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Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Dallas, Texas. He was the main guitarist and frontman for the musical trio "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" from 1978 to his death in 1990. Vaughan and his band-mates specialized in blues rock, and Vaughan was a key figure in the blues revival of the 1980s. He was killed in an accidental helicopter crash at the age of 35. His recordings continued to sell well following his death, and he has been cited as an influence on musicians of the blues, rock, and alternative genres.

In 1954, Vaughan was born in Dallas Texas. His father was Jimmie Lee "Big Jim" Vaughan (1921-1986), a World War II veteran who had served in the United States Navy. Vaughan's paternal grandparents were the sharecroppers Thomas Lee Vaughan (died in 1928) and Laura Belle LaRue. Laura was an amateur pianist and singer.

Vaughan reportedly had a difficult childhood. Big Jim (his father) struggled with alcohol abuse and had a violent temper. He was physically abusive with both his family and his friends. Vaughan idolized his own older brother, the aspiring musician Jimmie Vaughan (1951-). Vaughan wanted to become a musician as well, and unsuccessfully attempted to use the drums and the saxophone at an early age.

In 1961, Vaughan received a toy guitar as a gift. The guitar was a Western-themed "Wyatt Earp" model, a type produced by Jefferson Manufacturing from 1959 to 1968. Vaughan learned how to use the guitar by ear, and practiced on playing tunes by the Nightcaps. The Nightcaps (his favorite band) were a Dallas-based blues band. Vaughan would later study the music recordings of the guitarists Albert King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Lonnie Mack, and Kenny Burrell. He tried to emulate their playing-style, in order to improve his own guitar skills.

In 1963, Vaughan received a hand-me-down electric guitar from his brother Jimmie. It was a Gibson ES-125T, a model popular from 1941 to 1970. In 1965, Vaughan joined the Chantones, his first band. They participated in a talent show, but were unable to perform a Jimmy Reed song in its entirety. Vaughan was disappointed and quit the band.

During his early teen years, Vaughan performed professionally at local bars and clubs. He performed with a local band, the Brooklyn Underground. He met with the disapproval of both his parents, and he was increasingly miserable in his home life. In 1969, Vaughan auditioned for a position in the pop rock band Southern Distributor. He was hired after impressing the band-mates with a perfect rendition of the song "Jeff's Boogie" by the the Yardbirds. However, his fascination with the blues met with the band's disapproval, as they believed that nobody could make a living by playing the blues. The band soon disbanded.

Later in 1969, Vaughan had a jam session with the experienced bass guitarist Tommy Shannon (1946-). They liked each other's style, and would on occasion perform together over the following years. In February 1970, Vaughan became the main guitarist of the band Liberation. The group's original guitarist, Scott Phares, stepped down from that role. He believed that Vaughan outclassed him in guitar performances. Later in 1970, the band performed with another new Texas-based band, called ZZ Top (1969-).

In September 1970, Vaughan recorded two songs with the band Cast of Thousands. The songs were intended for a compilation album, and were the first studio recordings in Vaughan's career. In January 1971, Vaughan quit the band Liberation in order to form his own band. He called the new band Blackbird. At that point, Vaughan decided to drop out of high school and move to Austin, Texas with his band-mates. Austin reputedly had more liberal and tolerant audiences than Dallas, and Vaughan was frustrated with the conservative culture of Dallas.

In Austin, Vaughan took residence in the blues club Rolling Hills Club. He and Blackbird opened shows for bands such as Sugarloaf, Wishbone Ash, and Zephyr. Success eluded them, and the band had a frequent changes in its membership. Vaughan himself quit the band in December 1972. He served for 3 months as a new member of the band Krackerjack.

In March 1973, Vaughan joined the band Nightcrawlers. The band included a number of his old acquaintances as members. They recorded an album at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, but it was rejected by a record company. The album included Vaughan's first songwriting efforts, "Dirty Pool" and "Crawlin". Later that year, the band signed a contract with music impresario Bill Ham (1937 -2016). Ham arranged gigs for them across the Southern United States, but was disappointed at the lack of audience interest in their performances. Ham left the band stranded in Mississippi, and later wanted the members to reimburse for his expenses.

