed in Austin, Texas in 1978, the group went through several early line-up changes before settling on a power trio consisting of Vaughan, Chris Layton (drums), and Tommy Shannon (bass).

Initially a five-piece lineup with Vaughan, Lou Ann Barton (vocals), Fredde Walden (drums), Jackie Newhouse (bass) and Johnny Reno (saxophone), they built their reputation playing clubs around Texas over a four-year period.

By the mid-1980s, they had become an international act, touring extensively around the world until August 1990, when Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash after departing East Troy, Wisconsin.

Since Vaughan's death, Double Trouble has continued in various capacities, releasing a studio album in 2001 and acting as a session band for blues and local Austin musicians.

In September 1977, Stevie Ray Vaughan formed a revue-style group with several musicians from the Austin live music scene, including singer Lou Ann Barton, bassist W. C. Clark, keyboardist Mike Kindred, drummer Fredde "Pharaoh" Walden, and sax player Johnny Reno.

[6] In October 1980, during one of the band's frequent appearances at Rockefeller's in Houston, Vaughan jammed with Tommy Shannon,[7] a former bassist for Johnny Winter, and was hired in January 1981.

Despite boos from the audience, their performance caught the attention of David Bowie[13] and Jackson Browne, the latter who offered the group free use of his recording studio in Los Angeles.

Recorded in January 1984, the album included musicians such as Fabulous Thunderbirds' members Jimmie Vaughan and Fran Christina, as well as saxophonist Stan Harrison, who performed on "Stang's Swang".

[24] Acknowledging the challenge posed by constant international touring to his marriage, Vaughan admitted, "The hard part is that I don't get to see my wife very often, but if she comes out on the road it's harder because she's not used to it.

After attending the funeral, Vaughan immediately flew to Montreal for a performance in Jarry Park, which was reportedly the highest paying show for the band at the time.

[34] After two weeks of treatment in London,[35] he checked into Peachford Hospital in Atlanta and spent a month in rehabilitation, emerging fully recovered and healthy;[36] he would often attend local Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings on tour.

[37] Vaughan rejoined with Double Trouble to tour in support of Live Alive for the next two years, visiting countries such as England, Italy, and Germany.

Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in his review of the album, "The magnificent thing about In Step is how it's fully realized, presenting every facet of Vaughan's musical personality, yet it still soars with a sense of discovery.

[43][44] That October, Vaughan and Double Trouble embarked on a North American arena tour for 34 shows, dubbed "The Fire Meets the Fury".

In August 1990, subsequent to a summer tour with Joe Cocker, the band co-headlined two shows with Eric Clapton at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.

The service was opened by the Reverend Barry Bailey of the United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, who was Vaughan's AA sponsor.

[50] Layton and Shannon then helped form two "semi-supergroups" in Austin, Arc Angels and Storyville in the 1990s, and worked with W. C. Clark, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Doyle Bramhall.

This album featured appearances from Doyle Bramhall, Lou Ann Barton, Reese Wynans, Jonny Lang, Willie Nelson, Dr. John, and Jimmie Vaughan.