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The Sky Is Still Crying
Today would have been the 53rd birthday of legendary blues/rock guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie was one of the most accomplished blues guitarist ever to play a note. He may not have been a smooth and polished as Clapton or as eccentric as Hendrix, but his guitar skills and love for the blues were equally as good.
Stevie developed a unique eclectic and fiery style that was unmatched. He bridged the gap between blues and rock, and even jazz, like no artist had since the 50’s or 60’s. His unique style and showmanship brought a larger appreciation, for the blues, to the hard rock world. He could improvise for hours or he could play Hendrix, Clapton or Albert King note for note.
After making a name for himself is his home state of Texas, Stevie’s career really started rolling as he became lead guitarist for David Bowie’s Let’s Dance album. Soon after Stevie and his band Double Trouble started recording their first album, Texas Flood. The blues album was a big success, lading in the top 40. The album also crossed over to rock radio and he gained himself a new audience.
Stevie continued his roll with two more top 40 albums, Couldn’t Stand The Weather and Souls To Soul. With his music career on fire, Stevie fell deep into drug and alcohol addictions. After leaving rehab, the band released it’s next album, In Step. The album was released in June of 1989 and became his most successful album, peaking at number 33 on the charts, earning a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Recording, and going gold just over six months after its release.
It seemed that Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble could do no wrong. In the summer of 1990, the group began a headlining tour of America. On August 26, 1990, in East Troy, WI, their show ended with an encore jam with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Robert Cray. After that show, Stevie got on a helicopter headed for Chicago. Just minutes after take off, the helicopter crashed, killing Vaughan and the other four passengers. He was only 35 years old.
Stevie legend continued to grow after his death, and people began to realize just how good he was. A year after his death, The Sky Is Crying, was released. The album was a collection of studio outtakes and entered the charts at number ten and went platinum three months moths later.
So, in honor of his birthday, lets take a look at some of his great performances.
Pride And Joy
Texas Flood
Come On (Part 3)
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One Response to “The Sky Is Still Crying”
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He was pretty good.