Taken from their web-pages (www.fabulousthunderbirds.com)
For the past 3… Read Full Bio ↴Taken from their web-pages (www.fabulousthunderbirds.com)
For the past 30 years, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the quintessential American band. The group's distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such barnburners as "Tuff Enuff" and "Wrap It Up". Co-founder Kim Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation.
"We started as a straight blues band", vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. "We now incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We're an American music band and we're much higher energy than we were before."

In addition to Wilson, the current Thunderbirds line-up features Kirk Fletcher and Nick Curran on guitar, Jimi Bott on drums, Ronnie James Weber on bass and Gene Taylor on keyboards.

"To be in the T-Birds, you need to understand the different styles of music and different ways of playing," Wilson comments. "You have to be willing to adopt a more contemporary style. The guys we have now are able to do that."
The band will tour extensively. The plan is to record a new studio album followed by a live CD. Wilson is currently writing songs on his own, with band members and other writers.

"I've primarily been a solo songwriter, but I'm looking forward to experimenting with the guys in the band," Wilson says.

The thread throughout the T-Birds career has been the respect the group commanded for its peerless musicianship and devotion to the sounds of blues, R & B and rock 'n roll. In fact, Muddy Waters called Wilson his favorite harmonica player and vocalist. "Muddy Waters was very good to me," Wilson says. "He almost adopted me. I'll never forget him."

For Kim Wilson, the musical journey started in Goleta, California. At 17 he began playing the harmonica. His influences included Little Walter, George "Harmonica" Smith, Lazy Lester and James Cotton. At the same time, Wilson began singing and was deeply impacted by Bobby "Blue" Bland, B.B. King, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rodgers and Muddy Waters. In search of other musicians who shared his love of the blues, Wilson headed to Minneapolis. He stayed there for a year and a half, playing locally, before moving to the burgeoning music scene of Austin, Texas. It was there that he met Jimmie Vaughan and they founded the T-Birds in 1974. The band developed a reputation as a compelling live act and subsequently signed a record deal with CBS/Epic Records.
In 1979, The Fabulous Thunderbirds released their first self-titled album. Primarily blues influenced, it became a cult classic. "Things were wide open back then," Wilson recalls. "There were hundreds of stages where bands could show what they had."

In subsequent releases, the band started to incorporate more Cajun, rock 'n roll and soul influences. The album "T-Bird Rhythm" marked a creative turning point for the group as it collaborated with noted producer Nick Lowe. In 1986, The Fabulous Thunderbirds reached a commercial peak with the album, "Tuff Enuff". The single of the same title as well as the singles "Wrap It Up" and "Look At That", all went top 40. The song, "Tuff Enuff" was featured in the film "Gung Ho" starring Michael Keaton.

For the remainder of the '80s, the band continued to record and tour, and released the album, "Powerful Stuff". Jimmie Vaughn left in 1989 but Wilson kept the group going, incorporating keyboards into the guitar-driven sound. Kim moved back to California in 1996, continuing to cultivate the T-Birds music.

"The thing about the T-Birds is that we can play both blues festival and rock venues," Wilson comments. "We're a diversified band now and everybody's on the same page."

As a side project Wilson formed Kim Wilson's Blues Revue, a traditional blues band. He also owns a blues label, Blue Collar Music, that has released three albums - one by Kim, one by "Big Al" Blake and one by Fred Kaplan. Wilson has also recorded and written with noted session guitarist Danny Kortchmar and drummer Steve Jordan and may tour with them at some point. However his current focus remains The Fabulous Thunderbirds. "This is a great time for this band," he says. "We're looking forward to the future."

Rich Woman
Fabulous Thunderbirds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got a woman
With plenty of money
She got the money
And I got the honey
I called my baby
Late last night
She told me, "Daddy
Everything went alright"

I don't have to worry
'Cause she's real fine
I know my baby
She's mine all mine
She give me a Cadillac
And diamond ring
She told me, "Daddy
Don't you worry about a thing"
She's all mine
And I'm so glad

She's the best woman
I ever had

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Fabulous Thunderbirds’ song Rich Woman portray a man who is in a relationship with a wealthy woman. The song celebrates the financial stability of the woman and the love that she shares with her partner. The first verse asserts that the man’s lover has a lot of money while he provides love and affection to her. The next verse talks about how the man contacted his significant other late at night, and she reassured him that everything was okay. The singer of the song has faith in his love, which is strengthened by her financial status.

The chorus of the song highlights the luxurious lifestyle that the woman provides to her partner. She has given him a Cadillac and a diamond ring, and she also confidently tells him not to worry about anything. The final verse of the song expresses the man's satisfaction with his partner, grateful for having the best woman in his life. He acknowledges that she is entirely his, and he is glad to have her love and support.

Overall, the song celebrates the harmonious relationship between two individuals who bring different qualities to the table. It shows that love doesn't discriminate based on the amount of money two people have, and sometimes, it is the most unlikely pairings that can make the best partnerships.

Line by Line Meaning

I got a woman
I have a female partner

With plenty of money
This woman has a lot of wealth

She got the money
The woman in question has money

And I got the honey
I have something valuable that the woman wants

I called my baby
I contacted my partner

Late last night
I contacted her at a late hour

She told me, "Daddy
My partner used an affectionate term for me

Everything went alright"
Things are going well for her

I don't have to worry
I don't have to be concerned

'Cause she's real fine
Because she is an attractive person

I know my baby
I am familiar with my partner