Legendary Texas Tornados Bassist Speedy Sparks Dead at 72

Born in Texas, Miller Sparks, who would become known as Speedy Sparks, never strayed too far from home. Loving the Lone Star State, he eventually moved to Austin to explore a career in the music industry. And over the following decades, he received the chance to take the stage with countless bands before finding a home with the Texas Tornadoes. Loving every moment in his career, sadly, the famed musician recently passed away at 72. 

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Showcasing his talents with a bass, Sparks offered his skills to groups like The Texas Mavericks, Teddy and the Tall Tops, The Leroi Brothers, The Nortons, the Pleasant Valley Boys, and many more. He even started his own band with Speedy Sparks and the Koolerators. But throughout his career, nothing compared to when he sparked a friendship with Doug Sahm. 

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Speedy Sparks Remembered As “Deceptively Melodic And Shaded With Nuance”

With Sahm enjoying what Sparks brought to the stage, he wanted no other musician to join the Texas Tornadoes. Formed in the late 1980s, the band consisted of Flaco Jiménez, Augie Meyers, Freddy Fender, Doug, and Sparks. Over the years that followed, the group recorded albums that included Los Texas Tornados, Hangin’ on by a Thread, and 4 Aces. 

Never straying too far from Sahm, Sparks performed alongside the singer until his death at the age of 58 in 1999. Sadly, Sahm passed away from coronary artery disease while on a vacation in New Mexico.  

As for Sparks, his legacy within the Austin music scene was remembered by Saustex Records owner Jeff Smith. Getting a chance to know the musician, he promised, “Speedy knew how to listen and how to lay it down in the mode of Jimmy Reed style blues – deceptively melodic and shaded with nuance.”

Showing just how much respect he had for Sparks, Smith added, “If someone were to ask me to point to anyone I think/thought was a great bass player Speedy would be at the top of my list. He intuitively knew exactly what and how much to play no matter the style of the song.”

 A true cornerstone of the Lone Star sound, Sparks may be gone, but his rhythm still echoes through every Texas dance hall and smoky Austin bar he ever played.

(Austin Music History, 2023)