When Barton and Reno decided to leave the band in 1979, the group morphed into a power trio and Vaughan became the lead vocalist, and their name was changed to "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble". In October 1980, during one of the band's frequent appearances at Rockefeller's in Houston, Vaughan jammed with Tommy Shannon, a former bassist for Johnny Winter, and was hired in January 1981. During the next year-and-a-half, the group gained popularity by performing in Texas clubs such as Fitzgerald's and Club Foot. They hired Chesley Millikin as their manager, who had been Epic Records' general manager in Europe, and ran Manor Downs, a horse racing track near Manor, Texas. The band performed at the racetrack the following year, which was filmed for a proposed television series, though it was not picked up by any major network.