Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan was an influential American guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for his powerful blues-rock style. Born in Dallas, Texas, in 1954, he began playing guitar at a young age, influenced heavily by his older brother, Jimmie Vaughan, and renowned blues musicians like Albert King and Jimi Hendrix. In 1979, he formed the band Double Trouble, which quickly gained popularity in Austin's music scene and led to significant opportunities, including a performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982.
Vaughan's debut album, *Texas Flood*, released in 1983, marked the beginning of a major blues revival and showcased his exceptional guitar work and songwriting abilities. He followed up with successful albums such as *Couldn't Stand the Weather* and *In Step*, the latter reflecting his recovery from addiction and earning him a Grammy Award. Despite his promising career, Vaughan's life was tragically cut short in a helicopter crash in 1990, shortly after performing at a concert alongside Eric Clapton.
Posthumously, Vaughan's work continued to resonate, earning him additional accolades and solidifying his legacy as a pioneering figure in blues music. His signature guitar tone and emotive playing style influenced countless musicians and left an indelible mark on the music industry.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Guitarist
- Born: October 3, 1954
- Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
- Died: August 27, 1990
- Place of death: East Troy, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin
American rock guitarist and songwriter
An influential guitarist, Vaughan bridged the gap between blues and rock, infusing the two with his fiery, yet soulful, guitar playing.
Member of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
The Life
Stephen Ray Vaughan (vahn) was born in Dallas to Jim and Martha Vaughan. Vaughan’s parents introduced him to music, and in 1963 he began playing the guitar, taught by his older brother, Jimmie, who later founded the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Jimmie’s influence weighed heavily on Vaughan, and the brothers immersed themselves in the sounds of Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, and other blues guitarists, and they also listened to jazz-blues players, such as Kenny Burrell. As a teenager, Vaughan became interested in Jimi Hendrix and the aggressive style of rock and roll.
Vaughan dropped out of school in 1972, and he moved to Austin. While in Austin, Vaughan married Lenora (Lenny) Bailey, and they divorced in 1988. After playing in several bands and making a name for himself, Vaughan put together his own power trio, Double Trouble, in 1979. The band—which consisted of Vaughan on guitar and vocals, Tommy Shannon on bass, and Chris Layton on drums—quickly earned a favorable reputation in the Austin music scene, and it caught the attention of rhythm-and-blues producer Jerry Wexler, who got the band booked at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
Although Double Trouble had a cool reception from the festival audience, David Bowie and Jackson Browne enjoyed the band’s performance. Bowie approached Vaughan with the idea of recording on his album Let’s Dance (1983), and Browne offered his recording studio to the band, free of charge, to record a demo. Both of these opportunities resulted in more exposure for the band. The demo found its way into the hands of noted producer John Hammond, who decided to produce the band’s debut album, Texas Flood, which went gold in 1983. The follow-up album, Couldn’t Stand the Weather, ended up selling more than a million copies, and in 1985 the band released Soul to Soul, with Reese Wynans taking on keyboard duties.
In 1986 Vaughan’s addiction to alcohol and cocaine caused him to collapse on stage in London. After that, Vaughan checked himself into rehab, emerging with a newfound sobriety that infused his next recording: the critically acclaimed and Grammy Award-winning In Step. In 1990 Vaughan and his brother recorded Family Style, and they made plans to tour together in support of the album. However, following an appearance with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and others at Alpine Valley on August 26, 1990, the helicopter carrying Vaughan and three members of Clapton’s entourage crashed, killing everyone onboard. Following his death, a number of Vaughan’s studio and live recordings were released, achieving large sales numbers and winning more Grammy Awards.
The Music
Steeped in the classic blues sounds of King, Collins, Otis Rush, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and Muddy Waters, Vaughan’s signature style grew from his love of the blues mixed with his admiration for rock and roll and also jazz, most notably in the playing of Hendrix, Lonnie Mack, and Burrell. With his older brother’s influence and guidance, Vaughan developed a robust, yet emotive style of guitar playing, which often incorporated simultaneous lead and rhythm lines, in a manner similar to Hendrix, and he demonstrated a gritty, yet passionate vocal style, reminiscent of that of Larry Davis. Vaughan’s guitar tone was also highly regarded—produced through the combination of vintage Fender amplifiers and guitars, heavy-gauge guitar strings, and effects pedals—though most of Vaughan’s distorted tone came from his overdriven tube amplifiers. Though he often covered classic blues songs and Jimi Hendrix tunes live and on his albums, Vaughan was also a competent songwriter, which became more apparent toward the end of his life.
