Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in October 1954 in Dallas Texas. Vaughan began playing at the age of 7 when he received a toy, three stringed guitar. At age 9 he began playing the electric guitar and went on to form his first band four years later.
In 1970 Vaughan quit his fast food job to dedicate his time and energy to music, he joined Austin band Paul Ray & The Cobras in 1974 who later changed their name to Double Trouble after a change of personnel. Double Trouble caught the attention of David Bowie, landing Vaughan an appearance on Bowies Lets Dance album on lead guitar.
Vaughan and Double Trouble recorded for free upon invitation at Jackson Browne’s studio in 1982 and signed a recording contract with Epic records the following year after impressing producer John Hammond. These recordings would later become the core of the debut album Texas Flood. In 1984 Stevie Ray Vaughan won the National Blues Awards ‘Entertainer of the Year’ and “Instrumentalist of the Year”
Double Trouble’s third album, Soul to Soul, was released in 1985 and became a third gold hit for the band though Vaughan began to struggle with drinking problems and substance abuse throughout their tour in 1986. After collapsing Vaughan was admitted to hospital where he managed to get clean.
Double Trouble played at George H W Bush’s inauguration party in Washington, D.C. in 1989 and released their Grammy winning fifth album, In Step, the same year.
While on the In Step tour in 1990, Stevie Ray Vaughan was tragically killed in a helicopter accident after crashing into a hill in dense fog.
