First time I heard him was in his apartment. A friend of his took me with him to drop off something. He had #1 sitting on a floor guitar rack. The other guitar was a white Telecaster that was in excellent shape. My friend asked him to play something for me so I could hear how good he was. He tuned a bit then started playing. I was totally blown away! I knew this guy was going to be famous. He was the best player I’ve ever heard. Being a guitar player also, he asked if I wanted to jam with him. I thanked him but said “no”. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I became friends with him and the years went by with us running into each other in clubs and backyard bbq’s. He always showed up with #1 in his case and would be invited up on stage to play. Of course he stole the show! Last time I saw him he told me he had cut his first LP at Jackson Browns studio and was leaving later that week to promote his album. He was going to Germany to start his tour with Double Trouble. I felt very privileged to know him, I just wished he was alive, but he still lives on in our hearts with his wonderful music. I know Tommy and Chris still carry on with his music and play with some great guitar players, but there was only one Stevie! I was blessed knowing him. Every time one of his songs is played I think back to those days. Next time I’ll take him up on his offer. Rest in Peace Stevie, I’ll see you soon!
That's what made his death that much worse. A lot of music legends go out prematurely because of their poor lifestyle choices. Stevie almost became another statistic. But he cleaned his act up, and IMO, his playing got better, and his singing was absolutely phenomenal after he got clean. My favorite time period of Stevie's career was his last two years. 1989-1990. You could tell he was happy and loving life. His tone was on a whole other level. And like I mentioned earlier, you could tell he was actually trying to sing, instead of mostly shout singing
Absouluty, they even compared his 2 performances on Austin city limits. They said his first one he was nervous and couldn't stop sweating the whole time,but his second? He had kicked his drug and alcohol addiction and put the most amazing performance, and to this its the most popular Austin city limits concert
Timothy Howard : Agreed. I can always tell on these videos. He is smiling! He’s sober, then. It’s gut-wrenching, because he started at age seven or eight. Plus he was part Apache. It’s just devastating that he’s finally happy with a beautiful woman. Gets into the one out of three, okay, four planes that crash. Devastating.💔
I saw Stevie in Boulder in 1986, and he gave an extraordinary performance. A coworker took me to the show and she was a cutie and got us backstage after the show. I got to shake the mans right hand, and exchange pleasantries, you will not meet a more friendly, funny, and humble man, what an honor that was.
SRV used his instrument to express raw emotion during a time when the popular style was to play neoclassical scales really really fast. That's what made SRV so special. It has nothing to do with string gauge, amp loudness, drug usage or his reply during an interview. He expressed raw emotion when everyone else forgot how to.
I'm not a musician but I was driving to work when it came over the radio that Stevie Ray Vaughan had been killed in a helicopter crash and I was upset to no end. I knew that would be something that would never come around in my lifetime again. So glad to hear that he's still appreciated by a generation too young to have been around to hear him live.
I has been there at Alpine Valley that night and when we heard the news the next morning they didn't know who was on the chopper that crashed and we were all like "Hope it was Eric Clapton and not someone we like..."
@ Yeah, I see what you mean-not super talented ( a friend of mine from Austin also told me Jimmy and his friends "were real thugs outside of music") but that f&cker Clapton has 9 lives(heroin, alcohol) and hasn't done anything truly great in a really long time.
A correction about the gauge of strings: when someone says they play tens, that .010 refers to the diameter of the smallest string, which would be the string farthest way from you on your guitar, the high E.
Maxi Samperio yeah I was so triggered by the title that I clicked the video and went to the comment section to see who all said something about the title
First heard him on a college radio station in Atlanta on a Saturday heading to Home Depot. It was Tin Pan Alley. I turned around and when home (no cell phones in 1983) just to call the station and find out who that was. Went directly and bought Texas Flood album, still vinyl in those days. Saw him New Years Eve live a couple of years later at the Fox Theater. It was the first concert sober and it was AWESOME! He never once looked at his guitar, it was such a part of him. I had to pull off the road and have a cry when I heard he died. We are a couple of months from being the same age so I ask myself, "Would you give up the years to be able to play like that for a decade?" Maybe?
razor75250 yes, he was sober since September 30 1986. He’s the first thing I listen to in the morning and I always watch one of his concerts before I go to sleep. I have all of the DVDs that were made except the one from the capital theater in NJ, I can’t find it anywhere! I watch it on RUclips! I really wish I could find it!
Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of my main influences in my guitar playing. I have a deep love for the blues because of him. He was definitely a guitar genius, and influenced many guitarists. His playing is second to none, and he will always be my favorite guitarist. Long live the blues!!
SRV the way his fingers fly how he pours his soul out ... I wish I could find words for what my heart feels when I hear him play. As I melt my heart weeps , my body sways, feet can't be still. Those divine notes are what the angels dance to in heaven.
July 1983 I heard one song on my radio, Testify and I knew I had to find out who this was. i was moved by the power and sound he had. I thought it might be a new found Hendrix tape at first but I knew that wasn't his style of playing. A week or so after I heard on the radio he was playing at a club in my area. I did U-turn and headed for the place. I got there early so I got a beer and walked over to the video games where three guys were playing Mr Doo, an old arcade flipper game, was 83 after all. So I was going to put a quarter on the game to play next when I noticed the guy playing had this wide brim wild wild west hat on. At that point someone called "hey Stevie their waiting for ya" And he said "ok" and left for back stage with the other two which were Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon. Stevie looked at me and gave a smile. I never spoke to him but like most who got to see and hear him fell in love with a genuine good guy and a God gifted guitar player. He was the real deal and I will miss him for the rest of my life.
I was fortunate to have the chance to see him play live 8 times. The last 2 times were shows on consecutive nights in Ann Arbor, Michigan about 6 weeks before he died. I absolutely cried like a baby when I heard the news. He was favorite guitar player, and when playing live, and had everything working to his satisfaction, he was unstoppable. There were nights where his equipment would give him fits. Even then he was awesome because he would go to the particular amp in question and with a grimace on his face he would crank all the knobs to 11 and then go back to work. When he would play Tin Pan Alley there is a line "and i heard a pistol shoot" he would pluck those strings so hard that if you were in the audience it would go right through your chest as though it were a bullet. RIP Stevie!
You sir are a genius! I have never heard someone talk so eloquently about what a transformational artist Stevie Ray was. I cried like a baby when he died, and I miss him every day. Stevie did get sober before he died, and I'm sure he would have continued to thrill us all with whatever he and Double Trouble produced. For my money Stevie Ray Vaughan is the best guitarist to ever walk this planet. He made it look effortless. The El Mocambo show is absolutely brilliant, and a must watch for any blues music fan. Thank you so much for your video👏👏👏. We'll done sir💖
In 1989 I was 17 and very fortunate to get the chance to go hear him play at Mecca Arena in Milwaukee,WI. Jeff Beck opened for him. Stevie also had Beck come out and share the stage for the encore -they played “Voodoo Child”. To this day, it’s one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to R.I.P Stevie. ✌️🎸
Wish they had this on video.. I hate going to concerts in 2019 and everyone is watching through a camera, recording; however, I’m quite hypocritical because I wish this technology was around in our parents’ /grandparents’ day so some of this legendary stuff was caught on camera. Imagine seeing the original jam session where Jimi came to prominence with Clapton eventually walking out in defeat.
