DOCSLIB.ORG

Saving the Information Commons a New Public Intere S T Agenda in Digital Media

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Saving the Information Commons a New Public Intere S T Agenda in Digital Media Saving the Information Commons A New Public Intere s t Agenda in Digital Media By David Bollier and Tim Watts NEW AMERICA FOUNDA T I O N PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE Saving the Information Commons A Public Intere s t Agenda in Digital Media By David Bollier and Tim Watts Washington, DC Ack n owl e d g m e n t s This report required the support and collaboration of many people. It is our pleasure to acknowledge their generous advice, encouragement, financial support and friendship. Recognizing the value of the “information commons” as a new paradigm in public policy, the Ford Foundation generously supported New America Foundation’s Public Assets Program, which was the incubator for this report. We are grateful to Gigi Sohn for helping us develop this new line of analysis and advocacy. We also wish to thank The Open Society Institute for its important support of this work at the New America Foundation, and the Center for the Public Domain for its valuable role in helping Public Knowledge in this area. Within the New America Foundation, Michael Calabrese was an attentive, helpful colleague, pointing us to useful literature and knowledgeable experts. A special thanks to him for improv- ing the rigor of this report. We are also grateful to Steve Clemons and Ted Halstead of the New America Foundation for their role in launching the Information Commons Project. Our research and writing of this report owes a great deal to a network of friends and allies in diverse realms. For their expert advice, we would like to thank Yochai Benkler, Jeff Chester, Rob Courtney, Henry Geller, Lawrence Grossman, Reed Hundt, Benn Kobb, David Lange, Jessica Litman, Eben Moglen, John Morris, Laurie Racine and Carrie Russell. Tina Sherman and Hannah Fischer both provided careful and thorough oversight of this report’s production. For his smart graphic design, we again thank Donald Norwood of 5 on your eye design. David Bollier Amherst, Massachusetts Tim Watts Melbourne, Australia May 2002 About the Au th o rs David Bollier is Director of the Information Commons Project at the New America Founda- tion, a Senior Fellow at the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Commu- nication, an advisor to Norman Lear, and a strategic consultant to foundations, nonprofits and citizen groups. He is also co-founder of Public Knowledge, a public-interest advocacy organiza- tion dedicated to defending the commons of the Internet, science and culture. He is based in Amherst, Massachusetts, and can be reached at [email protected]. Tim Watts is the CEO of OzProspect, a nonpartisan policy think tank based in Melbourne, Australia (www.ozprospect.org). He is a regular contributor of commentary and analysis to BRW magazine, the Australian Financial Review, The Australianand The Boston Globe. He can be reached at [email protected]. ©2002 New America Foundation & Public Knowledge Contents Introduction . .1 I. The Rise of the Information Commons.. 7 A Place of Our Own: Online Libraries and Archi ve s. 10 The Inter n e t Commons as Online Collaboration.. 14 The Open Source Softwa r e Revol u t i o n.. 19 The Pee r- to - P eer Revolu t io n.. II . Sa ve the Inter n e t Commons: Requ i r e an Open, Accessible Infrastruc t u r e.. .2 5 The Fut u r e of Open Stan d a rd s. .. Ho t Zones for Inter n e t Stan d a r d Sett i n g.. 28 Pr o tecting Open Access to the Inter n e t.. 32 The Danger s of Media Concentration .. 35 II I . Pr otect the Public Domain: Limit The Copyright Monopoly.. .3 9 Ma k e it Easy to Put Wor ks into the Public Domain.. 41 Sh o r ten the Term of Copyr i g h t.. Af firm Broad Fair Use Rights for the Public.. .4 3 Roll Back the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. .4 6 Af firm Free Speech over Tra d e m a r k Law.. 47 Pr o m o te the General Public License in Softwa r e .. .4 9 Ex p l o r e GPL-l i k e Licenses in Other Media .. .5 0 IV .For tify the Information Commons: Ado p t Innovat i v e Policy Initiatives. 53 Earning a Fair Return on Our Airwaves.. 54 The Digital Opportunity Inves tment Trus t .. 57 The New Voices Initiative... The Open Spectrum Project.. .. .. Managing Government Information as If Citizens Matter ed .. .6 3 Conclusion: A Return to Fir st Principles .. 67 Reader Res o u rc e s. 71 Notes.. .. Introduction weeping changes in our nation’s communications infrastruc t u r e and markets over the past twenty years have radically changed the topography of the pub- Slic sphere and democratic culture. But the mental maps which many people use to conceive “the public interest” in communications hark back to circa 1975, a time when the traditional broadcast model dominated and there were only three co m m e r cial television networks, cable TV consisted of “community antennae” to reach rural areas and even the VCR had not yet been unleashed. In the 1970s, the public interest in broadcasting was about the Fairness Doctrine, general content guidelines and public television subsidies. Times have changed. Over the past generation, the Internet, the World Wid e Web, cable television, wireless and many other electronic technologies have dra- matically changed market struc t u r es and people’s use of communications media. By any absolute measure, the new technologies have