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Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990)

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stephen Ray Vaughan was born on October 3, 1954 in Dallas Texas. Age 7, Stevie Ray Vaughn gets his first guitar, a Sears toy guitar with western motif and two years later Stevie Ray Vaughan gets his first electric guitar, inspired by older brother Jimmie Vaughan. When he was in junior high school, Stevie Ray Vaughn began playing in a number of garage bands, which occasionally landed gigs in local nightclubs. Stevie Ray Vaughan's first real band was The Cobras, who played clubs and bars in Austin during the mid-'70s. Following that group Stevie Ray Vaughan formed Triple Threat in 1975. After a few years of playing Texas bars and clubs, the vocalist Lou Ann Barton left the band in 1978. The group decided to continue performing under the name Double Trouble, which was inspired by the Otis Rush song of the same name; Stevie Ray Vaughan became the band's lead singer. For the next few years, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble played the Austin area, becoming one of the most popular bands in Texas. In 1982, the band played the Montreux Festival and their performance caught the attention of David Bowie and Jackson Browne. They recorded together Bowie's Let's Dance Album in late 1982. Shortly afterward, John Hammond, Sr. landed Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble a record contract with Epic, and the band recorded its debut album. Texas Flood, was released in the summer of 1983. Mid -80's, Stevie Ray Vaughan professional career was soaring, he sinks deep into alcoholism and drug addiction. All the same Stevie Ray Vaughan performed a number of concerts in 1988, including a headlining gig at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and wrote his fourth album. The resulting record, In Step, appeared in June of 1989 and became his most successful album, earning a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Recording, and going gold just over six months after its release. In the late summer of 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble set out on an American headlining tour. On August 26, 1990, their East Troy, WI, gig concluded with an encore jam featuring guitarists Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert Cray. After the concert, Stevie Ray Vaughan boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago. Minutes later, the helicopter crashed, killing Stevie Ray Vaughan and the other four passengers. Stevie Ray Vaughan was only 35 years old.

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