This day in HISTOROCK !! Stevie Ray Vaughan !!

       This day in HISTOROCK !!

                In 1990, the world lost an incredible talent when Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed, when the helicopter he was flying in, hit a man-made ski slope while trying to navigate through dense fog. Vaughan had played a show at Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, Wisconsin with Robert Cray & His Memphis Horns, and Eric Clapton. Vaughan was told by someone in Clapton's crew that three seats were open on a helicopter returning to Chicago with Clapton's crew, but it turned out there was only one seat left. Vaughan's brother had the last seat, but gave it up to Stevie when asked. Three members of Eric Clapton's entourage were also killed. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitarist's of all time !! About a year earlier on Aug 10/1989, SRV played here in Moncton,NB with the Stray Cats opening. I had managed to get tickets and backstage passes to the show, but was unable to get out of work. Major regret :-( Stevie came to prominence after performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982 !! People magazine's James McBride had this to say about Vaughan's performance : "He seemed to come out of nowhere, a Zorro-type figure in a riverboat gambler's hat, roaring into the '82 Montreux festival with a '59 Stratocaster at his hip and two flame-throwing sidekicks he called Double Trouble. He had no album, no record contract, no name, but he reduced the stage to a pile of smoking cinders and, afterward, everyone wanted to know who he was" This performance also caught the attention of David Bowie who called SRV to ask him to play on his new album Let's Dance !! SRV played on 6 of the 8 songs and also went on tour with Bowie, elevating his bright star even higher !! SRV found his own success with the release of Texas Flood in 1983, scoring hits with "Love Struck Baby' & Pride And Joy !! He went on to release 5 more albums including "Family Style'' with brother Jimmy and his last release before his death, aptly titled  "The Sky Is Crying" !!  On Stevie's last tour, here are some of the legend's that opened up for him : Stray Cats, Jeff Healey, BB King, Jeff Beck, Albert King & Buddy Guy !! What a list !! It's been 24 years since we lost Stevie, and the sky still cries !! Check out this awesome 1 hour  live video of SRV filmed in Toronto,Ontario at the El Mocambo nightclub !! RIP Stevie !!  

Keep on ROCKIN !!
Trike :-)