yielded huge increases in the quantities of information and programming available to Americans. They have also given individual citizens a much greater ability to create and control content. The flows of information and entertainment, and people’s access to and control over it, are changing rapidly. Amidst the boom in telecommunications, the Internet and new television out- lets that dominated press attention over the past decade, relatively little attention has been paid to the fate of the public interest. Among the “old media”—broa d - casting and cable television—the entrep r eneurial zeal that gave birth to country music networks, science fiction networks and infomercial channels has not been noticeably directed towards the nation’s many civic, political, cultural, arti s t i c , 1 Introduction no n p r ofit and community needs. Notwith- the information commons—that now coexists standing innovations such as C-SPAN and alongside the mass media, which is chiefly new niche commercial networks, entire genres br oadcast and cable television. of public interest programming have virtu a l l y The result is a strangely bifurcated media di s a p p e a r ed from television. It is difficult to universe. On the one hand, there is televi- find thoughtful news and commentary, timely sion, which is doing far less to serve the pub- public affairs documentaries, high-quality edu- lic interest than a generation ago despite the cational prog r a m m i n g proliferation of channels. Broadcast news …t he Inter n e t has for children, original programs may be far more plentiful than local programming and twenty years ago, for example, but even vet- us h e r ed in a cultural and daring arts and cultural eran journalists question whether the market- pr ogramming. Public driven flood of tabloid fare and sensational- political peres t ro i k a of television, for its part, ism is serving the public or its own profes- has become far more sion well.1 The broadcast media, now more enormous prop o rt i o n s . co m m e r cial in orienta- consolidated than ever, considers it too tion, eschewing the con- expensive to give more than passing coverage Individuals now have the tr oversial, innovative to state election campaigns. and offbeat while quietly On the other hand, the Internet has grea t l y means to byp a s s in t r oducing more adver- expanded the spaces and modalities available tisements and cryp t o - for serving important non-market, public traditional publishers ma r k e t i n g . in t e r est needs. Thanks to the low-cost, flexible As two major commu- capabilities of the Internet, individuals with and become crea t o r s and nications media—televi- highly specific interests can now locate each sion and the Interne t — other and organize themselves as robust com- global publishers in the i r have collided, we are munities. Affinity groups and communities of faced with a diffi c u l t all varieties—largely exiled from the broa d c a s t own right. question: How are we to media since 1934—are now able to develop conceptualize the public their own distinctive voices in cyberspace. in t e r est in this brave new world? Instead of seller-s p o n s o r ed enterta i n m e n t If even a robust, highly diversified media and information moving from centralized marketplace cannot meet certain societal so u r ces to great masses of citizens in a one- needs, what new public policies need to be way flow (after first being vetted by corporate adopted? Can certain technologies, innova- ad v e r tisers), the Internet has ushered in a cul- tions in private law and voluntary social norms tural and political pe re s t ro i k a of enormous pro- do a better job than public policy alone? po r tions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Info Commons Development Task Force
    Information Commons Development Task Force 2008 Recommendations For the Development of the Information Commons Services and Facilities At the University at Albany 2008 – 2010 By the Information Commons Development Task Force Greg Bobish, Jane Kessler, Chris Moore, Lorre Smith, Laura Ryan, and Robert Wachs March 10, 2008 1 Information Commons Development Task Force 2008 Introduction The Task Force charge is to provide ideas for development of the current Information Commons (IC) to allow evolution to the next generation. The Task Force was asked not to be overly constrained by resource limitations, but to provide ideas that may be used by the University Libraries and Information Technology Services to develop facilities, staff and services. The Task Force was encouraged to develop an expanded concept for the IC. The Task Force decided to look at IC‐related web pages at our peer institutions as well as look at additional Information and Learning Commons that featured services and facilities that were innovative. We used the InfoCommons‐L electronic discussion list to find IC sites and discover ideas through those discussions at the international level. We used survey data gathered from users in the University Libraries by the Reference Assessment Librarian during the fall of 2007. We also met with IC staff and asked them to tell us from their experiences what were successful services, what the users indicated that they liked, what problems users were having, and what they requested often that we are not currently offering. We searched the growing body of literature about Information Commons and Learning Commons and drew philosophical and pragmatic ideas from our results.
