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'''Stevie Ray Vaughan''' (born '''Stephen Ray Vaughan'''; October 3, 1954 {{ndash}} August 27, 1990) was an [[United States|American]] [[guitarist]], [[singer]] and [[songwriter]], whose broad appeal made him an influential [[electric blues]] guitarist. To date, a total of 18 albums of Vaughan's work have been released.<ref>[http://www.bluepower.com/2007/08/bluepower-presentsinfluential_27.html Bluepower.com], Retrieved [[February 1]], [[2008]].</ref> In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in its list of the [[Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time|100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time]],<ref>{{cite web |title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |work=Rolling Stone Issue 931 |publisher=Rolling Stone |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time}}</ref> and ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' Magazine ranked him #3 in their list of the 100 ''Wildest Guitar Heroes'' in 2007.
'''Stevie Ray Vaughan''' (born '''Stephen Ray Vaughan'''; October 3, 1954 {{ndash}} August 27, 1990) was an [[United States|American]] [[guitarist]], [[singer]] and [[songwriter]], whose broad appeal made him an influential [[electric blues]] guitarist. To date, a total of 18 albums of Vaughan's work have been released.<ref>[http://www.bluepower.com/2007/08/bluepower-presentsinfluential_27.html Bluepower.com], Retrieved [[February 1]], [[2008]].</ref> In 2003, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine ranked Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in its list of the [[Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of all time|100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time]],<ref>{{cite web |title=100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time |work=Rolling Stone Issue 931 |publisher=Rolling Stone |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time}}</ref> and ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' Magazine ranked him #3 in their list of the 100 ''Wildest Guitar Heroes'' in 2007.


=Family history=
=Biography=
Stephen Ray Vaughan was born October 3, 1954 at Methodist Hospital in [[Dallas, Texas]] to Jim and Martha Vaughan, three years after his brother [[Jimmie Vaughan]]. For the first few years of their childhood, the brothers' lives were filled with uncertainty. Their father was an [[asbestos]] worker whose job carried the family across [[Texas]] and beyond. When work was unavailable in Dallas, Big Jim followed [[construction]] sites across the [[Southern United States]]. Sometimes, they only lived in a [[town]] for several weeks; other times, it spanned out to several months.
==Early life==
Stephen Ray Vaughan was born to Martha and Jimmie Lee Vaughan at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, [[Texas]] on October 3, 1954, three years after his brother, [[Jimmie Vaughan]]. Vaughan's father, whose nickname became "Big Jim", was an [[asbestos]] worker whose job carried the family to cities across Texas. Wherever there was an opening, the family would pack up and move to another city.


Stevie receives his first guitar for [[Christmas]] in 1961—a plastic toy, with only three strings. As he was learning the basics, Jimmie got serious about forming a [[Musical ensemble#Rock_and_pop_bands|band]] of his own. He [[Dropping out|dropped out]] of [[high school]] and joined a group called the Chessmen, and played only [[Cover version|cover songs]] but landed [[Talent agent#Music_agents|bookings]] across Texas. [[Doyle Bramhall]], the [[singer]], heard Stevie playing a song called "Jeff's Boogie" by [[The Yardbirds]]. He encourages Stevie to keep on practicing.
The Vaughan family finally moved into a small house in Dallas. The tension in the home was high, however, as Big Jim had a temper when he drank alcohol.<ref>{{cite web |title=Legends TV Broadcast |accessdate=2009-03-15 |work=SRV Interviews |publisher=willmot.com |url=http://www.willmot.com/SRV/interviews/legends.html}}</ref> Big Jim and Martha loved to dance to [[Western Swing]], and it was the boys' first exposure to music. [[The Texas Playboys]], a country band, would hang out at the Vaughans' house often.


=Teenage years=
When Jimmie Vaughan broke his shoulder playing football at age 12, family friend Michael Quinn gave him his first guitar. Soon after, Stevie got one of his own: a plastic [[Roy Rogers]] toy guitar from [[Sears]], with only three strings. The boys, uninterested in taking formal guitar lessons, taught themselves to play by listening to records by [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[The Yardbirds]], and [[The Beatles]]. The brothers were also drawn to blues music and taught themselves the guitar techniques of blues guitarists like [[Albert King|Albert]] and [[B.B. King]], [[Otis Rush]] and [[Buddy Guy]]. At the age of 15, Jimmie was the lead guitarist in a local cover band called The Chessmen, and played gigs all over Texas. One day when bandmate [[Doyle Bramhall]] came to pick up Jimmie for a gig, he saw young Stevie playing along to the song "Jeff's Boogie" by [[The Yardbirds]]. Bramhall was early to encourage Vaughan to pursue his musical talents.
While working as a [[Dishwasher#Human_dishwashers|dishwasher]] in a Dallas [[fast food restaurant]] called Dairy Mart, Stevie fell into a [[Barrel#For_storage_of_oil|barrel]] full of [[Yellow grease|grease]]. He decided to quit his [[Job (role)|job]] and pursue his dream of being a full-time musician, forming a band called "Blackbird". {{Cquote|Part of my job was to clean out the trash bins. I was standing on this barrel to clean out the trash bin, and the top caved in. I fell into grease up to ''[my chest]'', and right then I decided, 'I'm not gonna do this anymore. I'm gonna play guitar.'}}


Over [[School holiday#Christmas_holiday|Christmas break]], Stevie dropped out of high school and moved to [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] with Blackbird. In 1972, Stevie joined a rock band called Krackerjack, but was fired from the band after he protested the suggestion that band members wear heavy [[theatrical makeup]] when they performed. He was asked to join his old friend Doyle Bramhall in a band named the Nightcrawlers, with Bramhall on [[Drummer|drums]]. The singer was Marc Benno, who had recorded four [[Album|albums]] with [[A&M Records]] and had hopes of recording a fifth. In April 1973, the Nightcrawlers flew to [[Los Angeles]] to record a new album for A&M, who decides not to release the [[Gramophone record|record]] and the band travels back to Texas.
==Early career==
Stevie was playing in rock bands by age 12. His first recording was for a garage rock band called "A Cast of Thousands", and his style stood out. He had paying gigs when he entered high school: first with Jimmie's new band, Texas Storm, and then with his own group, Blackbird. Stevie would play late night sets at local bars.