I read and saw photos of his hands, they were abnormally large for his body size and his fingers were unbelievably strong from his rough playing. Even with 13 size strings he broke so many during performances...and being a true performer, carried on. You just do not see these live ,unrehearsed performances much anymore. Everything now is so planned out,but he played and performed every note like it was his last, with so much emotion. This came through in his playing...maybe it was drug driven to a point, but I prefer to not remember him that way.(He was supposedly clean near the end of his life.) How many guitar players have guitars as famous as themselves? I still listen to him almost daily!
Yes, my eardrums are victims of Stevie's overwhelming volume and incredible tone. Living in Austin in the late 80's, I was privileged to see him play live many times, and it was fascinating to watch him mesmerize the crowd with a truly unrivalled genius on guitar. No act at Antone’s, or any of the various outdoor music festivals in Austin, could touch him as a performer, and it was an experience that is difficult to comprehend unless you witnessed him playing live. My friends all called me when he died - we were shocked, but really down because we knew what music lost that day. Thanks for sharing - content like this keeps his legacy alive!
My favorite live performances by Stevie Ray and Double Trouble, were their live performances on Austin City Limits. Their performance of Riviera Paradise destroys me EVERYTIME I hear it. It's so gorgeously sad.
There will NEVER be another. Ever. SRV was not of this planet. We are lucky to have a variety of his recorded performances as he passed through our world. Very lucky.
He was clean and sober for 4 years when he passed and he was on the phone with Janna when he found out there was an empty set and told her he loved her and would see her soon
I was into old metal and picked up the guitar i could shread just like kirk hammet. Then i herd pride and joy by srv and my jaw dropped. Its been blues for me ever since
Stevie was offered a Solo Record Contract long before his first album dropped. He said no since they didn't want Double Trouble. He was that kind of guy.
After playing on Bowie's Let's Dance, Bowie wanted SRV to go with him on world tour, but he didn't want to do it because he wouldn't play without Double Trouble. Initially, they were supposed to open for Bowie with Double Trouble, but later it turned out they just wanted SRV to play on that one song and he said no. However this turned out greatly in his favor because he suddenly became the Texan guitarist who said NO to Bowie and it intriqued people.
Brian Crawford I try to stay away from people like that as often as possible, that’s why I have few people I really consider friends. I don’t know what you mean by Stevie ditching his friends.. he played with Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton from the beginning until the end. He had a great heart & that was evident thru his music. That’s what I meant by him being the kind of guy I’d like to meet. Someone genuine & kind. That’s it. 😊✌🏻
"Texas Flood" for me. That tone. Those bends. The feel. Was my Beatles on Ed Sullivan moment! My older brother got it for Christmas and I borrowed it. Was on my turntable for weeks. I played guitar at time and was into Glenn Tipton, Iron Maiden and Randy Rhoads at the time. That album changed my life!
There's a video of a clean and sober Stevie playing Texas Flood at (I believe) George Bush's inauguration that is just ferocious. He popped a string and for the few seconds you can hear just the back up band and it's crazy how enormous his playing was.
I got that same feeling when I saw him at Volunteer Jam in Nashville in the late 80s. He played behind his back there and at Memphis in May a year or two later. The GOAT.
When I lived in Costa Rica I met Alex Napier who played bass with SRV in Paul Ray and the Cobras . We would sit around and Alex would tell us stories about growing up in Oak Cliff and migrating to Austin with the Vaughn brothers . RIP my old friend Alex and SRV
I discovered him in 2017 (I'm 22 if that matters) and I've been obsessed ever since. I don't even play the guitar or any instrument yet but I'm gonna get into it, but I just enjoy watching and listening to a master at his craft. I went through the whole phase of discovering all of the guitar God's (thanks to RUclips) and had fleeting obsessions with the likes of steve vai, Joe satriani, yngwie malmsteen, etc, and as incredible as all of those guys and others I haven't named are, none of them have held me longer than Stevie. He doesn't shred, use a bunch of effects, and molest the fret board at a crazy speed, he just plays! He's the greatest of all time next to hendrix imo. Appreciate this video a lot! From a die hard srv fan!
Stevie Ray is one of a very, very few artists who sounds best when you hear him live. No autotune for his voice, no lipsyncing, no nothing except blistering guitar and expressive vocals. I am thankful I live in an era where we will always have SRV live performances on video. To get the true measure of the man and his music, watch all the live video you can find.
True i remember borrowing ( long time ago ) couldn't stand the weather, I recognised the virtuosity, and especially liked Tin Pan Alley, yet somehow moved on. Years later I watched From Dusk Till Dawn and was amazed, by the movie, by Salma, and later on my little brother had the soundtrack... Containing live versions of Mary had a little lamb, and Willy the wimp... I was immediately captured by those solos, awesome, amazing, WOW, since then I gathered all I could find.. Live Alive, In The Beginning, The el Macambo, his new years eve concert in 86 I believe, are some of his best So indeed, I agree, you have to hear him live that's where the real magic is
Stevie Ray Vaughan was absolutely "UNIQUE"!!!! He had so much SOUL. There will never be another SRV. It's just the truth. Heart breaking to lose him. Love the man forever.
Excellent breakdown man. I've seen him and listened since '82 when I received an obscure looking album 16th birthday that was SRV. Blew my mind. The day he died I was crushed like it was family. Never forget; Stevie ended that coke addiction, along with the whole band after Stevie was given weeks to live. When I saw him last he was fit, strong, and telling everyone out there to watch themselves or they could lose their world. Then he melted everyone's faces. The late Live Austin City Limits show really shows how good he was feeling and playing. clear eyed to boot. He single handidly brought the blues back from the grave.
I was living in Austin in the '70s when he started playing local clubs, like the Rome Inn, for a $3 cover. We all knew Jimmy and the Thunderbirds, but... who the hell is this guy? We knew instantly he was destined to go far beyond Austin. Now in North Texas there is a cover band, Texas Flood, starring Tommy Kanola, a Hungarian immigrant who became fascinated with Stevie when he was a teen over there. The guy is amazing covering Stevie, along with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and much else -- not original, but the best guitarist I've seen live since Stevie Ray.
I love stevie ray vaughan I listen to tin pan alley at least 20 times a day I love the way he sings and the sound of the music is so amazing puts me someplace cant explain but I love it wish there was more stevie what a waste makes me so angry he was taking to soon
IN STEP was about his recovery. He was in recovery, clean and sober, when he died. I saw him on the first of those last two nights at Alpine. The curtain call of Clapton with Jeff Healey was something I'll never forget. And neither is the sound of the crowd when SRV and Double Trouble ended their set after Robert Cray and before Clapton. AMAZING. And in recovery. :)
I saw him THE night. Encore was SRV Jimmy Lee, Clapton, Cray and Buddy Guy. They played "Sweet Home Chicago" everyone got a solo in the last 2 were SRV and Clapton- SRV went to go to leave Clapton last but Clapton stepped in front of him so SRV could go last. SRV plain RIPPED it up the entire night.