    [Show full text]
  • THE FUTURE of IDEAS This Work Is Licensed Under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License (US/V3.0)
    less_0375505784_4p_fm_r1.qxd 9/21/01 13:49 Page i THE FUTURE OF IDEAS This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License (US/v3.0). Noncommercial uses are thus permitted without any further permission from the copyright owner. Permissions beyond the scope of this license are administered by Random House. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.randomhouse.com/about/ permissions.html The book maybe downloaded in electronic form (freely) at: http://the-future-of-ideas.com For more permission about Creative Commons licenses, go to: http://creativecommons.org less_0375505784_4p_fm_r1.qxd 9/21/01 13:49 Page iii the future of ideas THE FATE OF THE COMMONS IN A CONNECTED WORLD /// Lawrence Lessig f RANDOM HOUSE New York less_0375505784_4p_fm_r1.qxd 9/21/01 13:49 Page iv Copyright © 2001 Lawrence Lessig All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto. Random House and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. library of congress cataloging-in-publication data Lessig, Lawrence. The future of ideas : the fate of the commons in a connected world / Lawrence Lessig. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-375-50578-4 1. Intellectual property. 2. Copyright and electronic data processing. 3. Internet—Law and legislation. 4. Information society. I. Title. K1401 .L47 2001 346.04'8'0285—dc21 2001031968 Random House website address: www.atrandom.com Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 24689753 First Edition Book design by Jo Anne Metsch less_0375505784_4p_fm_r1.qxd 9/21/01 13:49 Page v To Bettina, my teacher of the most important lesson.
    [Show full text]
  • The Paris Accord and Climate Change the President Has
    The Paris Accord and Climate Change The President has announced that he will withdraw the United States from the Paris Accord, which entered into force November 4, 2016. According to Article 28 of the Accord, the U.S. must wait three years from the November 4, 2016 date to make written notification that it will withdraw from the Accord. The United States then must wait at least an additional year from the date of this written notification to leave the Accord. Hence, given these conditions written into the Accord, U.S. voters awaiting the 2020 presidential election will have the opportunity to decide as a major political issue what actions the United States should take about the Paris Accord and climate change. The President’s announcement of his intention to withdraw from the Paris Accord generated substantial criticism from G-20 national leaders during their last meeting July 7-8 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. Those leaders, other than the US President, have indicated unanimous support for implementing the Paris Accord. The leaders of the European Union and China state they will move ahead with plans to implement the Accord, whether or not the United States remains a signatory. The Paris Accord states as one of its objectives “holding the increase in the global temperature to well below 2 degrees C above the pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre- industrial levels”. This wording was negotiated in recognition that the Earth (and its present and future populations) will undergo profound and insupportable warming, further acidification of the oceans, and significant sea level rise threatening the world’s coastal communities unless the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are brought under control.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Concept 5: Lunar Volcanism Provides a Window Into the Thermal and Compositional Evolution of the Moon
