Stevie Ray Vaughan revived blues guitar in his heyday during the 1980s. He was compared to Jimi Hendrix, Otis Rush, and Muddy Waters. From playing guitar as a child to becoming the lead singer for the Texas band Double Trouble, with talent like his, it’s no wonder he started working with David Bowie and Jackson Browne.
Photo by Geoffrey Swaine, Shutterstock / Laubach, Mediapunch, Shutterstock / Gwinn, Mediapunch, Shutterstock
Despite his famed struggles with alcohol, Vaughan gave the impression that he was finally back on track and “in step,” just like the title of his last album. The 1989 album, In Step, earned him a Grammy. But sadly, it turned out to be the last album he would make (non-posthumously). Vaughan’s musical career and life were cut short in 1990 by a tragic helicopter accident. He was just 35. What’s worse is that the crash has since proven to have been preventable.
This is his story.