1989 saw him headline a show that started with Jeff Healey...followed by Jeff Beck...then Stevie blew the doors off the show with some of the finest blues guitar you could imagine...best concert i ever attended
Ringo Starr released his 20th studio album "What's My Name" on October 25th 2019. Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band launched their 30th Anniversary North American Tour for 2020. Ringo Starr's net worth is estimated to be over $350 million dollars. Ringo Starr is married to Barbara Bach since 1981 and her sister Marjorie Bach married Joe Walsh in 2008. Ringo celebrated Joe's Birthday 1 month ago today with a dinner party that would rival every party you've ever attended all in one. Ringo Starr is 79 born July 7th 1940. He was apponted a Knight in 2018. Sir Ringo is the richest drummer in the world. He was inducted into the Rock N Roll hall of fame twice and is 1 of only 21 people to ever do so. I think SRV would be more than honored to achieve such accolades had he lived. Long Live SRV! Long Live Sir Ringo! Happy Holidays2
SRV was a class act and in no need of such extensive worship. He was about the music, not god status. A damn site more talented than "starr", for sure. JMHO 😁
Stevie talked about his recovery from the drug usage every chance he could even in his concerts. He would counsel people and tell them they didn't need the drugs. He was not only a guitar hero he was a true hero to people with addiction. He was truly free when he died free from it all. May god bless Stevie and all who loved him and all who get inspired by him and his fans.
I listen to an interview with Eric Clapton a few years back & his first reaction , the first time that he heard Stevie Ray Vaughan play, he said I have to find out who this is?! I remember a buddy of mine and myself , we are guitar players and when we first listened to Texas Flood, our reaction, was what in the hell was that!!?? we were both pretty astounded when we heard that man play for the first time ,and we've been hooked on it every since every time I listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan or see a video of him, l learn something new...
I only recently found SRV after hearing there was a guitar genius whose life was cut short when I was just six years old and I had to check him out and was totally blown away. Stevie Ray was definitely the man! Listening to his stuff on autoplay has just recently lead to to Gary Moore too. He puts his heart and soul into just like Mr. Vaughan & I think he probably took inspiration from him ;()
Your one comment reminded me of when Prince did the Superbowl show. The entire game was played in driving rain, and yet he and those two gorgeous twins performed in heels on a slippery stage, with live electric instruments. The Manager of the event asked if he wanted to cancel the performance because of the weather, and Prince grinned back and said "Can you make it rain harder! Only the good die young......
I saw him live twice... it changed my direction in music forever. I put aside shredders of the day in pursuit of tone and emotion. It is always pleasurable to watch another generation be changed forever as I was.
@@chrisbatson3402 it was 82..83 maybe..i was at the bar b4 the show and he walked up and ordered two crowns and coke..i had never seen him and wondered who was this guy in snakeskin cowboy boots and a gambler hat..a few mins later i found out
There's this cliché with the all-time greats about "effortless" playing, but SRV really embodies that in a way that surpasses even Hendrix and Clapton, like the guitar truly is an extension of his own body. He may not have innovated as much as others (arguably), but he is the most gifted guitar player ever
If you want to hear some early SRV you've probably never heard before, search for "Stevie Ray Vaughan & Lou Ann Barton - In 1978 There Was", recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Jack Clemont's Belmont Studio, early 1978. Including a track called "I Wonder Why" with SRV playing slide guitar. This is an unreleased album from five years before his first officially released album "Texas Flood".
Lou Ann was in his band called Triple Threat Review. In 1978, they disbanded and Double Trouble was formed. That's when SRV started singing I saw Stevie in 3-4 bands prior to that in Austin, starting in 1972
You can see that he literally went to another place when he played. It's like every single thing that was on his mind just disappeared. He was an absolute legend and I'm so thankful that I was able to grow up in a time when there was still such talent. The one thing I wish this guy would have mentioned was that he was clean and sober at the time of his death. I believe he had been for about four years at the time. He's making it sound like we lost another great to addiction when that's not true. ✌
I had the privilege of experiencing Stevie Ray Vaughn live at Spring Break ‘85 on Playa Blanca Beach, South Padre Island, TX. It was hot, sunny, sandy, Stevie was blitzed out of his mind, he was wearing black clothes, pouring buckets of sweet & he never opened his eyes his whole set. Most Mega-Stars would have said, “F It!” & ditched the gig, but from his 1st riff to the very last, he fricken’ blew the crowd away, never missing a note. It was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience I will always remember & cherish forever.
@Jody Mac I'm a Torontonian, I was there that night of the recording, at The Elmo July of 83'. I can honestly tell you, I do not recall, any word, about Stevie falling asleep in his dressing room. Back then, I was working for CPI in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Rest In Peace Stevie Ray Vaughan October 3rd 1954-August 27th 1990 30 years ago yesterday! I have not forgotten.
Visceral player of the highest caliber!You HAD to see him live to fully appreciate his talent.His interpretation of the blues stands alone.....nuff said!
I and a couple friends saw Stevie in Aurora Colo in 1983 at this place that used to be a three theater cinema. They knocked all the walls out and turned it into a concert venue. All the p.a. speakers were hung from the ceiling. It was pitch black in there and all of the sudden there was fire on the stage. He lit his guitar on fire and broke out with voodoo chile. We all looked at each other and said holy fuck, this is going to be one hell of a show. And it was. The best concert I ever saw. I'm 62 yrs old now, but remember it like it was yesterday. RIP STEVIE RAY.
I discovered Stevie by accident. I got tickets to see him about a month before his death at Jones Beach Theater in New York. I literally went because it was just something to do with some friends. I wasn't a fan before that. I swear to you, I was never the same again. Not even on the ride home. A month or so later I was on my way home from work and planned on stopping at the music store to buy Texas Flood. I heard on the radio that he died. I was devastated. I was pissed off at myself for not discovering him sooner. There are lots of great guitar players out there. Nobody before or since has ever put themselves into the music as much as Stevie did.
At 2:29 - you mentioned "13s" as the string set gage he (SRV) played and a little later, you talked about "10s". That means the SMALLEST STRING, furthest from your face, not nearest, is 0.010" diameter, or ten thousandths of an inch. The string closest to your face is the largest (on a set of "10s", usually 0.046" diameter), unless you're Johnny Angel or Albert King. These guys play "upside down" with the heavy strings at the bottom and the skinnies on top. That means they just flip the guitar over and fret it upside down with their right hands, since they are left-handed. Jimi Hendrix was left-handed, but he re-strung his guitar (a right-handed model) upside down and played a mirrored transposition of the fretboard.
Minor correction about Hendrix. Yes he played left handed, with a guitar restrung standard for a lefty. As opposed to say Albert King or Otis Rush... But Hendrix wasn't "left handed". He was right handed. Check out any photos of him writing, if you disagree. He writes right handed.
@@Ericleeproject Google it and you'll see Jimi Hendrix did play the guitar left-handed when he was growing up so therefore he restrung it. His father tried to get him to play it the right way but he refused
You make a great point about how jaw dropping it is to hear him for the first time. He hit me hard! Saw him in San Diego in '86 and I was floored by how good he was. He remains my favorite of all time and I never get tired of hearing him. Regarding string gauges, the high 'E' string is referenced diameter. So, a set of "nines" means the high E is .009" in diameter. Stevie's were indeed "thirteens" (.013") which is really thick.
I should clarify that the high E diameter is the skinniest in a set of strings and that each string, from high to low (E,B,G,D,A,E) obviously gets thicker. By comparison, Billy Gibbons plays sevens or eights (.007", .008")
The Sky is Crying was a album/CD that was released in 90 after his death if I Remeber correctly, Stevie Ray Vaughn did a version of Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix that absolutely blew a lot of people away. It’s a great album all the way through. The very last song if I recall correctly was a acoustic song done with his brother and guitar player Jimmy Vaughn. If The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Every Saturday morning my neighbor used to crank Texas Flood, that's how I learned about Stevie. That was 1983. Saw SRV 3 times in the 80s. Seriously awesome.
