Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990) Stephen "Stevie" Ray Vaughan (Dallas, October 3, 1954 - East Troy, August 27, 1990) was an American blues guitarist.
was born in Dallas by Jim and Martha Vaughan, but moved at a young age in Austin, Texas. Start very young to play the guitar, following in the footsteps of his older brother Jimmie (also known musician, guitarist Fabulous Thunderbids future).
At 17 years leaves school to devote himself completely to music.
Stevie is totally self-taught and without any knowledge of music theory: he plays, sings and composes by ear. In an interview in 1983 tells how to practice it were often automatically looking at the television sports broadcasting.
The first group to which it belongs are the Cast Of Thousands, in 1971. In 1973 he passed to the "Nightcrawlers", with whom he recorded a demo. Since 1975 is part of Paul Ray & the Cobras with whom he recorded the album "Texas Clover," especially prized by collectors.
With the dissolution of the Cobras in 1977 as the Triple Threat Revue, joining the singer Lou Ann Barton. After the first successes in the local area of \u200b\u200bAustin, the group changed its name to Double Trouble (inspired by the eponymous song by Otis Rush), and Stevie Ray Vaughan becomes leader. Besides him, the group includes drummer Chris Layton and bassist Jackie Newhouse. In November 1979 this training records an album that will never be officially released. The band's repertoire is blues-rock and roll. Begin the first major radio appearances (one of which will be published posthumously on the album In The Beginning).
singer Lou Ann Barton left the band in 1980 and Tommy Shannon takes the place of Jackie Newhouse in 1981, coming to settle the final formation accompanying Stevie Ray Vaughan to success.
Producer Jerry Wexler sees Vaughan on the advice of Mick Jagger and July of 1982 brought him together with Double Trouble at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The exhibition, despite the copious whistles of the audience little used to the raw sounds of blues guitarist extraction, aroused the interest of the international star David Bowie in the audience who decides to hire him for the recording of the album "Let's Dance" and for the world tour following the album. A few days into the tour, however, leaves Vaughan Bowie as little satisfied in playing a kind of music uncongenial to him, then back to Texas from Double Trouble.
1983 was the debut of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble Album Texas Flood, recorded with producer John Hammond at Columbia Records. With the help of Jackson Browne (who was also present at the exhibition of SRV Montreux) that puts available free of their recording studios, the album was recorded in just three days. Some of the pieces were published entirely recorded live with no minimum subsequent additions or changes.
Success is confirmed and enhanced with the next album: Could not Stand the Weather (1984), which includes one of the most celebrated performances of Stevie Ray Vaughan "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix. The promotional tour touches Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The ironic music video for the song Cold Shot is broadcast frequently in Italy.
In 1985 he quit the Soul To Soul album that sees inclusion in the group of keyboardist Reese Wynans, considered as the third Double Trouble (even if they will never officially part). The songs reveal a more purely rock connotation of earlier, breaking away from the raw sounds of blues harmonies and original works. The album has a large international following.
1985 is the year of return to the Montreux Festival, this time in the guise of acclaimed international star. The show held on July 15 is of great intensity: remarkable version of "Tin Pan Alley", played in pairs with bluesman Johnny Copeland. The performance of Montreux, this album "Blues Explosion", led him to winning a Grammy Award.
The promotional tour also touches on the album Soul to Soul Switzerland, France, Holland, Finland, Sweden, and Japan. On July 14, 1985 Stevie Ray Vaughan performs for the first time in Italy, Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia.
The abuse of alcohol and drugs are the physical collapse of Vaughan, who during a tour stop in Germany was caught by the collapse (October 1986). The hospitalization and subsequent period of detoxification at a center of Georgia have kept him away from the scene for almost two months.
the end of 1986 they released their first live album artist (Live Alive!), Which collects some of the best performances of the previous period dell'estenuante tour, including some new songs. In this album being a hit.
The return to the studio in 1989 coincides with the release of In Step, with whom he won a Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Record" (best contemporary blues album) thanks to record sales (more than one million copies). While remaining the blues one of the most important components of his style, the disc reveals a further decline towards the melodic rock, increasingly distanced from the raw sounds of early career.
the night of August 27, 1990, Alpine Valley Music Theater near East Troy, Wisconsin, after taking part in a concert with Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and his brother Jimmie, salt on a helicopter to return to his hotel in Chicago. As stated later by the same Clapton, Vaughan, tired for the concert, he asked to take the place of Clapton and go first. Shortly after takeoff The aircraft crashed into a hill due to heavy fog and the likely inexperience of the pilot in similar weather conditions. The three people on board, a collaborator with Eric Clapton, the pilot, and Stevie Ray Vaughan died in the accident. The search will begin only the next morning.
(Adapted freely from Wikipedia)
Do not speak italian? Read His biography on Wikipedia 
Tu ne parles pas anglais? Lis sa biographie sur Wikipedia 
Italian ¿No hablas? Lee's biography on Wikipedia en 
Pride and Joy (3.5 MB - MP3)
Texas Flood (3.5 MB - MP3)
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