In 1975, Vaughan joined the band "Paul Ray and the Cobras". He started giving weekly performances at Austin clubs. In late 1976, Vaughan and his new band recorded their first single. It was released in February 1977, to positive reviews by the local music press. The band topped a poll by the counterculture newspaper "Austin Sun" (1974-1978), voted by the readers as the band of the year. Vaughan went on a tour with the band.

In the autumn of 1977, Vaughan was disappointed to learn that the Cobras planned to change their music style and to strive for a "mainstream" musical direction. He soon quit the band, and formed the new band Triple Threat Revue. In January 1978, the new band recorded four songs. These were their only audio recordings, as they disbanded for unknown reasons. Vaughan had written the lyrics to one of their songs.

In May 1978, Vaughan co-founded the band Double Trouble with the singer Lou Ann Barton (1954-) and the drummer Fredde "Pharaoh" Walden. They named themselves after the title of a song by Otis Rush. Walden quit the band in July, and was briefly replaced by Jack Moore. Moore himself quit the band by early September, replaced by Chris Layton (1955-). Vaughan and Layton would continue performing together until 1990.

Vaughan's personal life underwent changes in the summer of 1978. He first met and befriended Lenora "Lenny" Bailey. The two soon started a romantic relationship to each other. They were married in December 1979, at Vaughan's insistence. The marriage lasted until 1988, ending in a divorce. Lenny was Vaughan's only wife, and his longest-lasting romantic relationship.

In October 1978, Vaughan and his band became resident performers at the Rome Inn, at the time one of the most popular music venues in Austin. In November 1979, Vaughan himself signed a management contract with Chesley Millikin. Millikin was the manager of Manor Downs, a horse racetrack which was also used as a music venue. In October 1980, Tommy Shannon applied for a position with the band. Vaughan thought about it, and recruited him in early 1981. Vaughan and Shannon would continue performing together until 1990.

In July 1982, Vaughan and his band were booked for the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. They were booed by part of the audience, leaving Vaughan depressed. However, the performance impressed some music lovers. The band was soon booked for a performance at the lounge of the Montreux Casino, and were offered use of Jackson Browne's personal recording studio in downtown Los Angeles. They took the offer and recorded ten songs in two days.

While staying in Los Angeles, Vaughan was approached by famous musician David Bowie (1976-2016). They had met in Montreux, and Vaughan had made a favorable impression. Bowie wanted Vaughan to perform as a guitarist in his next studio album, "Let's Dance". Vaughan accepted. In January 1983, Vaughan performed on six of the album's eight songs. One of them was a new rendition of "China Girl", which Bowie had co-written in 1977. The album was released in April 1983, to massive commercial success. It became Bowie's best-selling album, and EMI's fastest-selling record since the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967).

In March 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble signed a contract with Epic Records (1953-). The company was a music subsidiary of CBS Records. It became a leading record label of the 1980s, after signing contracts with such music stars of the era as Michael Jackson and Gloria Estefan. The company financed Double Trouble's music video "Love Struck Baby", a first for the band.

In April 1983, Vaughan initially agreed to perform with David Bowie in the concert tour Serious Moonlight Tour. Vaughan quit the tour days before its opening date in May 1983, due to the failure of contract re-negotiations for his performance fee. Although he was mildly disappointed at the lack of an agreement, the publicity generated by his resignation boosted Vaughan's fame. In early May 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble opened a New York City show for Bryan Adams (1959-). At the time, the music press commented that Vaughan was more impressive than Adams.

Vaughan released his debut studio album in June 1983, "Texas Flood". The album peaked at 38th place on the Billboard 200 chart shortly after its release, despite part of the press complaining about Vaughan's supposed lack of originality. Two of its songs were nominated for Grammy Awards. On June 16, Vaughan gave a performance at Tango nightclub in Dallas, in order to celebrate the album's release. About 700 people attended the performance, including radio station personalities and executives from New York City. Based on the album's success Double Trouble were booked as the opening act for a two-months tour with The Moody Blues, receiving 5,000 dollars for each performance. For the first time, the band was performing in crowded coliseums.

