Chris Layton

Christopher "Chris" Layton (born November 16, 1955), also known as "Whipper", is an American drummer and software engineer who rose to fame as one of the founding members of Double Trouble, a blues rock band led by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, Layton moved to Austin in 1975 and joined the band Greezy Wheels. He later joined Vaughan's band Double Trouble in 1978. After forming successful partnerships with bandmates Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans, they recorded and performed with Vaughan until his death in 1990. Layton and Shannon later formed supergroups such as the Arc Angels, Storyville, and Grady. Currently, Layton is the drummer for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.

Early life and career

Christopher Layton was born on November 16, 1955 in Corpus Christi, Texas. During his childhood, Layton lived in Mathis, Texas, a small community where his father owned a car dealership. After hearing Chubby Checker's version of "The Twist", he became fascinated with playing the drums. Layton moved back to Corpus Christi and acquired his first drum set at the age of 13. He graduated from W. B. Ray High School, where he was part of the school band. He recalled that it was "pretty formal instruction", saying: "I had to learn how to read music and play with a group of people. When I got into high school, I actually stopped playing for a while. I got into surfing and hung out at the beach a lot." After attending Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Layton moved to Austin on December 18, 1975, joining the band Greezy Wheels.