In January 1974, Stevie was asked to join a popular group called the Cobras. Since the band already had a [[lead guitarist]] named Denny Freeman, Stevie went on-board as the second guitarist. He took the backseat position with the band to branch out in a new field—[[Singing|vocals]]. During this time, Stevie traded his 1963 [[Tonewood|maple]] [[Neck (music)|neck]] [[Fender Stratocaster]] for a battered 1963 model with a [[rosewood]] [[fingerboard]]. It remained his favorite [[Electric guitar|guitar]] for the rest of his life.
Stevie's and Jimmie's focus on music caused their grades to drop. Their alarmed parents tried to intervene, but it was too late: in 1967, Jimmie moved in with Doyle. Stevie, left at home, decided to take a job washing dishes at the local Dairy Mart. Part of his job was to clean out the trash bin, which required standing on top of 55-gallon wooden-lidded barrels that were used for storing grease. One day the wooden lid broke on one of the barrels and Stevie fell up to his chest in grease—and was fired for breaking the lid. He decided that, rather than try to get another job like this, he would pursue his dream of being a guitar player like [[Albert King]], his then-current favorite.


Stevie left the Cobras in 1976 to form a band of his own. On drums was Freddie Pharoah, who played with Jimmie in the days of Texas Storm. Mike Kindred, a former member of Krackerjack, played [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]], and [[W.C. Clark]], a black [[Soul music|soul]] [[singer]], played [[Bass guitar|bass]]. For the job of fronting the band as a singer, Stevie chose [[Lou Ann Barton]], and the group was named "Triple Threat Revue". Clark left the band in the spring of 1978, and the band was renamed "Double Trouble". It included Jackie Newhouse on bass, Johnny Reno on [[saxophone]], and newcomer [[Chris Layton]] on drums.
In early 1971, both Jimmie and Doyle grew tired of the fading music scene in Dallas and moved to Austin to give it another try. A year later, Stevie followed with his band, Blackbird. At 17 years old, he dropped out of high school during Christmas break and hit the road. That same year Stevie got his famous peacock tattoo on his chest.


It was around this time that Stevie met a dark-eyed, olive-skinned beauty named Lenora "Lenny" Bailey. On December 23, 1979, between sets that evening, a [[preacher]] married them. They fashioned [[wedding rings]] from pieces of [[metal]] found on the floor of the nightclub. In 1980, Barton announced that she was leaving Double Trouble to sing with [[Roomful of Blues]]. Stevie started fronting the band himself.
When he first came to Austin, Stevie and his band didn't have much money, so he would sleep on a barroom pool table, but he fit in with the more appreciative music scene on the east side of town. With blues clubs like the Soap Creek Saloon, Vulcan Gas Company, and Antone's, Stevie could trade licks with the blues masters he grew up listening to. [[Clifford Antone]], one of the club owners, took notice and practically begged [[Albert King]] to let 17-year-old Stevie play guitar with him. After much convincing, he finally agreed—and was very impressed when he heard Stevie play his own licks.


On January 2, 1981, [[Tommy Shannon]], a bass player who played with Stevie in Krackerjack, replaced Jackie Newhouse on bass. A [[videotape]] of a [[performance]] at a [[music festival]] in [[Manor, Texas]] was given to [[The Rolling Stones|Rolling Stone's]] drummer, [[Charlie Watts]]. Watts asked the band to play at a private party in [[New York City]], with the Stones hosting the party. On April 22, 1982, Stevie and Double Trouble played at [[New York City|New York's]] [[Danceteria]]. In hopes of getting signed to [[Rolling Stones Records|their record label]], Double was turned down.
Sharing riffs with these admired masters was Stevie's dream come true, but making a career in Austin turned out to be tougher than he had thought. In 1973, he joined a promising rock group called Krackerjack, which included future bassist [[Tommy Shannon]], whom he met after a stint at a club in Dallas called "The Fog." Stevie quit when the leader decided they should wear makeup on stage. The next year, he was asked to join Marc Benno and the Nightcrawlers, a blues band that included singer [[Doyle Bramhall]] and future Bee Gees bassist Russ Powell. The Nightcrawlers drove from Texas to [[Los Angeles, CA|Los Angeles]] to record an album, but Benno's record label rejected the tapes, and Stevie traveled back to Texas.


=International spotlight=
In 1975, he hooked up with another popular Austin group, Paul Ray and the Cobras, a two-guitar band with Stevie in the background. After two years, they only had one single recorded, and Stevie grew frustrated and quit.
On July 17, 1982, the band played the [[Montreux Jazz Festival]] in [[Switzerland]], the first [[Unsigned artist|unsigned act]] to perform at the event. The group's loud blues sound stunned the European crowd, and some started [[booing]]. Ironically, two events emerged that would help his career. In the [[audience]] that night were [[David Bowie]] and [[Jackson Browne]]. Bowie told Stevie he was working on a new project called ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'' and wanted him to play on the album.
He was still in the shadow of his big brother. Jimmie's new group, [[The Fabulous Thunderbirds]], were the talk of Austin, and became the house band at Antone's. In late 1977, Stevie decided it was time to put together a band of his own called "Triple Threat," which included bass player W.C. Clark, Freddie "Pharoah" Walden on drums, and singer [[Lou Ann Barton]].


Browne was so impressed by the band that he offered Stevie the use of his Los Angeles [[recording studio]] free of charge anytime they wanted to [[sound recording|record]]. Encouraged, Stevie accepted his offer of studio time. Browne gave the band three days of recording during [[Thanksgiving]]. Working day and night, with fellow [[Texan]] Richard Mullen as the [[Audio engineering|engineer]], ten songs were recorded.
On December 23, 1979, Stevie Vaughan married a tough-minded Lebanese woman named Lenora "Lenny" Bailey between sets at the Rome Inn in Austin, TX.


When ''Let's Dance'' was released, it proved to be Bowie's best-selling album ever, and he asked Stevie to tour with him the following year. Stevie accepted the offer, only to find out that Double Trouble wouldn't be able to promote themselves outside of the tour. At the last minute, Stevie turned down the [[Serious Moonlight Tour]].
W.C. Clark left Triple Threat in mid-1978, and Stevie renamed the band "[[Double Trouble (band)|Double Trouble]]." He then asked drummer [[Chris Layton]] to join the band. After an embarrassing post-show incident with a drunken Lou Ann, Stevie became the new lead singer and guitar player after he fired her. Around this time, he hired a management company called "Classic Management" that consisted of manager Chesley Millikin and financial assistant Frances Carr.


