Stevie Ray Vaughan's remarkable command of the electric guitar placed him among the top contemporary blues performers of his time, sparking fresh enthusiasm for the style beginning in the 1980s. He absorbed influences in balanced proportion from blues figures such as Albert King, Otis Rush, and Muddy Waters, rock and roll guitarists including Jimi Hendrix and Lonnie Mack, and the occasional jazz player like Kenny Burrell, crafting a singularly diverse and intense sound that stood apart from any other guitarist irrespective of genre. No artist had connected blues and rock as seamlessly since the close of the 1960s. Crossover recognition followed through work with David Bowie, James Brown, and Stevie Wonder plus rock radio successes such as the singles "Pride and Joy" and "Crossfire." Those accomplishments supported gold certifications for albums including Texas Flood in 1983, Couldn't Stand the Weather during 1984, and the Grammy-winning Soul to Soul released in 1985. Teaming with his brother, the comparably skilled guitarist Jimmie Vaughan, he reached the Billboard 200 top ten with Family Style in 1990. His sudden death later that year only reinforced his permanent mark on blues and American rock and roll.
Born and raised in Dallas, Vaughan took up guitar in childhood after the example of his older brother Jimmie. While still in junior high he joined several garage bands that sometimes secured shows in neighborhood clubs. At age 17 he left high school to focus entirely on music. His first established group was the Cobras, which performed in Austin clubs and bars throughout the mid-1970s. After that ensemble ended, he assembled Triple Threat in 1975. The lineup also included bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton, and vocalist Lou Ann Barton. Following several years of Texas club dates, Barton departed in 1978. The remaining members elected to continue as Double Trouble, a name drawn from the Otis Rush song; Vaughan assumed lead vocal duties.
Over the ensuing years Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble performed regularly around Austin and became one of the most prominent acts in Texas. Their appearance at the 1982 Montreux Festival drew notice from David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Bowie subsequently invited Vaughan to contribute guitar to his next album, while Browne provided free studio time at Downtown in Los Angeles; both offers were taken. Vaughan recorded the lead guitar parts for Bowie's Let's Dance album in late 1982. Shortly afterward John Hammond, Sr. secured a contract with Epic Records, and the band completed its debut album in under a week at Downtown.
Texas Flood, the group's first album, appeared in summer 1983 several months after Bowie's Let's Dance reached stores. Although Let's Dance itself brought Vaughan considerable visibility, Texas Flood achieved major blues success; it earned favorable notices in both blues and rock outlets, climbed to number 38 on the charts, and received airplay on album rock stations. Bowie offered Vaughan the lead guitar slot on his 1983 stadium tour, yet Vaughan declined in order to continue with Double Trouble. The band embarked on a strong tour and soon cut its second album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, issued in May 1984. That record outperformed its predecessor, reaching number 31 and attaining gold status by the close of 1985. Keyboardist Reese Wynans joined in 1985 prior to the recording of Soul to Soul. Released in August 1985, the album also performed solidly, peaking at number 34.
While his career advanced rapidly, Vaughan descended further into alcoholism and drug dependence. Despite deteriorating health he maintained a demanding schedule, issuing the double-live set Live Alive in October 1986 and beginning an extensive American tour in early 1987. After the tour concluded he entered rehabilitation. Details remained largely private, and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble stayed largely inactive for the following year. Vaughan resumed select performances in 1988, among them a headline appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and prepared material for his fourth album. In Step arrived in June 1989 and proved his strongest commercial release to that point, reaching number 33, securing a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Recording, and attaining gold certification within six months.
During spring 1990 Stevie Ray recorded a joint album with Jimmie slated for autumn release. In late summer the band launched another American headlining tour. Their August 26 concert in East Troy, Wisconsin, closed with a jam featuring Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert Cray. After the show Stevie Ray boarded a helicopter for Chicago. The aircraft crashed minutes after its 12:30 a.m. departure, killing Vaughan and the remaining four passengers. He was 35.
Family Style, the duet album with Jimmie, appeared in October and debuted at number seven. It inaugurated a sequence of posthumous releases that matched the popularity of Vaughan's lifetime catalog. The Sky Is Crying, a set of studio outtakes assembled by Jimmie, arrived in October 1991, entered the charts at number ten, and reached platinum three months later. In the Beginning, documenting a 1980 Double Trouble performance, surfaced in fall 1992, followed by the compilation Greatest Hits in 1995. Vaughan's original albums received remastering and reissue in 1999 alongside The Real Deal: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. The four-disc box SRV, emphasizing outtakes, live recordings, and rarities, appeared in 2000.