What you described hearing Stevie was similar to the first time I heard Jimi at the age of 13. Absolutely changed me from that point forward. Stevie and I are from the same time and close in age. We lived in the same city and I know people that knew him, including his bass player for most of his carrier. Their will never be another Jimi, Their will never be another Stevie, but there will be another musician that is consumed by the six string instrument known as the guitar that will progress to the level to express the emotion that those two fellows did his own way. Thanks Stevie and thanks Jimi, your love was our love.
You are absolutely right about the feeling you have when you listen to Stevie for the first time, I was like "WHAT WAS THAT!!! PLAY THAT AGAIN" I've never listened to anything like his playing
Love your take on Stevie....... you got to be yourself....never .....imitate...his legacy hasn't ceased to exists .....now...be happy you know of him....
I saw SRV in a VERY small indoor venue, basically a movie theater..1989..sitting in second row right in front of him...spitting distance..and he was LOUD..and we all just sat there in awe for 90 minutes with our mouths open. Fucking epic...and I'd give anything to go back to that day.
As I have come upon the conversation a year late I would like to add that it was told in the book Texas Flood that after he was clean and sober he went from the 13's down to 11's. He said it was like taking boxing gloves off. He could feel his fingers again. Let that sink in. Those clear, clean, impeccable notes he played all those years were muffled by "boxing gloves"! I don't hear that but you can tell by looking the unhealthy paleness and sweating to his sober playing. He really came into his own. The last 4 years of his life was being sober and healthy, playing his music, loving Janna, and life. He devoted a lot of time to helping and encouraging others to get sober too. Thanks for all the love you shared Stevie❣️❤️
I remember exactly where I was when I heard he passed away. I was driving up phone company van three on the tray standard shift that means the shifter was on the steering column. I was devastated. Love him. My God rest, his soul, may perpetual light shine upon thy
The one thing you people must realize is, he was Stevie Ray, and Stevie Ray will always stand at the top of the Blues/ rock mountain. RIP my brother, the sky is still crying. Much love
I may have commented here before, but I caught him at the Rome Inn in Austin in ‘79, I believe. This was before he was famous outside the Texas bar circuit. I saw him a couple times later, but that first encounter, five feet from the stage, remains my favorite. He was indeed special.
*Short answer:* He knew tension and release! *Slighly longer answer:* He played blues (funk, rock) as if he was the love child of a 1960s hard bop jazz saxophonist (Coltrane, Shorter) and one of those skilled folk music improvisers you find in eastern Europe and other places over the globe.
I was lucky enough to see him (& his brother) perform several times in the 80s in Austin. There’s a statue of him on a popular walking trail in Austin. He was a GOAT. RIP Stevie Ray 😢💔🙏🏻
Srv is the reason I love blues and discover other blues gods like jimmi Hendrix,bb.king,albert king, Joe banommassa, Eric Clapton, robert,cray and the list goes on and on. R.I.P stevie
Always listen to how clean Stevie played, no zipping or dragging on the strings, unless he wanted to on purpose, his speed and accuracy was incredible and to do it all with heavy strings and high action settings, and by the way all his guitars were stock, no hotrodding of any kind
When your playing nearly caused a man who is widely considered one of the best guitarist ever to nearly quit playing after seeing you live...you’re an immediate legend. In this case SRV deserves every compliment and then some.
I was lucky enough to see Stevie perform in a tiny club called Blossom's Downstairs in Fort Worth in 1983. I was sitting ten feet away. He came out smoking a joint, put it under the fret of his guitar and just started playing. While he may have used 150w amps, his sound was crisp, very clean, and in no way melted the ears of those in the front row. He didn't use those extra watts just to make it louder.
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What was so Special about Stevie Ray Vaughan?
Everything.
Stevie Ray VAUGHAN was pretty good too
Subversively Surreal that’s what I was gonna say! 100% agree with you. 🦚❤️
He was the boy wonder of the r;/ b.He will be missed by this generation and next. Rest in peace from all of us that your music.
@@ngirard85 nah. He sucked ass.
Well hello there Natasha, LOL
He was clean and sober when he made his last album "In Step". That's what made his death even more tragic. The best was yet to come.
i know I am pretty randomly asking but does anyone know of a good site to watch new tv shows online ?
@Coen Giovanni i watch on flixzone. Just google for it =)
@Brendan Zaiden yea, I have been using flixzone for years myself :D
@Brendan Zaiden thank you, I went there and it seems like a nice service :) I appreciate it!
@Coen Giovanni no problem =)
B.B. King called him the best ever, who am I to argue with the King. Living in Texas I got to see SRV live 6 times.
Eric clapton stopped his car to listen to him when he first heard SRV
I love Hendrix but, Stevie Ray in my opinion is better.
First time I heard him was in his apartment. A friend of his took me with him to drop off something. He had #1 sitting on a floor guitar rack. The other guitar was a white Telecaster that was in excellent shape. My friend asked him to play something for me so I could hear how good he was. He tuned a bit then started playing. I was totally blown away! I knew this guy was going to be famous. He was the best player I’ve ever heard. Being a guitar player also, he asked if I wanted to jam with him. I thanked him but said “no”. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I became friends with him and the years went by with us running into each other in clubs and backyard bbq’s. He always showed up with #1 in his case and would be invited up on stage to play. Of course he stole the show! Last time I saw him he told me he had cut his first LP at Jackson Browns studio and was leaving later that week to promote his album. He was going to Germany to start his tour with Double Trouble. I felt very privileged to know him, I just wished he was alive, but he still lives on in our hearts with his wonderful music. I know Tommy and Chris still carry on with his music and play with some great guitar players, but there was only one Stevie! I was blessed knowing him. Every time one of his songs is played I think back to those days. Next time I’ll take him up on his offer.
Rest in Peace Stevie, I’ll see you soon!
Ken Roberts where did you live?
I lived Dallas and saw him at Dicks Last Resort West End in 84 when he was still rather unknown. He was GREAT!!
Since you are into the SRV lore you SHOULD know he was clean and sober when he died
That's what made his death that much worse. A lot of music legends go out prematurely because of their poor lifestyle choices. Stevie almost became another statistic. But he cleaned his act up, and IMO, his playing got better, and his singing was absolutely phenomenal after he got clean. My favorite time period of Stevie's career was his last two years. 1989-1990. You could tell he was happy and loving life. His tone was on a whole other level. And like I mentioned earlier, you could tell he was actually trying to sing, instead of mostly shout singing
Absouluty, they even compared his 2 performances on Austin city limits. They said his first one he was nervous and couldn't stop sweating the whole time,but his second? He had kicked his drug and alcohol addiction and put the most amazing performance, and to this its the most popular Austin city limits concert
@ me to,he was all blood and thunder with that performance
Timothy Howard : Agreed. I can always tell on these videos.
He is smiling! He’s sober, then. It’s gut-wrenching,
because he started at age seven or eight.
Plus he was part Apache.
It’s just devastating that he’s finally happy with a
beautiful woman. Gets into the one out of three, okay, four
planes that crash. Devastating.💔
I was going to say that. Sober for two years
I saw Stevie in Boulder in 1986, and he gave an extraordinary performance. A coworker took me to the show and she was a cutie and got us backstage after the show. I got to shake the mans right hand, and exchange pleasantries, you will not meet a more friendly, funny, and humble man, what an honor that was.
I’m 17 and SRV is my idol I’d do anything to go back and have that experience
@@anthonystorm9830 same here bro
Stevie Ray was just Stevie Ray. I loved him with all my ❤️ 💙 💜 💖 and Soul. He was my Brother. Little Sister ! I was a wild child.