The band's L.A. studio tapes were given to [[Artist and repertoire|A&R]] [[talent agent]] [[John H. Hammond|John Hammond]], a veteran who had discovered [[Bruce Springsteen]] and [[Bob Dylan]], and got the band a [[recording contract]] with [[Epic Records]]. The album was titled ''[[Texas Flood]]'', and when it was released in June 1983, the record peaked at number 38 on the [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] album charts, selling more than half a million units. The album turned out to be a huge success. Stevie was nominated for two [[Grammy Award|Grammy Awards]], and, in addition, he won three categories in ''[[Guitar Player]]'' [[magazine]] readers' poll. Stevie and the band went on [[Texas Flood Tour|tour]] for the album, with an appearance on [[Austin City Limits]], and performances on the [[Eastern United States]].
==Double Trouble==
Stevie's drummer at the time, [[Chris Layton]], stayed with him. In December 1980, [[Tommy Shannon]] saw the band perform live and decided he wanted in. After almost four years, Jackie Newhouse left Double Trouble.


In January 1984, Stevie went to New York's [[Avatar Studios|Power Station Studios]] to record his second album, ''[[Couldn't Stand the Weather]]''. He won his first [[Grammy Award]] for "Best Traditional Blues Recording" on "Texas Flood" from the Montreux Jazz Festival performance in 1982, appearing on the compilation, ''Blues Explosion''. "[[Voodoo Child (Slight Return)|Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)]]" was also nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".
On July 11, 1981, the band played their first show with Shannon at the Manor Downs Racetrack in [[Manor, Texas]]. The concert was run by fellow Texan musician [[Joe Ely]], billed as 'Joe Ely's Texas Tornado Jam'.


On October 4, 1984, Stevie Ray and Double Trouble performed at Carnegie Hall. To celebrate his thirtieth birthday, Stevie brought along an all-star supporting band, including [[Dr. John]] on keyboards and his brother, Jimmie, on guitar. They wore custom-tailored [[velvet]] [[Suit|suits]]. His wife and parents flew in from Texas to share in his triumph. In November, Stevie won two [[Blues Music Award|W.C. Handy National Blues Awards]] for "Entertainer of the Year" and "Blues Instrumentalist of the Year."
Not long afterwards, [[Mick Jagger]] of [[The Rolling Stones]] and then-girlfriend [[Jerry Hall]] ran into Stevie Ray's manager Chesley Millikin at the Manor Downs Racetrack, looking for [[horse]]s. A copy of the original 'Texas Tornado Jam' program Video was given to Jagger, who then left it in the hands of drummer [[Charlie Watts]]. Watts contacted Millikin to arrange a showcase performance on April 22, 1982, at New York's [[Danceteria]] nightclub, to see if the band was good enough to be signed to the Stones' own label. Unfortunately, it never happened.


==Addictions==
The band was even turned down by [[Alligator Records]], a Chicago-based blues label founded and run by Bruce Iglauer. Ironically, the roster for Alligator included [[Koko Taylor]], [[Fenton Robinson]], [[Albert Collins]], and [[Son Seals]], among others. However, Stevie Ray wasn't 'authentic' enough to even be considered to be signed on the label.
In 1985, keyboard player [[Reese Wynans]] joined Double Trouble, a former member of [[Delbert McClinton]]'s band. The band recorded a new album titled ''[[Soul to Soul (album)|Soul to Soul]]''. When it was released on September 30, it became Double Trouble's third gold album. Stevie received his fifth Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" on "[[Say What!]]". He also produced [[Lonnie Mack]]'s comeback album Strike Like Lightning and played in several songs.


In July 1986, the band records shows in Austin and Dallas for the band’s fourth album, ''[[Live Alive]]''. On August 27, 1986, Stevie and Jimmie's father, Big Jim Vaughan, died after a long illness with [[Parkinson's disease]]. When the funeral was over, a jet rushed Stevie back on the road. While on [[European Tour 1986|tour]] in [[Ludwigshafen]], [[Germany]], Stevie's years of drug and alcohol abuse caught up with him and he collapsed. He managed to struggle through two more shows, but the last 13 tour dates were canceled and Stevie entered a [[London]] [[drug rehabilitation]] [[clinic]].
[[Jerry Wexler]], record executive from [[Atlantic Records]], saw the band playing at a record release party for Lou Ann Barton's new position as singer for [[Roomful of Blues]]. He recommended that the band play the [[Montreux International Jazz Festival]] in Switzerland. Manager Chesley Milikin put in a call to Claude Nobs, the host of the Montreux Jazz Festival and Double Trouble would be the first unsigned act to perform at the festival.


⚫
=Redemption=
The band was booked on a [[jazz]] acoustic night, a setup that involved an upright bass, piano, and generally soft music. The loud and powerful sound of Stevie and Double Trouble shocked the staid crowd. After a few songs, the gig seemed headed for disaster, as some of the audience members booed. [[Larry Graham]], from [[Sly & The Family Stone]] was looking forward to an encore with the band, but unfortunately, it never happened.
Stevie and Tommy Shannon emerged clean and sober from an [[Atlanta, Georgia]] [[detoxification]] center. ''Live Alive'' was released on November 15. In 1987, [[MTV]] broadcasted the band’s show at [[Daytona Beach, Florida]], as part of its [[Spring break|spring break]] coverage. Stevie made a cameo apperance as himself in the [[movie]] ''[[Back to the Beach]]'', performing a [[duet]] of "[[Pipeline (song)|Pipeline]]" with surf guitar legend [[Dick Dale]]. In April, Stevie appears on a [[Cinemax]] special with [[Eric Clapton]], [[Phil Collins]], [[B.B. King]], and [[Albert King]]. Later that year, Stevie filed for divorce from Lenny.

As the band was backstage, devastated and disappointed, [[David Bowie]] and [[Jackson Browne]], two celebrities in the audience approached them to say they had liked what they heard. Browne offered the band 72 hours of free studio time at his own studio in downtown [[Los Angeles]]. David Bowie also invited Stevie to play on his upcoming album, ''[[Let's Dance (David Bowie album)|Let's Dance]]'', co-produced by [[Nile Rodgers]].

