B E A T

Although he spent much of his childhood in Dallas, Stevie Ray Vaughan (Like his older brother Jimmie, another distinguished guitarist) had his roots in Austin, some 200 miles to the southwest. He moved to the city as a teenager, and played in numerous local bands before forming the first incarnation of his own group, Double Trouble, there in 1980. Already well-known in the Austin area, Double trouble were talent spotted in 1981 bu veteran record producer Jerry Wexler ( Famous for his work with Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and other soul and blues greats). Wexler was instrumental in getting the band onto the bill of the major international festival of Jazz and Blues at Montreux, Switzerland, the following year. Double Trouble’s appearance there led to a recording contract with Epic – and also to an invitation from David Bowie, whoa happened to be in the audience, for Stevie Ray Vaughan to contribute to his forthcoming LP LET”S DANCE.

1983 saw the release first of David Bowie’s record, and then of Double Trouble’s debut, TEXAS FLOOD. Both were massively successful, and the band toured tirelessly to capitalize on their sudden breakthrough, finding time between gigs to record a follow-up album, COULDN’T STAND THE WEATHER, which appeared in mid-1984. However, the pressure of such widespread acclaim was to prove almost too much for Stevie Ray Vaughan. Suffering from drink and drug-related problems, he was forced to take a break from performing in 1986, after an arduous period in which he and his group had completed both a new studio LP (SOUL TO SOUL, 1985) and a double album of concert recordings, LIVE ALIVE, in 1986. Following his return from rehab (he remained drug free throughout the rest of his life), Vaughan resumed his daunting work schedule, duetting with surf guitarist Dick Dale (qv) in the movie ‘Back to the Beach’ (1987), playing live shows throughout the USA, and working on Double Trouble’s next album IN STEP, which appeared in 1989. It was awarded a Grammy award early the following year, and Vaughan and the band, now major stars, toured almost constantly that summer. The guitarist met his death in a helicopter crash shortly after completing a show in East Troy, Wisconsin, on August 27, 1990. His last completed album – a joint effort with his brother Jimmy, A FAMILY STYLE, was issued two months later.