In January 1984, Vaughan and his band recorded their second album, "Couldn't Stand the Weather". They were joined by several other musicians for the recordings, including Jimmie Vaughan. The album was released in May 1984, and quickly outsold its predecessor. It peaked at number 31, and spent 38 weeks on the charts. The album confirmed that Vaughan's acclaimed debut was no fluke, and Vaughan was considered a leader in the then-ongoing commercial revival of the blues genre. Having played blues for most of his life, Vaughan had no real need to change his style.

In October 1984, Vaughan headlined a performance at Carnegie Hall. His concert included several guest musicians, with vocalist Angela Strehli (1945-) performing with them. They performed in front of an audience of 2,200 people, including Vaughan's wife and his family. The performance was recorded and later released as an official live LP. In late 1984, the band toured Australia and New Zealand. In November 1984, they played two successful concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Vaughan took a short vacation in December, and toured Japan in January 1985.

In March 1985, Vaughan and his band started recording their third album, "Soul to Soul". Vaughan had trouble with their recording sessions. He suffered from a lack of inspiration, and he had trouble concentrating due to an excessive use of alcohol and other drugs. In April 1985, Vaughan performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in the Houston Astrodome. He was barely lucid at the time. His performance was booed by the audience, and the music press noted that nobody had asked Vaughan for his autograph.

"Soul to Soul" was released in September 1985, to great commercial success. It peaked at 34th place on the Billboard 200, and remained in the charts through mid-1986. However, it did not match the sales of their previous album. The press commented that Vaughan was running out of gas. Vaughan himself commented in an interview about the troubled production of the album, though he felt that his band still managed to stay strong.

In 1985 and 1986, Vaughan and his band spend nearly 10th months in constant touring. They did not have time for recording sessions. Epic Records eventually notified them that they were under contractual obligation to record a 4th album. Vaughan decided to record the new LP ( "Live Alive") during three live appearances in Austin and Dallas. They used recordings of their concerts to assemble the LP, with Vaughan himself serving as the producer. What they recorded, however, were "chaotic jams with no control".

"Live Alive" was released in November 1986. It peaked at the 52nd place at the Billboard 200. Music critics complained about Vaughan's "uneven playing" in these recordings. Vaughan later commented in an interview that he was in a bad shape at the time, and that the recordings sounded like "the work of half-dead people".

Back in September 1986, Vaughan collapsed after a performance in Germany. He was suffering from near-fatal dehydration, and required medical treatment. The experience convinced Vaughan to quit drugs, and to seek rehabilitation. He spend months in three different rehab clinics, located in London, Atlanta, and Austin. He was released in November 1986, and required positive reassurance to start performing again. He started a new tour on November 23.

In January 1987, Vaughan filed for a divorce from his wife Lenny. The legal proceedings restricted him from taking part in new music projects. He could not write or and record songs for almost two years. His band-mates composed the new song "Crossfire" without him. Vaughan was ,however, able to appear with them in concerts. Vaughan toured Europe with the band in 1988, ending his concert appearances in Finland.

In 1988, Vaughan's divorce was finalized. He and his band started recording their fourth and final studio album, "In Step". Vaughan wrote songs about addiction and redemption, and the album's liner notes contained references to the twelve-step program proposed by the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The album was released in June 1989. It peaked at 33rd on the Billboard 200, spending 47 weeks on the chart. Critics took note of songs with "startling emotional honesty", remarking that Vaughan's songwriting ability had improved.

On August 27, 1990, Vaughan performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre, located in the Alpine Valley Resort of East Troy, Wisconsin. He was performing with members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage. Vaughan departed the music venue with a Bell 206B helicopter, as the only road in and out of the area was nearly inaccessible due to heavy traffic. The helicopter crashed into a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff. Vaughan was killed, along with the pilot and three other passengers. Vaughan was only 35-years-old at the time of his death.

At the time of the accident, there were foggy conditions in the area, resulting in low visibility for the pilot. A later investigation determined that the pilot was qualified to fly by instruments in a fixed-wing aircraft, but had no such qualifications for flying a helicopter. Vaughan was buried at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas, with his funeral attended by 3,000 mourners. In 1993, a memorial statue of Vaughan was unveiled in Austin.

Awards

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Grammy Awards

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