To be able to afford the [[gasoline]] to take them to Los Angeles, the band booked a small tour at various clubs like [[Fitzgerald's]] in [[Houston, TX|Houston]] and The Continental Club in [[Austin, TX|Austin]]. When they finally traveled to Los Angeles during [[Thanksgiving]] weekend in 1982, they recorded an album's worth of songs: eight songs the first day; two the next. The band then went back to Texas, where Stevie recorded the vocals at Riverside Sound in Austin.

===''Texas Flood''===
The band sent the tapes to legendary talent scout, [[John Hammond, Sr.]], a veteran of the record business who discovered [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Billie Holiday]], and [[Bob Dylan]]. He got the band a major contract with [[Epic Records]]. The mixed and mastered tapes were morphed into an album called ''[[Texas Flood]]''. On June 3, 1983, the album made it to #38 on the Billboard 200 charts, received positive reviews, and sold over 500,000 units. After years of hard work, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble were an "overnight" success. The band then embarked on a successful [[Texas Flood Tour|tour]] for the album.

===''Couldn't Stand the Weather''===
In mid-December 1983, the band took two weeks off to write material for a new album. They went to [[Avatar Studios|The Power Station]] in [[New York City, NY|New York City]] to record in January 1984. The new album took two weeks to record, but was finally finished and released as ''[[Couldn't Stand the Weather]]''. They went on another successful [[Couldn't Stand the Weather Tour|tour]] and played many TV shows including [[Solid Gold (TV series)|Solid Gold]] and [[Rockpalast]].

On October 4, 1984, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played a show at [[Carnegie Hall]] in [[New York City, NY|New York City]] to celebrate his 30th birthday. The whole eleven-piece band wore custom-tailored velvet mariachi suits. The band rehearsed for two weeks to prepare for the show. After the show, [[MTV]] invited all the guests to a local club where the new TV network would throw an after-party.

In November 1984, the band flew to [[Australia]] and played two sold-out shows at the [[Sydney Opera House]]. Then it was off to [[New Zealand]], playing many concert halls and stadiums in the area. While in New Zealand, Stevie received word that he won two [[Blues Music Award|W.C. Handy Blues Awards]]: one for Entertainer of the Year and one for Instrumentalist of the Year. He was the first white person to win both awards. He was presented the awards on November 18, 1984, and played with [[B.B. King]], [[Rufus Thomas]], [[Robert Cray]], and [[Albert King]]. The ceremony was held at the [[Orpheum Theatre (Memphis)|Orpheum Theater]] in [[Memphis, TN|Memphis]] on Beale Street.

===''Soul to Soul''===
By early 1985, Stevie's performance contract required a fifth of [[Scotch]] in his dressing room each night and his [[Cocaine#Insufflation|cocaine]] habit rose to 4 grams/day. He would dissolve the cocaine in a glass of Scotch or Crown Royal every morning as a morning pick-me-up. He had been doing this for 9 years.

Stevie and Double Trouble went to the Dallas Sound Labs in March 1985. After a couple of weeks of trying to come up with new material, it became evident that Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble needed a stronger rhythm section. Desperate, he got in touch with [[Reese Wynans]], an ace keyboard player who was playing with [[Delbert McClinton]] at the time.

On April 10, 1985, Stevie Ray was asked to play [[The Star Spangled Banner]] on opening day at the [[Reliant Astrodome|Houston Astrodome]]. Unfortunately, he didn't get a good audience response, as he played his rendition that included slide guitar work.

The new quartet finished the album in May 1985 and it was named [[Soul to Soul (album)|Soul to Soul]]. The album was released on September 30, 1985, but lacked the fire and bite of previous albums.

By 1986, the band was touring the world non-stop, sometimes sharing the bill with [[The Fabulous Thunderbirds]]—and Stevie's cocaine habit had worsened. Both bands were on tour in [[New Zealand]] when Stevie saw a group of schoolgirls walking back to a nearby hotel. He homed in on one girl in particular: 17-year-old model Janna Lapidus. The olive-skinned brunette had fled from Russia with her parents when she was a child. Stevie took Janna with him on tour in Australia.

===''Live Alive''===
In mid-1986, Stevie and Double Trouble were ordered to record another album. As they didn't wish to do this, they decided to record a live album. They would simply record shows at the Austin Opera House and the Starfest in Dallas. This proved to be more difficult than they thought: many of the recordings were flooded with technical difficulties that needed touch-ups or errors that needed correction. The band started booking studio time to overdub drums or vocals.

Stevie's marriage to Lenny was also on the verge of collapse. His fame, fortune, success, and attention pushed her to the sidelines, and she reacted bitterly. One night, after a long stretch on the road, he came home to find their apartment in Austin padlocked: the electricity was shut off and Lenny and their dog were gone. She had left with the money Stevie had been sending her frequently. This shocking discovery guaranteed that Stevie's alcohol and drug abuse would escalate.

Stevie moved to Los Angeles where he moved in with an old Austin acquaintance, Timothy Duckworth, who later became Stevie's personal assistant.

The live album, ''[[Live Alive]]'', was released on November 30, 1986.

On August 27, 1986, after years of suffering from [[Parkinson's disease]], Stevie Ray's and Jimmie Lee's father, "Big Jim" Vaughan, died from [[heart failure]]. The boys rushed home to comfort their mother, but there was little time to mourn over the death of their father. Immediately after the funeral three days later, a jet rushed Stevie back on the road with Double Trouble.

===Alcohol & Drug problems===
A month later, on [[European Tour 1986|tour in Europe]], Stevie's addictive lifestyle finally caught up with him. Drummer Chris Layton recalls being out in the street with Stevie when he suddenly dropped to his knees and acted confused, then began retching blood and bile. He said he needed a drink, but no drug stores were open. When Stevie had composed himself, the two walked back to their hotel in [[Ludwigshafen]]. Then Stevie began shaking, sweating and his eyes "were like the eyes of a dead animal." When the life came back into his eyes, he sat up and quietly said, "I need help." Chris called an ambulance; the paramedics later described the trip to the hospital as a [[Near-death experience|near death]] [[dehydration]].