    Science Concept 5: Lunar Volcanism Provides a Window into the Thermal and Compositional Evolution of the Moon Science Concept 5: Lunar volcanism provides a window into the thermal and compositional evolution of the Moon Science Goals: a. Determine the origin and variability of lunar basalts. b. Determine the age of the youngest and oldest mare basalts. c. Determine the compositional range and extent of lunar pyroclastic deposits. d. Determine the flux of lunar volcanism and its evolution through space and time. INTRODUCTION Features of Lunar Volcanism The most prominent volcanic features on the lunar surface are the low albedo mare regions, which cover approximately 17% of the lunar surface (Fig. 5.1). Mare regions are generally considered to be made up of flood basalts, which are the product of highly voluminous basaltic volcanism. On the Moon, such flood basalts typically fill topographically-low impact basins up to 2000 m below the global mean elevation (Wilhelms, 1987). The mare regions are asymmetrically distributed on the lunar surface and cover about 33% of the nearside and only ~3% of the far-side (Wilhelms, 1987). Other volcanic surface features include pyroclastic deposits, domes, and rilles. These features occur on a much smaller scale than the mare flood basalts, but are no less important in understanding lunar volcanism and the internal evolution of the Moon. Table 5.1 outlines different types of volcanic features and their interpreted formational processes. TABLE 5.1 Lunar Volcanic Features Volcanic Feature Interpreted Process
    [Show full text]
  • Digital Deities in Cyberspace
    STATEMENT DC-228 TECHNOSHAMANISM: Digital Deities in Cyberspace by Douglas Groothuis Summary Spiritual explorers are increasingly looking to cyberspace to meet the needs of the soul. Many neopagans, occultists, and New Agers deem the technologies of cyberspace as fitting media for their magical experiments and rituals and view the Internet as a mystical plane of being. For some in this movement, which has roots in the counterculture of the sixties, both hallucinogenic drugs and computers help to demonstrate that reality is strictly a matter of our own perception and therefore can be manipulated and even created. However, this enthusiasm for the mystical potential of human technology is misplaced, illogical, and spiritually dangerous. It vainly attempts to build a spiritual reality on the faulty foundation of silicon, instead of on Jesus Christ. Cyberspace is the hot contemporary term for computer -mediated communication, the burgeoning new world of e - mail, databases, virtual reality, word-processing, computer games, and a raft of culture-shaping, digital technologies. The backbone of cyberspace is the Internet, an international computer system linking individual computers through phone lines. Being the incorrigibly spiritual creatures that humans made in God’s image are, many people are attempting to use cyberspace to feed and stretch the soul. A new movement is forming that views cyberspace as a sacred realm for the expansion of consciousness. Working from neopagan, occult, and New Age assumptions, te chnoshamans claim they are the wired wizards of the digital world (shamanism and technoshamanism will be defined in detail later). As this strange phenomenon unfolds, Christians need to address it theologically and biblically if we are to reach today’s technological culture effectively with the message of Jesus Christ.
    [Show full text]
  • USGS Professional Paper 1692
    USG S Eruptive History and Chemical Evolution of the Precaldera and Postcaldera Basalt-Dacite Sequences, Long Valley, California: Implications for Magma Sources, Current Seismic Unrest, and Future Volcanism Professional Paper 1692 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey This page intentionally left blank Eruptive History and Chemical Evolution of the Precaldera and Postcaldera Basalt-Dacite Sequences, Long Valley, California: Implications for Magma Sources, Current Seismic Unrest, and Future Volcanism By Roy A. Bailey Professional Paper 1692 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey ii U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2004 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 This report and any updates to it are available online at: http://pubs.usgs.gov//pp/p1692/ Additional USGS publications can be found at: http://geology.usgs.gov/products.html For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747) World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement of the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, it contains copyrighted materials that are noted in the text. Permission to reproduce those items must be secured from the individual copyright owners. Cataloging-in-publication data are on file with the Library of Congress (URL http://www.loc.gov/).
