Stephen Ray Vaughan, also known as SRV, was an American musician. He was born on October 3, 1954 and passed away on August 27, 1990. He is best known for being the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Even though he only had a mainstream career for seven years, he is considered one of the most influential musicians in the history of blues music and one of the greatest guitarists ever. He happened to be the younger brother of guitarist Jimmie Vaughan.
Vaughan was born and raised in Dallas. He started playing guitar when he was seven years old, and his older brother Jimmie Vaughan was his initial inspiration. He decided to leave high school in 1972 and relocated to Austin. Once there, he started performing at various clubs in the area and gradually started building a fan base.
In 1978, Vaughan teamed up with Tommy Shannon on bass and Chris Layton on drums to form a band called Double Trouble. They quickly became a prominent part of the Austin music scene and gained a lot of popularity, making them one of the most well-known acts in Texas. In 1982, he had the opportunity to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and it was during this event that David Bowie had the chance to witness his incredible performance.
Bowie reached out to him about a studio opportunity, which led to Vaughan playing blues guitar on the album Let’s Dance (1983). After that, he caught the attention of John Hammond, who got major label Epic Records interested in signing Vaughan and his band to a record deal.
They quickly gained mainstream success within a few months thanks to their critically acclaimed debut album, Texas Flood. Vaughan’s career took off in the 1980s thanks to his numerous appearances on network television and his extensive concert tours. He quickly became the prominent figure in the blues revival during that time.
He became famous in Europe by playing his guitar in unique ways, such as behind his back or using his teeth like Jimi Hendrix. This fame later paved the way for other guitar players like Robert Cray, Jeff Healey, Robben Ford, and Walter Trout to achieve success.
Stevie Ray Vaughan Children
Stevie Ray Vaughan, the incredible American blues guitarist, didn’t have any kids. It’s really sad that Stevie Ray Vaughan’s life ended so abruptly in a helicopter crash on August 27, 1990, when he was only 35 years old. At the time of his passing, he wasn’t married and didn’t have any children that we know of.