Stevie was admitted under the care of Dr. Victor Bloom in London, the same doctor who helped [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Pete Townshend]] kick their addiction to [[heroin]]. Bloom monitored Stevie overnight to see his stomach reactions; it turned out that the whiskey was eating away his stomach lining, and the cocaine was [[Crystallization|crystallizing]] again and eating into his intestines.

After a failed attempt to get sober in London, Stevie asked his mother to fly the band to [[Atlanta, GA|Atlanta, Georgia]], where Stevie checked into Peachford Hospital, and Tommy checked into a hospital in Austin; both men spent a month in the Charter treatment program.

Stevie made a phone call to his wife Lenny, asking her to visit him in rehab, but she refused. In turn, he filed for a divorce which wasn't finalized until June 1988 due to a delay in an agreement between Stevie and Lenny.

⚫
===Redemption===
By late 1986, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble went back on the road with confidence and energy as Stevie and Tommy now played clean and sober. On February 28, 1987, the band played [[MTV]] [[New Orleans Mardi Gras|Mardi Gras]] in [[New Orleans, LA|New Orleans]] with [[The Fabulous Thunderbirds]]. Stevie also made an appearance with B.B. King for an [[HBO]] special that was broadcast at the Ebony Showcase Theater in Los Angeles, California on April 15, 1987. It was a lineup that included B.B. King, Albert King, Eric Clapton, [[Paul Butterfield]] (who died only a few weeks later), [[Phil Collins]], [[Gladys Knight]], and [[Etta James]].


Stevie wanted to help others recover and overcome their problems with alcohol or drugs, and during the song "Life Without You", he would often speak to the audience about recovering and being there for others when they need love. On the road, he would attend [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] (A.A.) meetings regularly, sharing the lessons of his ordeal.
Stevie wanted to help others recover and overcome their problems with alcohol or drugs, and during the song "Life Without You", he would often speak to the audience about recovering and being there for others when they need love. On the road, he would attend [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] (A.A.) meetings regularly, sharing the lessons of his ordeal.


===''In Step''===
By 1988, the band was ready to return to the recording studio. For the new record, they traveled to [[Memphis, TN|Memphis]] to record in [[Ardent Studios]], a pro recording studio that has such clientele as [[ZZ Top]], [[Tina Turner]], and [[Led Zeppelin]]. Together, old friend [[Doyle Bramhall]] and Stevie began writing songs about walking the tightrope to recovery, including "Tightrope", "Wall of Denial", and "Crossfire". The album was appropriately named ''[[In Step]]'' and released on June 6, 1989. "Crossfire" reached the #1 position on the Mainstream Rock Charts. It was the only hit single that Stevie ever had.
By 1988, the band was ready to return to the recording studio. For the new record, they traveled to [[Memphis, TN|Memphis]] to record in [[Ardent Studios]], a pro recording studio that has such clientele as [[ZZ Top]], [[Tina Turner]], and [[Led Zeppelin]]. Together, old friend [[Doyle Bramhall]] and Stevie began writing songs about walking the tightrope to recovery, including "Tightrope", "Wall of Denial", and "Crossfire". The album was appropriately named ''[[In Step]]'' and released on June 6, 1989. "Crossfire" reached the #1 position on the Mainstream Rock Charts. It was the only hit single that Stevie ever had.


In the spring of 1990, Stevie and his brother recorded an album together, one that would feature the music they had grown up with. They recorded at [[Ardent Studios]] in Memphis and were produced by [[Nile Rodgers]]. The brothers agreed to name it ''[[Family Style]]''. That summer, Stevie and Double Trouble went on tour with British soul singer [[Joe Cocker]], touring places like Alaska and the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival.
In the spring of 1990, Stevie and his brother recorded an album together, one that would feature the music they had grown up with. They recorded at [[Ardent Studios]] in Memphis and were produced by [[Nile Rodgers]]. The brothers agreed to name it ''[[Family Style]]''. That summer, Stevie and Double Trouble went on tour with British soul singer [[Joe Cocker]], touring places like Alaska and the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival.


==Death==
To complete the summer portion of the "In Step" tour, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played two shows on August 25 & 26 at [[Alpine Valley Music Theatre]] in [[East Troy, WI]], while on tour with [[Eric Clapton]].
To complete the summer portion of the "In Step" tour, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played two shows on August 25 & 26 at [[Alpine Valley Music Theatre]] in [[East Troy, WI]], while on tour with [[Eric Clapton]].


Revision as of 23:35, 23 August 2009

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan (born Stephen Ray Vaughan; October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, whose broad appeal made him an influential electric blues guitarist. To date, a total of 18 albums of Vaughan's work have been released.[1] In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,[2] and Classic Rock Magazine ranked him #3 in their list of the 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes in 2007.

Family history

Stephen Ray Vaughan was born October 3, 1954 at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas to Jim and Martha Vaughan, three years after his brother Jimmie Vaughan. For the first few years of their childhood, the brothers' lives were filled with uncertainty. Their father was an asbestos worker whose job carried the family across Texas and beyond. When work was unavailable in Dallas, Big Jim followed construction sites across the Southern United States. Sometimes, they only lived in a town for several weeks; other times, it spanned out to several months.

Stevie receives his first guitar for Christmas in 1961—a plastic toy, with only three strings. As he was learning the basics, Jimmie got serious about forming a band of his own. He dropped out of high school and joined a group called the Chessmen, and played only cover songs but landed bookings across Texas. Doyle Bramhall, the singer, heard Stevie playing a song called "Jeff's Boogie" by The Yardbirds. He encourages Stevie to keep on practicing.

Teenage years

While working as a dishwasher in a Dallas fast food restaurant called Dairy Mart, Stevie fell into a barrel full of grease. He decided to quit his job and pursue his dream of being a full-time musician, forming a band called "Blackbird".

Part of my job was to clean out the trash bins. I was standing on this barrel to clean out the trash bin, and the top caved in. I fell into grease up to [my chest], and right then I decided, 'I'm not gonna do this anymore. I'm gonna play guitar.'

Over Christmas break, Stevie dropped out of high school and moved to Austin with Blackbird. In 1972, Stevie joined a rock band called Krackerjack, but was fired from the band after he protested the suggestion that band members wear heavy theatrical makeup when they performed. He was asked to join his old friend Doyle Bramhall in a band named the Nightcrawlers, with Bramhall on drums. The singer was Marc Benno, who had recorded four albums with A&M Records and had hopes of recording a fifth. In April 1973, the Nightcrawlers flew to Los Angeles to record a new album for A&M, who decides not to release the record and the band travels back to Texas.

