Lou Ann Barton: Fort Worth’s Soul Siren
February 17, 2027
Today is the birthday of Lou Ann Barton. She is 73 today.
Lou Ann Barton was born in Fort Worth, Texas on February 17, 1954. She moved to Austin in her early twenties and immediately became one of the most in-demand voices on the Sixth Street blues circuit. Her voice could do things other singers couldn’t explain — it had Fort Worth grit and Houston soul at the same time, wrapped around a delivery so confident it left no room for doubt.
The Voice Antone’s Was Built For
Barton was an original member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds before going solo. She recorded Old Enough in 1982, produced by Jerry Wexler and Glenn Frey — two people who knew exactly what a great voice could do. The album didn’t produce chart hits. But it produced something more durable: a reputation among musicians as one of the real things. She shared stages with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Angela Strehli, and Jimmie Vaughan during the years when Austin blues was still building its legend. Find her place items on Texas Music Map.