    [Show full text]
  • DMAAC – February 1973
    LUNAR TOPOGRAPHIC ORTHOPHOTOMAP (LTO) AND LUNAR ORTHOPHOTMAP (LO) SERIES (Published by DMATC) Lunar Topographic Orthophotmaps and Lunar Orthophotomaps Scale: 1:250,000 Projection: Transverse Mercator Sheet Size: 25.5”x 26.5” The Lunar Topographic Orthophotmaps and Lunar Orthophotomaps Series are the first comprehensive and continuous mapping to be accomplished from Apollo Mission 15-17 mapping photographs. This series is also the first major effort to apply recent advances in orthophotography to lunar mapping. Presently developed maps of this series were designed to support initial lunar scientific investigations primarily employing results of Apollo Mission 15-17 data. Individual maps of this series cover 4 degrees of lunar latitude and 5 degrees of lunar longitude consisting of 1/16 of the area of a 1:1,000,000 scale Lunar Astronautical Chart (LAC) (Section 4.2.1). Their apha-numeric identification (example – LTO38B1) consists of the designator LTO for topographic orthophoto editions or LO for orthophoto editions followed by the LAC number in which they fall, followed by an A, B, C or D designator defining the pertinent LAC quadrant and a 1, 2, 3, or 4 designator defining the specific sub-quadrant actually covered. The following designation (250) identifies the sheets as being at 1:250,000 scale. The LTO editions display 100-meter contours, 50-meter supplemental contours and spot elevations in a red overprint to the base, which is lithographed in black and white. LO editions are identical except that all relief information is omitted and selenographic graticule is restricted to border ticks, presenting an umencumbered view of lunar features imaged by the photographic base.
    [Show full text]
  • Open Batalha-Dissertation.Pdf
    The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Eberly College of Science A SYNERGISTIC APPROACH TO INTERPRETING PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES A Dissertation in Astronomy and Astrophysics by Natasha E. Batalha © 2017 Natasha E. Batalha Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2017 The dissertation of Natasha E. Batalha was reviewed and approved∗ by the following: Steinn Sigurdsson Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Dissertation Co-Advisor, Co-Chair of Committee James Kasting Professor of Geosciences Dissertation Co-Advisor, Co-Chair of Committee Jason Wright Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Eric Ford Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Chris Forest Professor of Meteorology Avi Mandell NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Research Scientist Special Signatory Michael Eracleous Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Graduate Program Chair ∗Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. ii Abstract We will soon have the technological capability to measure the atmospheric compo- sition of temperate Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby stars. Interpreting these atmospheric signals poses a new challenge to planetary science. In contrast to jovian-like atmospheres, whose bulk compositions consist of hydrogen and helium, terrestrial planet atmospheres are likely comprised of high mean molecular weight secondary atmospheres, which have gone through a high degree of evolution. For example, present-day Mars has a frozen surface with a thin tenuous atmosphere, but 4 billion years ago it may have been warmed by a thick greenhouse atmosphere. Several processes contribute to a planet’s atmospheric evolution: stellar evolution, geological processes, atmospheric escape, biology, etc. Each of these individual processes affects the planetary system as a whole and therefore they all must be considered in the modeling of terrestrial planets.
    [Show full text]
  • How to Change U.S. Climate Policy After There Is a Price on Carbon
    POLICY PROPOSAL 2019-15 | OCTOBER 2019 How to Change U.S. Climate Policy after There Is a Price on Carbon Roberton C. Williams III The Hamilton Project • Brookings i MISSION STATEMENT The Hamilton Project seeks to advance America’s promise of opportunity, prosperity, and growth. We believe that today’s increasingly competitive global economy demands public policy ideas commensurate with the challenges of the 21st Century. The Project’s economic strategy reflects a judgment that long-term prosperity is best achieved by fostering economic growth and broad participation in that growth, by enhancing individual economic security, and by embracing a role for effective government in making needed public investments. Our strategy calls for combining public investment, a secure social safety net, and fiscal discipline. In that framework, the Project puts forward innovative proposals from leading economic thinkers — based on credible evidence and experience, not ideology or doctrine — to introduce new and effective policy options into the national debate. The Project is named after Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first Treasury Secretary, who laid the foundation for the modern American economy. Hamilton stood for sound fiscal policy, believed that broad-based opportunity for advancement would drive American economic growth, and recognized that “prudent aids and encouragements on the part of government” are necessary to enhance and guide market forces. The guiding principles of the Project remain consistent with these views. ii How to Change U.S. Climate Policy after There Is a Price on Carbon How to Change U.S. Climate Policy after There Is a Price on Carbon Roberton C.