@@kathyyoung9539 Stevie did not have a sister. It is awful that you post this here and other places.
SRV used his instrument to express raw emotion during a time when the popular style was to play neoclassical scales really really fast. That's what made SRV so special. It has nothing to do with string gauge, amp loudness, drug usage or his reply during an interview. He expressed raw emotion when everyone else forgot how to.
Well Stevies string gauge did have a huge role in his tone
But ur right his emotion in his playing is what made him a GOAT
@@jackhopkins9745not really
string was not really btw, he’s my fav guitarist
I'm not a musician but I was driving to work when it came over the radio that Stevie Ray Vaughan had been killed in a helicopter crash and I was upset to no end. I knew that would be something that would never come around in my lifetime again. So glad to hear that he's still appreciated by a generation too young to have been around to hear him live.
I was in the US Army’s Initial Rotory Wing Course learning to fly Helo’s when we got the news...needless to say it was sobering to say the least.
I has been there at Alpine Valley that night and when we heard the news the next morning they didn't know who was on the chopper that crashed and we were all like "Hope it was Eric Clapton and not someone we like..."
@ Yeah, I see what you mean-not super talented ( a friend of mine from Austin also told me Jimmy and his friends "were real thugs outside of music") but that f&cker Clapton has 9 lives(heroin, alcohol) and hasn't done anything truly great in a really long time.
@@wimrawe2343 That's a terrible thing to say .
@ Also , a terrible thing to say .
A correction about the gauge of strings: when someone says they play tens, that .010 refers to the diameter of the smallest string, which would be the string farthest way from you on your guitar, the high E.
was going to say it if someone else didn't.
But it's the lowest string🤔
🤣
And that’s actually a fairly light gauge. Super light are .09. Or 9s
@@chalkline1505 Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top uses 8's and 7's
Heard he uses 13 gage
When Stevie walked on stage, the place exploded as soon as he touched the strings. SRV is the guitar God !
The actual question is, what is NOT special about SRV?
Maxi Samperio yeah I was so triggered by the title that I clicked the video and went to the comment section to see who all said something about the title
First heard him on a college radio station in Atlanta on a Saturday heading to Home Depot. It was Tin Pan Alley. I turned around and when home (no cell phones in 1983) just to call the station and find out who that was. Went directly and bought Texas Flood album, still vinyl in those days. Saw him New Years Eve live a couple of years later at the Fox Theater. It was the first concert sober and it was AWESOME! He never once looked at his guitar, it was such a part of him. I had to pull off the road and have a cry when I heard he died. We are a couple of months from being the same age so I ask myself, "Would you give up the years to be able to play like that for a decade?" Maybe?
I would give up all the years to play for 5 years like that !!!
He was sober when he died. He was very open about his addiction when he got clean
He would even taelk about it during his shows
razor75250 yes, he was sober since September 30 1986. He’s the first thing I listen to in the morning and I always watch one of his concerts before I go to sleep. I have all of the DVDs that were made except the one from the capital theater in NJ, I can’t find it anywhere! I watch it on RUclips! I really wish I could find it!
Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a crash in East Troy, MI at 35 years of age 1954-1990
billy Ring East Troy, WI, I saw the previous concert
Dude you describe him in such rich detail it's like he's physically still around! Awesome job!
Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of my main influences in my guitar playing. I have a deep love for the blues because of him. He was definitely a guitar genius, and influenced many guitarists. His playing is second to none, and he will always be my favorite guitarist. Long live the blues!!
SRV the way his fingers fly how he pours his soul out ... I wish I could find words for what my heart feels when I hear him play. As I melt my heart weeps , my body sways, feet can't be still. Those divine notes are what the angels dance to in heaven.
July 1983 I heard one song on my radio, Testify and I knew I had to find out who this was. i was moved by the power and sound he had. I thought it might be a new found Hendrix tape at first but I knew that wasn't his style of playing. A week or so after I heard on the radio he was playing at a club in my area. I did U-turn and headed for the place. I got there early so I got a beer and walked over to the video games where three guys were playing Mr Doo, an old arcade flipper game, was 83 after all. So I was going to put a quarter on the game to play next when I noticed the guy playing had this wide brim wild wild west hat on. At that point someone called "hey Stevie their waiting for ya" And he said "ok" and left for back stage with the other two which were Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon. Stevie looked at me and gave a smile. I never spoke to him but like most who got to see and hear him fell in love with a genuine good guy and a God gifted guitar player. He was the real deal and I will miss him for the rest of my life.
In Austin?
I was fortunate to have the chance to see him play live 8 times. The last 2 times were shows on consecutive nights in Ann Arbor, Michigan about 6 weeks before he died. I absolutely cried like a baby when I heard the news. He was favorite guitar player, and when playing live, and had everything working to his satisfaction, he was unstoppable. There were nights where his equipment would give him fits. Even then he was awesome because he would go to the particular amp in question and with a grimace on his face he would crank all the knobs to 11 and then go back to work. When he would play Tin Pan Alley there is a line "and i heard a pistol shoot" he would pluck those strings so hard that if you were in the audience it would go right through your chest as though it were a bullet. RIP Stevie!
SRVmade the blues cool. He gave the genre new life . And in my personal opinion played the blues with more emotion than anyone ever has.
You sir are a genius! I have never heard someone talk so eloquently about what a transformational artist Stevie Ray was. I cried like a baby when he died, and I miss him every day. Stevie did get sober before he died, and I'm sure he would have continued to thrill us all with whatever he and Double Trouble produced. For my money Stevie Ray Vaughan is the best guitarist to ever walk this planet. He made it look effortless. The El Mocambo show is absolutely brilliant, and a must watch for any blues music fan. Thank you so much for your video👏👏👏. We'll done sir💖
Thank you for the kind words! We all miss Stevie
In 1989 I was 17 and very fortunate to get the chance to go hear him play at Mecca Arena in Milwaukee,WI.
Jeff Beck opened for him. Stevie also had Beck come out and share the stage for the encore -they played “Voodoo Child”. To this day, it’s one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to R.I.P Stevie. ✌️🎸
Tour with Jeff Beck it was incredible Jeff actually came out and they did going down together it was freaking awesome
Wish they had this on video.. I hate going to concerts in 2019 and everyone is watching through a camera, recording; however, I’m quite hypocritical because I wish this technology was around in our parents’ /grandparents’ day so some of this legendary stuff was caught on camera. Imagine seeing the original jam session where Jimi came to prominence with Clapton eventually walking out in defeat.
That was "The Fire and The Fury" tour.
I read and saw photos of his hands, they were abnormally large for his body size and his fingers were unbelievably strong from his rough playing. Even with 13 size strings he broke so many during performances...and being a true performer, carried on. You just do not see these live ,unrehearsed performances much anymore. Everything now is so planned out,but he played and performed every note like it was his last, with so much emotion. This came through in his playing...maybe it was drug driven to a point, but I prefer to not remember him that way.(He was supposedly clean near the end of his life.) How many guitar players have guitars as famous as themselves? I still listen to him almost daily!
Yes, my eardrums are victims of Stevie's overwhelming volume and incredible tone. Living in Austin in the late 80's, I was privileged to see him play live many times, and it was fascinating to watch him mesmerize the crowd with a truly unrivalled genius on guitar. No act at Antone’s, or any of the various outdoor music festivals in Austin, could touch him as a performer, and it was an experience that is difficult to comprehend unless you witnessed him playing live. My friends all called me when he died - we were shocked, but really down because we knew what music lost that day. Thanks for sharing - content like this keeps his legacy alive!
