Stephen "Stevie" Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Often referred to by his initials SRV, Vaughan is best known as a founding member and leader of Double Trouble. Together with drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon, they ignited the blues revival of the 1980s. With a career spanning seven years, Vaughan and Double Trouble consistently sold out concerts while their albums frequently went gold.

He was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and for a short period of time lived in Graham, Texas. [1] As the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan, Vaughan started playing the guitar at age seven and formed several bands that occasionally performed in local nightclubs. At age 17, he dropped out of high school and moved to Austin to further pursue his musical career, joining groups such as Krackerjack, the Nightcrawlers, and the Cobras. In 1977, he formed Triple Threat Revue, a band that eventually evolved into Double Trouble and regularly performed around Austin. In 1982, Vaughan and Double Trouble performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, catching the attention of musicians David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Bowie asked Vaughan to play on his upcoming studio album Let's Dance, while Browne offered the band free use of his personal studio in Los Angeles to record an album.

In March 1983, Vaughan and Double Trouble were signed to Epic Records by veteran record producer John Hammond Sr. and released their debut album, Texas Flood in June of that year. After successful touring, the group released the albums, Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984) and Soul to Soul (1985), the latter of which featured new keyboardist Reese Wynans. Although his career had progressed successfully, Vaughan checked into a rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta, Georgia to give up a cocaine and alcohol habit and returned to touring with the band. In June 1989, In Step was released and earned them a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Performance. On August 27, 1990, Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash following a performance in East Troy, Wisconsin.

Vaughan's uniquely eclectic yet intense style was derived from a variety of musical genres. He was influenced by blues musicians including Albert King, Freddie King, Otis Rush, and Muddy Waters, and rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack. His guitar playing reflected the classic blues and pentatonic scales. He has received wide critical recognition for his guitar playing, ranking at #7 on Rolling Stone's list of "100 Greatest Guitarists" in 2001. He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2000 and a memorial statue was erected in Austin's Auditorium Shores park. Stevie Ray Vaughan is widely considered to be one of the greatest musicians to come from the state of Texas.

Vaughan was urged by a doctor to check into Peachford Hospital, a drug rehabilitation clinic in Atlanta, to begin a full recovery.[76] About a month later, he checked out of Peachford and went back to touring.[77] Fully recovered and healthy, Vaughan began living a more spiritual, ascetic lifestyle. To maintain his sobriety and prevent a relapse, Vaughan removed a stipulation for being provided with alcohol backstage.[78] He remained drug and alcohol free for the rest of his life.[79]

In October 1988, Vaughan began recording his fourth studio album with Double Trouble, In Step (1989);[80] he enjoyed the chance the album gave him to express his experience with sobriety.[81] Vaughan brought with him his deep devotion to music and sobriety, which had an impact on the band's positive attitude during the album. His goal to improve his guitar playing on the album was largely driven by a desire to make better music, or as drummer Chris Layton put it, more "essential music".[82] Many of the songs written for In Step were composed during the Live Alive Tour.[83] The album was stylistically unlike their previous albums, with less blues and more original, groove-oriented material.

In January 1990, Vaughan gave a speech at an AA meeting; a recording and transcript of the speech have been widely circulated on the internet.[84] On January 30, Vaughan made a guest appearance on MTV Unplugged in New York City, performing "Rude Mood", "Pride and Joy", and "Testify".[85] In March, Vaughan collaborated with his brother, Jimmie, to record Family Style, produced by Nile Rodgers[86] which was released on September 25, 1990.[87] Containing ten songs, the album was a long-awaited project for both brothers; Jimmie said that the sessions "seemed natural" and "almost like we were back home".[88] Vaughan said, "We've probably gotten closer making this record than we have been since we were little kids at home, and I can honestly say I needed it."[6]

Birth name Stephen Ray Vaughan
Also known as SRV
Born October 3, 1954
Dallas, Texas, United States
Died August 27, 1990 (aged 35)
East Troy, Wisconsin, United States
Genres Blues, rock, blues rock, electric blues, Texas blues, jazz blues
Occupations Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer
Instruments Guitar, vocals, bass, drums
Years active 1965–1990
Labels Epic, Legacy, Sony
Associated acts Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall, David Bowie, Lonnie Mack, Albert King, Jeff Beck
Website srvofficial.com

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