    [Show full text]
  • Information Commons: Models for Eliteracy and the Integration of Learning
    Information Commons: Models for eLiteracy and the Integration of Learning Susan Beatty and Peggy White, University of Calgary Abstract Information Commons are often described as integrated learning facilities, where the user can receive assistance in acquiring information literacy skills and/or technical literacy skills or “e-lit skills”. User acquisition of e-lit skills that support further learning is a desirable goal. Information Commons in academic libraries are designed to facilitate this learning goal, often through an integrated and collaborative service model. What are the models of integrated service delivery for Information Commons in academic libraries? Are there models which have been more effective in fostering the learning of e-lit skills and if so, how? This paper will describe the results of an environmental scan of some of the most successful Information Commons in North America and elsewhere, focusing on the elements of their service and program model that in the authors’ opinion foster e-lit integration. Keywords: Information Commons, e-literacy, learning, university, library Journal of eLiteracy, Vol 2 (2005) 2-14 2 1. Introduction Information Commons are a new type of library facility offering innovative services that facilitate student learning. This paper presents an environmental scan of Information Commons in universities and identifies service and program models that support e- literacy. It examines to what extent instruction and services, supporting formal and informal learning, are offered for technology and information searching, that is e-literacy. It seeks to identify which models of Information Commons best meet this objective and suggest areas for further research. 2. Background During the 1990’s and continuing through the present day, a new type of service facility has begun to appear in academic libraries across North America, Europe, and elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 a Summary Report on Persuading the Public About Climate Change Using Media and Corporate Sources Jonathan J. Pierce, Megan
    A Summary Report on Persuading the Public about Climate Change Using Media and Corporate Sources Jonathan J. Pierce, Megan Hillyard, Remington Purnell, and Alissa Neuman Seattle University June 12, 2017 Abstract This research evaluates the effectiveness of various conservative and liberal media and corporate statements to persuade the public about climate change in comparison to scientific statements. To achieve this purpose an experimental survey of the US public was conducted in March 2017. Respondents were randomly assigned one of five texts about climate change. Each text argues that mostly human activities are causing climate change, except for one that suggests climate change is a conspiracy by the conservative leaning Washington Times. After reading the text, respondents were asked to complete a survey on their beliefs about the causes of climate change, their level of concern or perceived risk, and whether the US should reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each text was compared to a scientific statement to determine its relative level of persuasiveness. The results reveal that texts are not more persuasive than a scientific statement. However, the text arguing a conspiracy theory about climate change had a negative effect on respondents’ belief that climate change is mostly caused by humans in comparison to those that read the scientific statement. This was found among all respondents, only conservatives, and only liberals. The results are summarized below. Result 1: Current attempts using texts to persuade the public about the causes of climate change are not more persuasive than scientific statements. This includes attempts in the media such as liberal sources targeting liberals, and conservative sources targeting conservatives.
    [Show full text]
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan
    An the Bullcrafe news US~ that's tH paldpennlt to pitch no. 2419 C' PITCtI KCMO February '1986 Kansas City's ffee music and entertainment newspaper Issue 62 A Texas tidal wave Blues, rock, rarb, ballads, you name it from the latest- Hammond discovery the Chantones, Blackbird and Nightcrawlers. by Roger Naber His senior year of high school, he dropped out He's been the most talked-about guitarist in and left his hometown of Dallas in the early 70s. blues and rock circles for the last three years. He followed his brother Jimmie to AUstin, which He dominated reader's and critic's polls in has been his home base ever since. various magazines. For the last two years he has From 1975-77 Stevie played with Austin's been the recipient of "Best Blues Instrumentalist" most popular r&b club band, the Cobras. He at the W.C. Handy Awards in Memphis. And then formed his own r&b revue, Triple Threat, there is no indication that the crest Stevie Ray which featured vocaUst Lu Ann Barton. In ear­ ~ Vaughan is riding is ready to level off. ly '81 Lu Ann quit the band in the middle of I first met the guitar genius four-and-a-half a tour, and that forced Vaughan to take over years ago. After spending several weeks trying lead vocals. He regrouped the band and named to locate him, I hired Vaughan and his band it Double Trouble pr an Otis Rush song. The Double Trouble to perform at HarUng's. The group consisted of Tommy Shannon on elec­ man who urged me to book him was his older tric bass and Chris Layton on drums.
    [Show full text]