Stevie Ray Vaughan, an American Blues Guitar Virtuoso

Stephen “Stevie” Ray Vaughan was an American blues guitar virtuoso born in Dallas, Texas on October 3, 1954 and helped lead the exciting blues revival of the 1980’s. Since his death on August 27, 1990 in a tragic helicopter crash he has been remembered as one of the most accomplished and important electric blues musicians in the music industry.

Vaughan’s work on the guitar was inspired by classic blues musicians, including Albert King, Otis Rush and the group Muddy Waters. But his playing was also heavily influenced by great rockers, such as Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack along with jazz guitarists like Kenny Burrell. Because Vaughan mixed so many genres in his guitar playing, he created a new, driving style that crossed musical boundaries and set him apart from other guitarists of his time. He brought forth the revival of the blues and connected blues and rock in a way that no other guitarist or musician had since the 1960’s.

Vaughan began playing guitar as a young child in Dallas at the urging of his musical older brother Jimmie. In junior high school, he started playing with garage bands and was able to gig occasionally at local clubs. He dropped out of high school before age 17 to start focusing fully on his music, and to fully explore his dexterity on the guitar. Vaughan’s first significant band was called the Cobras and with them he played many local bars in Austin during the 1970’s, but achieved nothing beyond local popularity. In 1975, upon the break-up of the Cobras, he formed the band Triple Threat with bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Christ Layton and singer Lou Ann Barton. Together, these musicians played many Texas clubs until Barton decided to part ways with the band three years later. In 1978, the three remaining members reformed the band and its concept and changed the name to Double Trouble, as a nod to the Otis Rush song. Vaughan took over on lead vocals, and the band quickly became one of the most popular acts in Texas.

Tommy Shannon took over for Newhouse in 1981, and in 1982 the band played the Montreux Jazz Festival, a performance that caught leading rock stars David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Even though the audience was initially put off by Vaughan’s unique mixing of blues and hard rock, other musicians immediately recognized his talent, and Bowie asked Vaughan to lend his guitar-playing to his next album. Browne eagerly offered Double Trouble free studio time in Los Angeles. Vaughan lent his talents to Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” album, playing guitar on “Let’s Dance” and “China Girl.” Vaughan’s special guitar sound was based partially on the fact that he used very heavy thirteen gauge strings, creating a resonance that was heavy and fiery. His playing style offered both lead and rhythm parts played simultaneously and worked well in both the blues and hard rock arenas. Many drew comparison between his playing and that of legend Jimi Hendrix, one of Vaughan’s admitted idols, and he often covered Hendrix songs on both his studio albums and during live performances.

Shortly after Vaughan collaborated with Bowie and Browne, Double Trouble and Vaughan were asked by John Hammond, Sr. to record with Epic. In less than a week, Vaughan and his band were able to finish Double Trouble’s debut album at Downtown Studios. This album, “Texas Flood” came out in the summer of 1983, mere months after Bowie released “Let’s Dance.” While “Let’s Dance” brought Vaughan into the spotlight, “Texas Flood” received rave reviews in both blues and rock magazines and became number 38 on the music charts. Songs from the album were played on rock stations throughout the world.

Although David Bowie requested that Vaughan join him on his 1983 stadium tour as lead guitarist, he turned the job down because he wanted to continue to play with Double Trouble. Vaughan and his band went on tour and then came out with a second album in May of 1984, “Couldn’t Stand the Weather,” which was even more of a raging success than the first effort “Texas Flood.” When “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” went gold in 1985, Double Trouble decided to create a bigger sound and added keyboardist Reese Wynans before they quickly produced their third album, “Soul to Soul” in August of 1985.

Even though Vaughan’s professional life was a success in the mid-1980’s, personally the guitarist was falling into a pit of alcoholism and drug addiction. With his health declining, he continued to push his recording, song-writing and guitar playing and released a double live album “Live Alive” in 1986 to herald a long American tour in 1987. Realizing his life and creativity were at stake if he didn’t get his addictions under control, Vaughan checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic after the 1987 tour. The guitarist put his musical life on hold while in rehab and he and Double Trouble severely limited their playing for the next year so he could get his life back on track.

In 1988, Vaughan emerged once again to perform many different live shows, including a big one at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Feeling refreshed and healthy, he wrote his fourth album “In Step,” which was released in June of 1989 and became his most well-crafted, thoughtful and successful album. The album reached gold status just six months after it was released and earned him a prestigious Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Recording, solidifying his recovery from addiction and his place as the leader of progressive blues music.

In the spring of 1990, Vaughan recorded an album with his brother Jimmie Vaughan, scheduled to be released in the fall of the same year. That summer, Vaughan and Double Trouble embarked on an American headlining tour. On August 26, 1990 their memorable East Troy, WI show ended with an encore of guitar virtuosos led by Vaughan and other legends including Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. It was after this incredibly performance that Vaughan, in a hurry to get back to Chicago, decided to take the last seat in a helicopter headed there. Just minutes after 12:30 a.m., the helicopter crashed violently, killing Vaughan at age 35 and the other four passengers.

Vaughan’s duet album with his brother Jimmie, “Family Style” was released in October of 1990 and entered the charts at number seven. This album spawned a series of posthumous releases by the blues guitar legend that were just as successful, and even more successful than those he released during his lifetime.

Stevie Ray Vaughan used favored many types of guitars in recording sessions and live performances, including some acoustics and a Hamiltone Custom, but mainly used Fender Stratocasters. He was known most for using a Stratocaster with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. The instrument had a “1962” marker on the neck and body but “1959” on the pickups. Even though many believed the musician used bass frets, he actually used “jumbo” Dunlop 6105’s. On his favorite Strat he also had a left-handed tremelo installed to make the sound quality even more unique. He often referred to this guitar in interviews as “Number One” or “First Wife. The instrument was built to accommodate his large hands and thick fingers and helped him be as dexterous as possible in his playing.

Stevie Ray Vaughan sheet music and guitar tabs can be found by clicking on this link: Free Sheet Music Downloads!

DISCOGRAPHY:

Studio Albums:

“Texas Flood,” 1983
“Couldn’t Stand the Weather,” 1984
“Soul to Soul,” 1985
“In Step,” 1989
“Family Style” (with brother Jimmie Vaughan as “The Vaughan Brothers”), 1990
“The Sky is Crying,” released posthumously 1991

Live Audio Releasers:

“In the Beginning,” recorded 1980
“In Session,” recorded with Albert King, 1983
“Live at Carnegie Hall,” recorded 1984
“Live Alive,” recorded 1986