In January 1974, Stevie was asked to join a popular group called the Cobras. Since the band already had a lead guitarist named Denny Freeman, Stevie went on-board as the second guitarist. He took the backseat position with the band to branch out in a new field—vocals. During this time, Stevie traded his 1963 maple neck Fender Stratocaster for a battered 1963 model with a rosewood fingerboard. It remained his favorite guitar for the rest of his life.

Stevie left the Cobras in 1976 to form a band of his own. On drums was Freddie Pharoah, who played with Jimmie in the days of Texas Storm. Mike Kindred, a former member of Krackerjack, played keyboards, and W.C. Clark, a black soul singer, played bass. For the job of fronting the band as a singer, Stevie chose Lou Ann Barton, and the group was named "Triple Threat Revue". Clark left the band in the spring of 1978, and the band was renamed "Double Trouble". It included Jackie Newhouse on bass, Johnny Reno on saxophone, and newcomer Chris Layton on drums.

It was around this time that Stevie met a dark-eyed, olive-skinned beauty named Lenora "Lenny" Bailey. On December 23, 1979, between sets that evening, a preacher married them. They fashioned wedding rings from pieces of metal found on the floor of the nightclub. In 1980, Barton announced that she was leaving Double Trouble to sing with Roomful of Blues. Stevie started fronting the band himself.

On January 2, 1981, Tommy Shannon, a bass player who played with Stevie in Krackerjack, replaced Jackie Newhouse on bass. A videotape of a performance at a music festival in Manor, Texas was given to Rolling Stone's drummer, Charlie Watts. Watts asked the band to play at a private party in New York City, with the Stones hosting the party. On April 22, 1982, Stevie and Double Trouble played at New York's Danceteria. In hopes of getting signed to their record label, Double was turned down.

International spotlight

On July 17, 1982, the band played the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the first unsigned act to perform at the event. The group's loud blues sound stunned the European crowd, and some started booing. Ironically, two events emerged that would help his career. In the audience that night were David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Bowie told Stevie he was working on a new project called Let's Dance and wanted him to play on the album.

Browne was so impressed by the band that he offered Stevie the use of his Los Angeles recording studio free of charge anytime they wanted to record. Encouraged, Stevie accepted his offer of studio time. Browne gave the band three days of recording during Thanksgiving. Working day and night, with fellow Texan Richard Mullen as the engineer, ten songs were recorded.

When Let's Dance was released, it proved to be Bowie's best-selling album ever, and he asked Stevie to tour with him the following year. Stevie accepted the offer, only to find out that Double Trouble wouldn't be able to promote themselves outside of the tour. At the last minute, Stevie turned down the Serious Moonlight Tour.

The band's L.A. studio tapes were given to A&R talent agent John Hammond, a veteran who had discovered Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, and got the band a recording contract with Epic Records. The album was titled Texas Flood, and when it was released in June 1983, the record peaked at number 38 on the Billboard album charts, selling more than half a million units. The album turned out to be a huge success. Stevie was nominated for two Grammy Awards, and, in addition, he won three categories in Guitar Player magazine readers' poll. Stevie and the band went on tour for the album, with an appearance on Austin City Limits, and performances on the Eastern United States.

In January 1984, Stevie went to New York's Power Station Studios to record his second album, Couldn't Stand the Weather. He won his first Grammy Award for "Best Traditional Blues Recording" on "Texas Flood" from the Montreux Jazz Festival performance in 1982, appearing on the compilation, Blues Explosion. "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" was also nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".

On October 4, 1984, Stevie Ray and Double Trouble performed at Carnegie Hall. To celebrate his thirtieth birthday, Stevie brought along an all-star supporting band, including Dr. John on keyboards and his brother, Jimmie, on guitar. They wore custom-tailored velvet suits. His wife and parents flew in from Texas to share in his triumph. In November, Stevie won two W.C. Handy National Blues Awards for "Entertainer of the Year" and "Blues Instrumentalist of the Year."

Addictions

In 1985, keyboard player Reese Wynans joined Double Trouble, a former member of Delbert McClinton's band. The band recorded a new album titled Soul to Soul. When it was released on September 30, it became Double Trouble's third gold album. Stevie received his fifth Grammy nomination for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" on "Say What!". He also produced Lonnie Mack's comeback album Strike Like Lightning and played in several songs.

In July 1986, the band records shows in Austin and Dallas for the band’s fourth album, Live Alive. On August 27, 1986, Stevie and Jimmie's father, Big Jim Vaughan, died after a long illness with Parkinson's disease. When the funeral was over, a jet rushed Stevie back on the road. While on tour in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Stevie's years of drug and alcohol abuse caught up with him and he collapsed. He managed to struggle through two more shows, but the last 13 tour dates were canceled and Stevie entered a London drug rehabilitation clinic.

Redemption

Stevie and Tommy Shannon emerged clean and sober from an Atlanta, Georgia detoxification center. Live Alive was released on November 15. In 1987, MTV broadcasted the band’s show at Daytona Beach, Florida, as part of its spring break coverage. Stevie made a cameo apperance as himself in the movie Back to the Beach, performing a duet of "Pipeline" with surf guitar legend Dick Dale. In April, Stevie appears on a Cinemax special with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, B.B. King, and Albert King. Later that year, Stevie filed for divorce from Lenny.

Stevie wanted to help others recover and overcome their problems with alcohol or drugs, and during the song "Life Without You", he would often speak to the audience about recovering and being there for others when they need love. On the road, he would attend Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) meetings regularly, sharing the lessons of his ordeal.

By 1988, the band was ready to return to the recording studio. For the new record, they traveled to Memphis to record in Ardent Studios, a pro recording studio that has such clientele as ZZ Top, Tina Turner, and Led Zeppelin. Together, old friend Doyle Bramhall and Stevie began writing songs about walking the tightrope to recovery, including "Tightrope", "Wall of Denial", and "Crossfire". The album was appropriately named In Step and released on June 6, 1989. "Crossfire" reached the #1 position on the Mainstream Rock Charts. It was the only hit single that Stevie ever had.