Texas Flood.Vaughan’s debut album, Texas Flood, was released in 1983, bringing him unexpected success and launching a blues revival. While the album contained some covers, including the title track, which showcased Vaughan’s influences, it also provided a platform for Vaughan’s own compositions. Tracks such as “Pride and Joy” and the instrumental “Rude Mood” highlight his instrumental prowess, while the jazz-infused “Lenny” provides a contrast to the high energy blues-rock tunes with a virtuosic but sentimental performance. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Blues Recording.
Couldn’t Stand the Weather.The follow-up to Texas Flood, Couldn’t Stand the Weather solidified Vaughan’s reputation as a formidable guitarist, earning another Grammy Award nomination and selling better than its predecessor. The album’s title track adds a tinge of funk to Vaughan’s repertoire, and his cover of Hendrix’s classic “Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)” pays homage to the original. The instrumental tracks, “Scuttle Buttin’” and “Stang’s Swang,” highlight Vaughan’s boogie chops and jazz leanings, respectively.
In Step.Vaughan’s final studio effort with Double Trouble before his death, In Step earned Vaughan a Grammy Award. It is with this album that a sober Vaughan presented his strong songwriting skills. His sobriety, echoed not only in the album’s title but also in the lyrics of several of the album’s songs, enabled him to exhibit an emotional and personal quality not found in previous efforts. The guitar playing is expressive, including blistering solos and lyrical melodies.
Musical Legacy
Following Vaughan’s death, several albums of previously recorded material were released, including The Sky Is Crying and Family Style, which earned Vaughan several more Grammy Awards. In 1992 the Fender music company introduced a signature series guitar based on Vaughan’s “Number One” guitar. His influence is apparent not only in the instruments and equipment that guitarists use, but also in the style with which they play. Musicians such as Kenny Wayne Shepard, John Mayer, and others have all cited Vaughan as a primary influence. Additionally, his music is featured in commercials, films, and video games.
Principal Recordings
albums (solo): The Fire Meets the Fury, 1989 (with Jeff Beck); Family Style, 1990 (with Jimmie Vaughan).
albums (with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble): Texas Flood, 1983; Couldn’t Stand the Weather, 1984; Soul to Soul, 1985; Live Alive, 1986; In Step, 1989.
Bibliography
Dickerson, James L. The Fabulous Vaughan Brothers: Jimmie and Stevie Ray. Lanham, Md.: Taylor, 2004. A portrait of the Vaughan brothers’ rise to popularity in the Austin music scene and in recording sessions in Memphis, Tennessee. Includes photographs and discography.
Gregory, Hugh. Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas Rhythm and Blues. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2003. While this book does include a biography of Vaughan, it also traces the history of Vaughan’s predecessors, contemporaries, and followers within the Southwest music scene.
Kitts, Jeff, Harold Steinblatt, and Brad Tolinski, eds. Guitar World Presents: Stevie Ray Vaughan. Milwaukee, Wis.: Hal Leonard, 1997. A collection of articles taken from Guitar World magazine, including interviews with Vaughan, a discography, and guitar instructional materials.
Leigh, Keri. Stevie Ray: Soul to Soul. Dallas: Taylor, 1993. Written by a friend of Vaughan, this book details the guitarist’s love for music and his battles with addiction. The book includes personal letters, handwritten music, rare photographs and other memorabilia, in addition to interviews with Vaughan, his bandmates, and his friends.
Patoski, Joe Nick, and Bill Crawford. Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire. Boston: Little, Brown, 1993. This comprehensive biography of Vaughan is supported by extensive research and penetrating interviews, providing a compelling depiction of Vaughan’s life.