My favorite live performances by Stevie Ray and Double Trouble, were their live performances on Austin City Limits. Their performance of Riviera Paradise destroys me EVERYTIME I hear it. It's so gorgeously sad.
There will NEVER be another. Ever. SRV was not of this planet. We are lucky to have a variety of his recorded performances as he passed through our world. Very lucky.
We lost him way too soon. So glad to have many of his performances online.
He was disgustingly gifted, untouchable, the best ever.
He was clean and sober for 4 years when he passed and he was on the phone with Janna when he found out there was an empty set and told her he loved her and would see her soon
S r v was the bruce lee of the music world...gteat video
haha. Good comparison
as if Lee was a good actor lol
@@Jaburu he was and he could have you on the floor in a single punch
@@juantovar5084 he was not and I weight 98kg.
Na Hendrix was the Bruce lee of the music world. SRV was just a copy.
I was into old metal and picked up the guitar i could shread just like kirk hammet. Then i herd pride and joy by srv and my jaw dropped. Its been blues for me ever since
fickle.
Stevie was offered a Solo Record Contract long before his first album dropped. He said no since they didn't want Double Trouble. He was that kind of guy.
SGTJDerek and the kind of guy I’d like to meet.
After playing on Bowie's Let's Dance, Bowie wanted SRV to go with him on world tour, but he didn't want to do it because he wouldn't play without Double Trouble. Initially, they were supposed to open for Bowie with Double Trouble, but later it turned out they just wanted SRV to play on that one song and he said no. However this turned out greatly in his favor because he suddenly became the Texan guitarist who said NO to Bowie and it intriqued people.
Brian Crawford I try to stay away from people like that as often as possible, that’s why I have few people I really consider friends. I don’t know what you mean by Stevie ditching his friends.. he played with Tommy Shannon & Chris Layton from the beginning until the end. He had a great heart & that was evident thru his music. That’s what I meant by him being the kind of guy I’d like to meet. Someone genuine & kind. That’s it. 😊✌🏻
"Texas Flood" for me. That tone. Those bends. The feel. Was my Beatles on Ed Sullivan moment! My older brother got it for Christmas and I borrowed it. Was on my turntable for weeks. I played guitar at time and was into Glenn Tipton, Iron Maiden and Randy Rhoads at the time. That album changed my life!
Tin Pan Ally And Life Without You Probably My Favorites
There's a video of a clean and sober Stevie playing Texas Flood at (I believe) George Bush's inauguration that is just ferocious. He popped a string and for the few seconds you can hear just the back up band and it's crazy how enormous his playing was.
I got that same feeling when I saw him at Volunteer Jam in Nashville in the late 80s. He played behind his back there and at Memphis in May a year or two later. The GOAT.
He had beat drugs and alcohol before he died!
When I lived in Costa Rica I met Alex Napier who played bass with SRV in Paul Ray and the Cobras . We would sit around and Alex would tell us stories about growing up in Oak Cliff and migrating to Austin with the Vaughn brothers . RIP my old friend Alex and SRV
Always will be the GOAT...
He to this day couldn't be touched!!
God rest his soul. 🙏🙏🙏
I discovered him in 2017 (I'm 22 if that matters) and I've been obsessed ever since. I don't even play the guitar or any instrument yet but I'm gonna get into it, but I just enjoy watching and listening to a master at his craft. I went through the whole phase of discovering all of the guitar God's (thanks to RUclips) and had fleeting obsessions with the likes of steve vai, Joe satriani, yngwie malmsteen, etc, and as incredible as all of those guys and others I haven't named are, none of them have held me longer than Stevie. He doesn't shred, use a bunch of effects, and molest the fret board at a crazy speed, he just plays! He's the greatest of all time next to hendrix imo. Appreciate this video a lot! From a die hard srv fan!
Awesome! Guitar is endlessly fun. It will serve you a lifetime. Good choice.
Check out Buddy Guy he inspired Stevie. The tone is amazing...
Jimi Hendrix.
I first heard SRV when I was my in Music 75 class in college. My professor played “Cold Shot” and I automatically fell in love.
there's a reason we have a statue of SRV down here in teXas.
Stevie Ray is one of a very, very few artists who sounds best when you hear him live. No autotune for his voice, no lipsyncing, no nothing except blistering guitar and expressive vocals.
I am thankful I live in an era where we will always have SRV live performances on video. To get the true measure of the man and his music, watch all the live video you can find.
True i remember borrowing ( long time ago ) couldn't stand the weather, I recognised the virtuosity, and especially liked Tin Pan Alley, yet somehow moved on.
Years later I watched From Dusk Till Dawn and was amazed, by the movie, by Salma, and later on my little brother had the soundtrack...
Containing live versions of Mary had a little lamb, and Willy the wimp...
I was immediately captured by those solos, awesome, amazing, WOW, since then I gathered all I could find..
Live Alive, In The Beginning, The el Macambo, his new years eve concert in 86 I believe, are some of his best
So indeed, I agree, you have to hear him live that's where the real magic is
Stevie Ray Vaughan was absolutely "UNIQUE"!!!! He had so much SOUL. There will never be another SRV. It's just the truth. Heart breaking to lose him. Love the man forever.
I got to see him play IN Indy just before he died. Definitely one of the most memorable concerts of my life. RIP SRV
Excellent breakdown man. I've seen him and listened since '82 when I received an obscure looking album 16th birthday that was SRV. Blew my mind. The day he died I was crushed like it was family. Never forget; Stevie ended that coke addiction, along with the whole band after Stevie was given weeks to live. When I saw him last he was fit, strong, and telling everyone out there to watch themselves or they could lose their world. Then he melted everyone's faces. The late Live Austin City Limits show really shows how good he was feeling and playing. clear eyed to boot. He single handidly brought the blues back from the grave.
I was living in Austin in the '70s when he started playing local clubs, like the Rome Inn, for a $3 cover. We all knew Jimmy and the Thunderbirds, but... who the hell is this guy? We knew instantly he was destined to go far beyond Austin. Now in North Texas there is a cover band, Texas Flood, starring Tommy Kanola, a Hungarian immigrant who became fascinated with Stevie when he was a teen over there. The guy is amazing covering Stevie, along with Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and much else -- not original, but the best guitarist I've seen live since Stevie Ray.
Yes , Tommy is bad ass . Tommy Katona .
All I could think about when he was talking about the 150 watt amp: "this one goes to eleven, so it's one louder isn't it?"
I saw Stevie OPEN for Huey Lewis and the News, it was as silly as Hendrix opening for the Monkees.
😂😁
So did I in Virginia beach! Either '83 or '84!
Virgina beach, '83 or '84......
Hahaha..
And - Jimmy H got booed off the stage while opening for the Apes
I love stevie ray vaughan I listen to tin pan alley at least 20 times a day I love the way he sings and the sound of the music is so amazing puts me someplace cant explain but I love it wish there was more stevie what a waste makes me so angry he was taking to soon
IN STEP was about his recovery. He was in recovery, clean and sober, when he died. I saw him on the first of those last two nights at Alpine. The curtain call of Clapton with Jeff Healey was something I'll never forget. And neither is the sound of the crowd when SRV and Double Trouble ended their set after Robert Cray and before Clapton. AMAZING. And in recovery. :)
I was there too, on that Saturday night.
gnpahdc the spoken break in “Life Without You” is what got me sober. It was time for me to come home from the party.