In the spring of 1990, Stevie and his brother recorded an album together, one that would feature the music they had grown up with. They recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis and were produced by Nile Rodgers. The brothers agreed to name it Family Style. That summer, Stevie and Double Trouble went on tour with British soul singer Joe Cocker, touring places like Alaska and the Benson & Hedges Blues Festival.

To complete the summer portion of the "In Step" tour, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played two shows on August 25 & 26 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI, while on tour with Eric Clapton.

For travel to the next venue, the tour manager reserved four helicopters to circumvent congested highway traffic. In very dense fog, the helicopters were clear for lift-off at 12:40 A.M. Just past the lift-off zone was a 300-foot hill. Vaughan's helicopter pilot was unfamiliar with the flight pattern for exiting the area, and did not climb to sufficient altitude immediately after take-off. Vaughan's helicopter veered off to one side and crashed into the hill.

According to the findings as reported by the National Transportation Safety Board, the cause of the accident was determined to be inadequate planning by the pilot, and failure to attain sufficient altitude to clear an obstacle.[3] Fog and haze, as well as the rising terrain were listed as contributing factors. All occupants including Vaughan, the pilot and three members of Eric Clapton's travel group were killed on impact.

On August 31, 1990, funeral services were held for Vaughan in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas. Brother Jimmie, mother Martha, and girlfriend Janna were in attendance. Among the mourners were all three members of ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder, and Jackson Browne.[citation needed] Vaughan was interred at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Oak Cliff, a part of Dallas, Texas.

Legacy

File:SRV.jpeg
Vaughan memorial at Lady Bird Lake, in Austin, Texas. (30°15′47.1774″N 97°45′2.4228″W / 30.263104833°N 97.750673000°W / 30.263104833; -97.750673000)

The 1991 album The Sky Is Crying was the first of several posthumous Vaughan releases to achieve chart success. Jimmie Vaughan later co-wrote and recorded a song in tribute to his brother and other deceased blues guitarists, titled "Six Strings Down". Bonnie Raitt's 1991 album Luck of the Draw was dedicated to him. Many other artists recorded songs in remembrance of Vaughan, including Eric Johnson,[4] Tommy Emmanuel (the song Stevie's Blues), Buddy Guy and Steve Vai ("Jibboom" on the album The Ultra Zone, 1999) and guitarist Wayne Perkins ("Big Stratocaster", from the album Rambling Heart). Stevie Wonder included a song on his 1995 live album Natural Wonder titled "Stevie Ray Blues". On the album, Wonder refers to the song as "Stevie Ray Vaughan Blues".

Musicians such as John Mayer, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Colin James, Johnny Lang, Los Lonely Boys, Mike McCready, Eric Johnson, John Petrucci, and Doyle Bramhall II have cited Vaughan as an influence.

In 1991, Texas governor Ann Richards proclaimed October 3, Vaughan's birthday, to be "Stevie Ray Vaughan Day." An annual motorcycle ride and concert in Central Texas benefits the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund.[5]

In 1992, the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation released the Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster, which Vaughan had helped design. As of 2007, the model is still in production. In 2004, Fender also released a limited edition exact replica of "Number One".[6] The last guitar that Vaughan played before his death is on display in the Hard Rock Cafe in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. During that same year, Vaughan's name is mentioned in Stephen King's You Know They Got a Hell of a Band, a short story about a town populated by late music legends.

In 1994, the city of Austin erected the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake, the site of a number of Vaughan's concerts. It has become one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

In 2000, Stevie Ray Vaughan was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Stevie Ray Vaughan became eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.[7]

In November 2007, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation released a second tribute to Vaughan, an exact replica of his second beloved guitar: Lenny. This guitar was given to him by his wife Lenora ("Lenny") on his 26th birthday and Vaughan was very fond of it. According to Fender, the original Lenny was a 1965 Strat that he saw in the window of a pawn shop that he was unable to afford. The guitar is sold with a strap, a case with Vaughan's name embroidered in the fabric lining, a number of brochures and memorabilia and a leather bound certificate of authenticity.

In 2008, residents voted to rename Dallas' Industrial Boulevard, with Vaughan's name being one of the finalists alongside Stanley Marcus, Eddie Bernice Johnson, and Cesar Chavez.[8]

Influences and style

Vaughan's blues style was influenced by many blues guitarists. Foremost among them were Albert King (who dubbed himself Stevie's "godfather"), Otis Rush, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, and Jimi Hendrix. He was also strongly influenced by early blues-rock guitarist Lonnie Mack, who, according to Vaughan, "really taught me to play guitar from the heart",[9] Vaughan, who had idolized Mack since childhood, produced and played on Mack's 1985 Alligator Records album Strike Like Lightning[10] and covered "Wham!", which was written by Mack, among others. Vaughan's older brother Jimmie Vaughan has stated that Johnny "Guitar" Watson was the guitarist he and Stevie studied the most. Vaughan also cited his brother as an influence.

Vaughan's sound and playing style, which often incorporated simultaneous lead and rhythm parts, drew comparisons to Hendrix. Vaughan covered several Hendrix tunes on his studio albums and in performance, such as "Little Wing," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," and "Third Stone from the Sun." He was also heavily influenced by Freddie King, another Texas bluesman, mainly in the use of tone and attack; King's heavy vibrato can clearly be heard in Vaughan's playing. Another stylistic influence was Albert Collins. By utilizing his index finger as a pick a la Albert Collins, he was able to coax various tonal nuances from his amplifiers. Vaughan also took considerable influence from jazz guitarists such as Kenny Burrell.

Known for his warm blues-rock tone, Vaughan characteristically used very heavy guitar strings, ranging from 13- to 58-gauge sets to give a fuller sound which he tuned down a half-step to the key of E flat.

