Look at any Top 10 lists of Blues guitarists and artists, and I’ll be surprised if you don’t find Stevie Ray Vaughan there. Although he only had a short
decade-long career, his material is the equivalent to the holy grail for any amateur and professional guitar player. I myself was introduced to him by my guitar teacher, and he is now what I consider to be the ultimate level of guitar playing – nothing is above him. Albert King and Jimi Hendrix are often cited as inspirations for Ray, and you can certainly hear it in his electric Blues, but more on his style later.
General Information
Stevie was born on October 3 1953 (which is now officially the “Stevie Ray Vaughan Day”) in Dallas, Texas. He never got any formal education for guitar playing or learned how to read sheet music, relying instead on his older brother, Jimmie Ray Vaughan, and on his own ears to teach him to play.He played along to songs by Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and Albert King with his first guitar, and eventually joined his first band in 1964. By the time he’d reached high school, Stevie could already play well enough to start earning money at local clubs.
In 1978 he and two of his friends formed their band Double Trouble with Stevie on lead vocals. They established a solid fan base within the state of Texas, but had a troubles finding a big break. This break came in several stages. In 1982, Mick Jagger saw the band’s talent and invited them to play at a private party in New York. That same year, SRV and Double Trouble travelled to Switzerland to play at the Montreux Blues & Jazz Festival (link provided). It was here where David Bowie (yes, you read that correctly) discovered Stevie Ray Vaughan and asked him to come play on his upcoming album, “Let’s Dance”.
Realising that there is some commercial value in Stevie Ray and Double Trouble, they signed a record deal with Epic, for who then ended up publishing their debut album, “Texas Flood” (some might say their best album). Finally, Stevie reached the ears and hearts of the entire country as rock and blues radio stations accross the US played his material, eventually allowing the debut album to reach 38th on the US album chart. The rest, as you would say, is history.
His alcohol abuse reportedly started when he was only six years old, when he would steal and mix alcohol from his alcoholic and abusive father’s stash.This abuse only got worse as time passed on, and escalated even quicker with his rise to fame. His lifestyle eventually lead to a breakdown of his marriage with Lenora Darlene Bailey, whom he married in 1979. In 1980, he was even caught by an off-duty cop consuming cocaine, resulting in a court sentence of 2 years probation in which he was not allowed to leave Texas – both decisions were ignored. It all culminated in a near-death experience while on tour in Europe, in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Stevie collapsed due to dehydration. His doctor in the London Clinic warned him that, at this pace, he had a month to live on this planet. For Stevie, this was the turning point, and he checked himself into a rehabilitation centre in Atlanta as soon as he returned to the USA.
As far as his tragic death is concerned, this link explains it better and further. However, the raw details are that, after a concert with Double Trouble, Eric Clapton and even Buddy Guy in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin, Stevie Rayand 3 members of Clapton’s entourage boarded a helicopter on a golf course bound for Chicago. Although the pilot had many hours of flight experience in fog with planes, he had very little experience flying helicopters in such conditions. Sadly, 5 lives, and among them a musical hero, died when the pilot crashed into the side of a mountain, only several miles from takeoff. Just exactly what was lost to the world will never be known… Anyway, lets look at some of his best hits to cheer up a bit!
The general public and I (or rather internet ranking sites and I) often have very opposing views on what an artist’s top tracks are, which is rather unsurprising as music taste is in its very nature extremely subejctive. So, to get rid of this minor hurdle, I’ll give you the best of both worlds: the public’s opinion, and mine.
Best Songs (public opinion)
Mary had a little Lamb – Originally written by Buddy Guy (another legendary bluesman) in 1968, Stevie Ray covered it for his debut album “Texas Flood”. Many people consider this album to be his best, and if you listen to it, you’ll know why. SRV’s best live performance of the song can be seen below, and you will not be able to help yourself from being sucked into the performance – I promise you will be tapping your feet or fingers in no time at all.
Cold Shot – A song from his second album “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” and a blues classic with some familiar motifs, i.e. drinking your problems away, drink after drink. This is one of SRV’s “slower” songs that was used to cool things down a bit in concerts. You might not find the most explosive riffs and licks here, but this song sure proves SRV is as dangerous with his voice as he is with his six string.
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Pride and Joy – To counterbalance the down-and-out atmosphere of Cold Shot, Pride and Joy makes a 180° turn and is the ultimate Pick-me-Up and lovesong. Also found on his first album, this was in fact Ray’s debut single and introduced many into the new age of electric blues. Pride and Joy is another proof that he can mix vocals with a bouncy shuffle.
Best Songs (personal opinion)
Love Struck Baby – The first song on his debut album, this song sets the pace for the whole album and Stevie’s entire career. It immediately throws you into the song, starting off with a lightning fast riff. Its an amazing love-song, and wbecause of its tempo, I can just picture this song playing loud while racing down Route 66 in a Camaro 68.
Crossfire – Staying true to his style, crossfire is another jumping song with great lyrics added into the mix aswell, although the awesome guitar picking in this live version would have been good enough on its own.
Honourable mention
Live at the El Mocambo – This performance was actually recommended to me by my guitar teacher, as he said this was the best performance he’d ever found. It’s an hour long, so maybe watch this in the evening while cooking or whatnot, but this is a visual as well as an audible masterpiece. The fact that this was performed in a small, crowded bar in Toronto, with an amazing atmosphere, just makes me think that this is how God intended Blues music to be heard and played.
Blues and Country 