I was there also. Never will there be another like him
I saw him THE night. Encore was SRV Jimmy Lee, Clapton, Cray and Buddy Guy. They played "Sweet Home Chicago" everyone got a solo in the last 2 were SRV and Clapton- SRV went to go to leave Clapton last but Clapton stepped in front of him so SRV could go last. SRV plain RIPPED it up the entire night.
Stevie Ray Vaughn was music that came from his soul and through his guitar.
There will never be another. ❤
1989 saw him headline a show that started with Jeff Healey...followed by Jeff Beck...then Stevie blew the doors off the show with some of the finest blues guitar you could imagine...best concert i ever attended
I'm jealous!
"ready at a moments notice to be amazing"
Nah mate he is always amazing
Ringo Starr released his 20th studio album "What's My Name" on October 25th 2019. Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band launched their 30th Anniversary North American Tour for 2020. Ringo Starr's net worth is estimated to be over $350 million dollars. Ringo Starr is married to Barbara Bach since 1981 and her sister Marjorie Bach married Joe Walsh in 2008. Ringo celebrated Joe's Birthday 1 month ago today with a dinner party that would rival every party you've ever attended all in one. Ringo Starr is 79 born July 7th 1940. He was apponted a Knight in 2018. Sir Ringo is the richest drummer in the world. He was inducted into the Rock N Roll hall of fame twice and is 1 of only 21 people to ever do so. I think SRV would be more than honored to achieve such accolades had he lived. Long Live SRV! Long Live Sir Ringo! Happy Holidays2
SRV was a class act and in no need of such extensive worship. He was about the music, not god status. A damn site more talented than "starr", for sure. JMHO 😁
Stevie talked about his recovery from the drug usage every chance he could even in his concerts. He would counsel people and tell them they didn't need the drugs. He was not only a guitar hero he was a true hero to people with addiction. He was truly free when he died free from it all. May god bless Stevie and all who loved him and all who get inspired by him and his fans.
I listen to an interview with Eric Clapton a few years back & his first reaction , the first time that he heard Stevie Ray Vaughan play, he said I have to find out who this is?! I remember a buddy of mine and myself , we are guitar players and when we first listened to Texas Flood, our reaction, was what in the hell was that!!?? we were both pretty astounded when we heard that man play for the first time ,and we've been hooked on it every since every time I listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan or see a video of him, l learn something new...
I only recently found SRV after hearing there was a guitar genius whose life was cut short when I was just six years old and I had to check him out and was totally blown away. Stevie Ray was definitely the man!
Listening to his stuff on autoplay has just recently lead to to Gary Moore too. He puts his heart and soul into just like Mr. Vaughan & I think he probably took inspiration from him ;()
Your one comment reminded me of when Prince did the Superbowl show. The entire game was played in driving rain, and yet he and those two gorgeous twins performed in heels on a slippery stage, with live electric instruments. The Manager of the event asked if he wanted to cancel the performance because of the weather, and Prince grinned back and said "Can you make it rain harder! Only the good die young......
Let us not forget how appropriate it was that he sang purple rain IN THE RAIN!!
I saw him live twice... it changed my direction in music forever. I put aside shredders of the day in pursuit of tone and emotion.
It is always pleasurable to watch another generation be changed forever as I was.
saw him in a club in Houston just before his 1st album came out and exploded..maybe 50 people on a week night..I'll always have that memory
That would have been legendary. Your lucky. I've seen Pat Martino jazz legend about 12 times as well in small clubs.
@@chrisbatson3402 it was 82..83 maybe..i was at the bar b4 the show and he walked up and ordered two crowns and coke..i had never seen him and wondered who was this guy in snakeskin cowboy boots and a gambler hat..a few mins later i found out
@@kmars21 that's awesome
You are one lucky person . I want your memory.
I was blessed enough to have my head sheared off in person in 1988. And yes it changed my life forever.
There's this cliché with the all-time greats about "effortless" playing, but SRV really embodies that in a way that surpasses even Hendrix and Clapton, like the guitar truly is an extension of his own body. He may not have innovated as much as others (arguably), but he is the most gifted guitar player ever
Who else came to the comments to see people annoyed by the string gauge info? XD
Me. 😁
If 0.11 was closest to yer face you might be doing it wrong
Wreckoning
Yup!
Didn't really care, nice to know
Mee too!
If you want to hear some early SRV you've probably never heard before, search for "Stevie Ray Vaughan & Lou Ann Barton - In 1978 There Was", recorded in Nashville, Tennessee at Jack Clemont's Belmont Studio, early 1978. Including a track called "I Wonder Why" with SRV playing slide guitar. This is an unreleased album from five years before his first officially released album "Texas Flood".
Lou Ann was in his band called Triple Threat Review.
In 1978, they disbanded and Double Trouble was formed.
That's when SRV started singing
I saw Stevie in 3-4 bands prior to that in Austin, starting in 1972
He got clean and sober in 1986, and it was everything to him. He was as kind and humble as he was talented.
He played every note as if it was his last.I love him for what his music done for me.
You can see that he literally went to another place when he played. It's like every single thing that was on his mind just disappeared. He was an absolute legend and I'm so thankful that I was able to grow up in a time when there was still such talent. The one thing I wish this guy would have mentioned was that he was clean and sober at the time of his death. I believe he had been for about four years at the time. He's making it sound like we lost another great to addiction when that's not true. ✌
I had the privilege of experiencing Stevie Ray Vaughn live at Spring Break ‘85 on Playa Blanca Beach, South Padre Island, TX. It was hot, sunny, sandy, Stevie was blitzed out of his mind, he was wearing black clothes, pouring buckets of sweet & he never opened his eyes his whole set. Most Mega-Stars would have said, “F It!” & ditched the gig, but from his 1st riff to the very last, he fricken’ blew the crowd away, never missing a note. It was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience I will always remember & cherish forever.
You're right, that's exactly how the guitar was meant to be played.
@Jody Mac I'm a Torontonian, I was there that night of the recording, at The Elmo July of 83'. I can honestly tell you, I do not recall, any word, about Stevie falling asleep in his dressing room. Back then, I was working for CPI in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Rest In Peace Stevie Ray Vaughan October 3rd 1954-August 27th 1990 30 years ago yesterday! I have not forgotten.
Visceral player of the highest caliber!You HAD to see him live to fully appreciate his talent.His interpretation of the blues stands alone.....nuff said!
Agreed!
I and a couple friends saw Stevie in Aurora Colo in 1983 at this place that used to be a three theater cinema. They knocked all the walls out and turned it into a concert venue. All the p.a. speakers were hung from the ceiling. It was pitch black in there and all of the sudden there was fire on the stage. He lit his guitar on fire and broke out with voodoo chile. We all looked at each other and said holy fuck, this is going to be one hell of a show. And it was. The best concert I ever saw. I'm 62 yrs old now, but remember it like it was yesterday. RIP STEVIE RAY.
SRV eludes your comprehension. You have to have seen him live to know.
I discovered Stevie by accident. I got tickets to see him about a month before his death at Jones Beach Theater in New York. I literally went because it was just something to do with some friends. I wasn't a fan before that. I swear to you, I was never the same again. Not even on the ride home. A month or so later I was on my way home from work and planned on stopping at the music store to buy Texas Flood. I heard on the radio that he died. I was devastated. I was pissed off at myself for not discovering him sooner.