Guitar legacy

File:StevieRayVaughan2.jpg
Stevie Ray Vaughan playing his customized Stratocaster with his initials emblazoned on the pickguard.
Main articles: List of guitars used by Stevie Ray Vaughan and List of amplifiers used by Stevie Ray Vaughan

Vaughan was closely associated with his use of Fender Stratocasters. His first was a 1963 maple neck black Fender Stratocaster. Although he used this guitar frequently, in 1973 he traded it in at Ray Hennig's Heart of Texas Music store in Austin, Texas, for another 1963 Stratocaster. According to Ray Hennig, he recalls that Stevie would come in the store and borrow items and bring them back when finished. He never did that with the beat-up Stratocaster.[citation needed] Vaughan then called it his "Number One", or "First Wife", and has been his most recognizable instrument. The guitar had an alder body with a 3-tone sunburst finish and a thick maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. He would put heavy gauge strings on this guitar, using .013-.058s, and would have the vibrato bridge flush the body with stainless steel vibrato arms. "Number One" originally had narrow frets, but Vaughan had the frets replaced with Dunlop 6100 fretwire. He also started tuning his guitars down a half-step from standard pitch, making it easier for him to accompany himself on guitar while singing. From then on, he used Stratocasters for the main part of his tone.

On his 26th birthday in 1980, Vaughan was presented a 1965 Fender Stratocaster by his wife Lenny that he spotted in a pawn shop months beforehand. The guitar featured a mahogany lacquer, covering up a 3-tone sunburst finish; a 1900's mandolin pickguard under the bridge, a thin maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, and microphonic pickups. Not liking the thin neck, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top gave Vaughan a thicker one-piece maple neck in 1982. He strung "Lenny" with lighter strings and a "floating" bridge.[11]

In early 1984, Vaughan had a custom Stratocaster made at Charley's Guitar Shop in Dallas, Texas, one with three lipstick pickups, a "flip-flop" trick automotive paint, a maple neck with a ebony fingerboard, single "Volume" and "Tone" controls, and a hardtail bridge. He added a hula girl decal to the back of the guitar as well.[12]

On April 29, 1984, before playing a show in Buffalo, New York, Stevie Ray was presented a custom Hamiltone Strat-style guitar, featuring his name inlaid with pearl in the ebony fingerboard.[13][14]

Other Stratocasters that Stevie had included a yellow Strat that belonged to Vince Martell of Vanilla Fudge and originally had four humbuckers, then rewired with a single neck pickup; a stock 1962 fiesta red Strat acquired in 1983, and a 1961 butter-colored Strat bought by Stevie in 1985 that later sported a black and red tiger-striped pickguard made by guitar tech, Rene Martinez.

Besides Fender Stratocasters, Vaughan owned many other guitars throughout his career, many that were hand-me-downs early on from his brother Jimmie. He started out with a 1963 Gibson Messenger. Also from Jimmie, he got a 1951 Fender Broadcaster that he named "Jimbo", but later sold it.[15] Stevie used many Gibson models, including a 1952 Les Paul Goldtop, 1955 Les Paul TV, Gibson Barney Kessel, 1958 "dot-neck" ES-335, Gibson Johnny Smit, which was used on "Stang's Swang" from Couldn't Stand the Weather; and a Flying V.

In 1981, he acquired a National Steel from Charley's Guitar Shop that was made in 1928, and can be seen on the cover of In Step. He also had a Rickenbacker Stereo Prototype that he gave to blues guitarist Hubert Sumlin in late 1984, which was later stolen from Sumlin.

Timothy Duckworth, Vaughan's personal assistant, owned a Guild JF6512 12-string acoustic guitar, and gave it to him in 1985. Timothy recalls that, sometime after the "MTV Unplugged" performance in 1990, Stevie's hands were so strong that he accidentally cracked the neck on the guitar. It has been on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas since then.[12]

On June 24, 2004, Vaughan's guitar "Lenny" was sold at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Auction, an effort to benefit the Crossroads Centre in Antigua. The auction was held at Christie's and the guitar's bidding ended at $623,500.[16]

Amplifiers and effects

Stevie Ray Vaughan proved that there was still life in early '60s Stratocaster and old Fender tube amplifiers. The high volume in which he played required lots of wattage and power. In the '70s, he used two Fender Twin Reverbs: one "black face" and the other "silver face". In the early '80s, however, Stevie acquired his two 1963 blackface Fender Vibroverbs, which he got at two different times, two different places. The Vibroverbs were numbers 5 and 6 off the production line. He also used two black face Fender Super Reverbs. With the Fender Stratocaster, the Vibroverbs and the Super Reverbs were an important part in shaping his clean/overdriven sound, making Fender amps more popular in years to come.

Stevie is widely recognized for popularizing the Ibanez Tube Screamer, particularly the TS-9 model. He would also use the Tube Screamer with a Vox Wah-wah pedal, handed down from his brother Jimmie via Jimi Hendrix. A clear example of his use of the wah-wah pedal can be heard on "Say What!" from Soul to Soul. He also exploited use of Hendrix's effects in later years including the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, Octavia, Univox Univibe, and the Leslie speaker, more specifically the Fender Vibratone.

Grammy Awards

  • 1984: Best Traditional Blues Album for Blues Explosion (Various Artists)
  • 1989: Best Contemporary Blues Album for In Step (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble)
  • 1990: Best Contemporary Blues Album for Family Style (The Vaughan Brothers)
  • 1990: Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "D/Fw" (The Vaughan Brothers)
  • 1992: Best Contemporary Blues Album for The Sky Is Crying (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble)
  • 1992: Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "Little Wing" (Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble)[17]

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Contributions

See also

References

  1. ^ Bluepower.com, Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  2. ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone Issue 931. Rolling Stone.
  3. ^ "NTSB Identification: CHI90MA244". NTSB Aviation Accident Database. National Transportation Safety Board. 9/11/1992. Retrieved 2009-07-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ Entitled "SRV", from the album Venus Isle
  5. ^ Stevie Ray Vaughan Remembrance Ride & Concert.
  6. ^ StevieRay.com - Fender.
  7. ^ Future Rock Hall entry for Stevie Ray Vaughan.
  8. ^ http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/043008dnmetindustrialnm.339c00c.html
  9. ^ Davis, History of the Blues, DaCapo 2003, p. 246.
  10. ^ "Strike Like Lightning".
  11. ^ The Stevie Ray Vaughan "Lenny" Stratocaster Guitar.
  12. ^ a b Stevie Ray's King Tone.
  13. ^ Hamiltone Custom Guitar Workshop.
  14. ^ The Hamiltone.
  15. ^ Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Jimbo".
  16. ^ Crossroads Guitar Auction.
  17. ^ Awards - Tommy Shannon.

External links

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