Canada … Jessy abdennur
Texan musician and arguably one of the most influential guitarists in history, Steve Ray Vaughan, died on August 27, 1990 in a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisconsin. Vaughan had played the night before with Eric Clapton, and when they left the next morning, the musicians split up into four helicopters that were to take them to Chicago. His helicopter crashed, killing all on board. Vaughan was only 35 years old.
“Vaughan might have remained simply a local or regional blues king if fate had not intervened. In 1982, Double Trouble manager Chesley Milliken gave his friend Mick Jagger a live tape of Vaughan and the band. Impressed , the Rolling Stones singer invited Double Trouble to play at a party in New York City, giving Vaughan valuable exposure away from Austin.That same year, legendary soul producer Jerry Wexler heard Vaughan and Double Trouble and called them had on the bill for the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. It was there that David Bowie and Jackson Browne heard Vaughan; Bowie invited Vaughan to play guitar on his album Let’s Dance (1983), and Browne offered his California studio so the band can cut some demo tracks.
Finally, John Hammond, the man who signed Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and many other greats to Columbia Records, brought Vaughan and Double Trouble to Epic Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Texas Flood, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s debut album and Double Trouble in 1983, released soon after, to critical acclaim. Featuring Vaughan’s striking guitar solos and backing from Layton and Shannon, the album won two Grammys and numerous other awards.
The group’s follow-up Couln’t Stand the Weather (1983) included “Voodoo Child”, the Jimi Hendrix classic that Vaughan made his own. The relentless tour lifted the album and brought in more fans. Keyboard player Reese Wynans, who had briefly played in a band with future Allman Brothers Dickey Betts and Berry Oakley in the late sixties, was added to the group, broadening their sound. Vaughan was now hailed as the “next Hendrix” and the “savior of the blues”, a term that is not entirely exaggerated.
To their credit, Vaughan and Double Trouble were careful not to play the part. Vaughan regularly praised those great blues artists who came before him, and he shared the stage with them whenever possible. Albert King was especially grateful for Vaughan’s rise and his friendship. The pair even recorded together.
Two more studio albums, Soul to Soul (1985) and In Step, sandwiched a live album, Live Alive (1989). More touring meant more time away from Austin and Brother Jimmie, who had hit it big with the fabulous Thunderbirds. The brothers were now blues royalty. But the fast life didn’t sit well with the Vaughans, especially Stevie. Alcohol and drugs began to hamper his music and his ability to deal with fame. Her marriage failed. His career failed. He continued to rely on his guitar to get him through the increasingly frequent difficult times, but it was clear he needed help.
Luckily he got it. He went into rehab, cleaned up, clarified his vision, and renewed his passion for the blues. In Step, released afterwards, was a big hit. A long-awaited album with Jimmie, Family Style (1990), has been completed. The Vaughan brothers, as they were about to bill themselves, looked poised for even greater success when tragedy struck.
On August 27, 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash just outside East Troy, Wisconsin after playing with Jimmie Vaughan, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray He was just 35 years old.
Since his passing, Vaughan’s presence is still felt – and missed – in American music. Almost every blues artist today claims an influence from Stevie Ray Vaugh. His intense performances, powerful solos, and deep, passionate love of music keep his blues flame burning.
