Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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VAUGHAN, Stevie Ray

(b 3 Oct. '54, Dallas TX; d 27 Aug. '90 in helicopter crash, Troy WI) Blues guitarist. Younger brother of Fabulous Thunderbirds' Jimmie; absorbed his brother's collection of B. B. King, Lonnie Mack, Albert Collins records; by age eight played with the Chantones, later Cream- infl. group Blackbird. Dropped out of school to join the Nightcrawlers (cut LP in LA, never released); played with locally renowned Cobras '75--7 before forming own Triple Threat Revue with W. C. Clark, guitar and Lou Ann Burton, vocals. Formed Double Trouble '81, named after Otis Rush song: bassist Tommy Shannon (ex-Johnny Winter), drummer Chris 'Whipper' Layton (ex-Greazy Brothers). Offered free studio time by Jackson Browne; came in for attention from CBS prod. John Hammond; after rave reviews from Montreux Jazz Festival April '82, used studio time to make Texas Flood '83 with Hammond. Had attracted more big-time fans: played private audition in NYC for Rolling Stones April '82, while David Bowie asked him to play lead on his Let's Dance '83. Double Trouble's Couldn't Stand The Weather '84, again prod. by Hammond, paid homage to Jimi Hendrix with cover of 'Voodoo Chile', also incl. Jimmy Reed's 'Tin Pan Alley', four originals. Soul To Soul continued the pattern with Willie Dixon's 'You'll Be Mine', but adding Reese Wynons on keyboards gave the music a more modern edge, which purist critics seemed surprisingly happy with. Two-disc stage set Live Alive '86 was acclaimed; studio set In Step '89 with Double Trouble in a rootsy bar-band style was his first to chart in UK; Family Style '90 was a Vaughan Brothers album prod. by Nile Rodgers in three different studios. Vaughan played with Johnny Copeland, prod. Mack and Albert King; with reverence for established blues legends, he was the Johnny Winter of the '80s and was widening his scope: he worked with composer Tom Newman on Gung Ho soundtrack '85, was scoring film Judgement Day, said to be contributing to second LP by eclectic percussionist Brian Slawson (b c'57; debut on Columbia Bach On Wood was followed by Distant Drums '88). A Tribute To Stevie Ray Vaughan '95 on Epic was recorded live, prod. by Jimmie, contributions from him, Bonnie Raitt, B. B. King, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and Mac Rebennack.