There are lots of great guitar players out there. Nobody before or since has ever put themselves into the music as much as Stevie did.
At 2:29 - you mentioned "13s" as the string set gage he (SRV) played and a little later, you talked about "10s". That means the SMALLEST STRING, furthest from your face, not nearest, is 0.010" diameter, or ten thousandths of an inch. The string closest to your face is the largest (on a set of "10s", usually 0.046" diameter), unless you're Johnny Angel or Albert King. These guys play "upside down" with the heavy strings at the bottom and the skinnies on top. That means they just flip the guitar over and fret it upside down with their right hands, since they are left-handed. Jimi Hendrix was left-handed, but he re-strung his guitar (a right-handed model) upside down and played a mirrored transposition of the fretboard.
What blows me away is Eric Gales being right handed but plays left handed with the low E on bottom.
Minor correction about Hendrix. Yes he played left handed, with a guitar restrung standard for a lefty. As opposed to say Albert King or Otis Rush... But Hendrix wasn't "left handed". He was right handed. Check out any photos of him writing, if you disagree. He writes right handed.
@@Ericleeproject Ambidextrous
@@Ericleeproject Google it and you'll see Jimi Hendrix did play the guitar left-handed when he was growing up so therefore he restrung it. His father tried to get him to play it the right way but he refused
Grandfather's idea
You make a great point about how jaw dropping it is to hear him for the first time. He hit me hard! Saw him in San Diego in '86 and I was floored by how good he was. He remains my favorite of all time and I never get tired of hearing him.
Regarding string gauges, the high 'E' string is referenced diameter. So, a set of "nines" means the high E is .009" in diameter. Stevie's were indeed "thirteens" (.013") which is really thick.
I should clarify that the high E diameter is the skinniest in a set of strings and that each string, from high to low (E,B,G,D,A,E) obviously gets thicker. By comparison, Billy Gibbons plays sevens or eights (.007", .008")
The Sky is Crying was a album/CD that was released in 90 after his death if I Remeber correctly, Stevie Ray Vaughn did a version of Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix that absolutely blew a lot of people away. It’s a great album all the way through. The very last song if I recall correctly was a acoustic song done with his brother and guitar player Jimmy Vaughn. If The Fabulous Thunderbirds.
Yes...posthumous album. Arranged by Jimmy. Last song is Life By The Drop
Every Saturday morning my neighbor used to crank Texas Flood, that's how I learned about Stevie. That was 1983. Saw SRV 3 times in the 80s. Seriously awesome.
Amazed at how many incorrect “facts” are in this video. So much misinformation and overuse of “air quotes”!
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He he he he he I'm almost 50 years old I got to see Stevie Ray live. just having that on my resume makes me one of the happiest people on the planet
What you described hearing Stevie was similar to the first time I heard Jimi at the age of 13. Absolutely changed me from that point forward. Stevie and I are from the same time and close in age. We lived in the same city and I know people that knew him, including his bass player for most of his carrier. Their will never be another Jimi, Their will never be another Stevie, but there will be another musician that is consumed by the six string instrument known as the guitar that will progress to the level to express the emotion that those two fellows did his own way. Thanks Stevie and thanks Jimi, your love was our love.
Austin or Dallas?
You are absolutely right about the feeling you have when you listen to Stevie for the first time, I was like "WHAT WAS THAT!!! PLAY THAT AGAIN" I've never listened to anything like his playing
Rest Peacefully Stevie!!!
Stevie kicked that habit man. Died a Sober individual... God Bless
Stevie Ray Vaughn Greatest Guitar Player Ever!!!!
Love your take on Stevie....... you got to be yourself....never .....imitate...his legacy hasn't ceased to exists .....now...be happy you know of him....
Don't worry, if there is a Rock and Roll heaven, you know they got a hell of a band. And Stevie is switching off lead with Jimi
There's a record store in Orlando called "rock'n'roll heaven" 😉
I saw SRV in a VERY small indoor venue, basically a movie theater..1989..sitting in second row right in front of him...spitting distance..and he was LOUD..and we all just sat there in awe for 90 minutes with our mouths open. Fucking epic...and I'd give anything to go back to that day.
Bro this is a perfect explanation of who stevie was. he was a walking guitar god
As I have come upon the conversation a year late I would like to add that it was told in the book Texas Flood that after he was clean and sober he went from the 13's down to 11's. He said it was like taking boxing gloves off. He could feel his fingers again. Let that sink in. Those clear, clean, impeccable notes he played all those years were muffled by "boxing gloves"! I don't hear that but you can tell by looking the unhealthy paleness and sweating to his sober playing. He really came into his own. The last 4 years of his life was being sober and healthy, playing his music, loving Janna, and life. He devoted a lot of time to helping and encouraging others to get sober too. Thanks for all the love you shared Stevie❣️❤️
“Texas Cowboy Genie”- hahaha!
Good on you for keeping his flame alive for the younger, I saw him here in Australia when I was 17
Fortunately I got to see him 3 times in concert.
That's special 👍
I was there. I saw him in the early 80s at a club called the Metro...in NJ. Kind of changed my life.
RIP SRV thanx for sending the love my way you changed my life in more ways than you know 🎶
I remember exactly where I was when I heard he passed away. I was driving up phone company van three on the tray standard shift that means the shifter was on the steering column. I was devastated. Love him. My God rest, his soul, may perpetual light shine upon thy
Intensity note bending. Strong seen him solo non stop for 30 min at concert. High gage strings
God bless Tom Tracy
The one thing you people must realize is, he was Stevie Ray, and Stevie Ray will always stand at the top of the Blues/ rock mountain. RIP my brother, the sky is still crying. Much love
He’s my absolute favorite and he is sooo missed 😪🎶🎵🎸🎵🎶
I may have commented here before, but I caught him at the Rome Inn in Austin in ‘79, I believe. This was before he was famous outside the Texas bar circuit. I saw him a couple times later, but that first encounter, five feet from the stage, remains my favorite. He was indeed special.
*Short answer:* He knew tension and release! *Slighly longer answer:* He played blues (funk, rock) as if he was the love child of a 1960s hard bop jazz saxophonist (Coltrane, Shorter) and one of those skilled folk music improvisers you find in eastern Europe and other places over the globe.
I was lucky enough to see him (& his brother) perform several times in the 80s in Austin. There’s a statue of him on a popular walking trail in Austin. He was a GOAT. RIP Stevie Ray 😢💔🙏🏻
Same here but in 1972-1982
Austin rocks
☮️
Srv is the reason I love blues and discover other blues gods like jimmi Hendrix,bb.king,albert king, Joe banommassa, Eric Clapton, robert,cray and the list goes on and on. R.I.P stevie
Always listen to how clean Stevie played, no zipping or dragging on the strings, unless he wanted to on purpose, his speed and accuracy was incredible and to do it all with heavy strings and high action settings, and by the way all his guitars were stock, no hotrodding of any kind
When your playing nearly caused a man who is widely considered one of the best guitarist ever to nearly quit playing after seeing you live...you’re an immediate legend. In this case SRV deserves every compliment and then some.
I was lucky enough to see Stevie perform in a tiny club called Blossom's Downstairs in Fort Worth in 1983. I was sitting ten feet away. He came out smoking a joint, put it under the fret of his guitar and just started playing.
While he may have used 150w amps, his sound was crisp, very clean, and in no way melted the ears of those in the front row. He didn't use those extra watts just to make it louder.