Stevie Ray Microbox
Stevie Ray Microbox
| Placed By: | Silver Eagle |
|---|---|
| Date: | 11/25/03, Replaced/Relocated (06/26/04) |
| Nearest Town: | Austin, Tx |
| County: | Travis |
| Terrain Difficulty: | Easy (flat, 300 yards RT) |
| Status: | retired (03/26/05) |
Acclaimed blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was born in Dallas, Texas on October 3, 1954 and began playing guitar at age 11. A poor student, Vaughan dropped out of high school in 1972 and moved to Austin to pursue a career as a professional musician. After performing with several local bands, such as The Nightcrawlers and The Cobras, Vaughan formed his own blues/R&B band in 1976 called the Triple Threat Revue, later named Triple Threat. After the departure of vocalist Lou Ann Barton in 1981, Triple Threat became known as Double Trouble, a moniker taken from the title of an Otis Rush song. Vaughan's big break came in 1982, when Double Trouble performed at the Montreux Festival in Swtizerland and were "discovered" by David Bowie, who invited Vaughan to perform on his Let's Dance album. Double Trouble subsequently landed a deal with Epic Records which led to their 1983 debut album Texas Flood, which showcased Vaughan's growing talent and laid the groundwork for his future fame. His next albums, 1984's Couldn't Stand the Weather and 1985's Soul to Soul, both went gold and expanded Vaughan's following. With his trademark "SRV" Fender Stratocaster, Vaughan wowed audiences worldwide with a unique guitar tone and technique, picking up yearly Grammy nominations for his showcase instrumentals. Despite his growing reputation as an amazing guitarist, Vaughan struggled with personal difficulties during the mid-'80s. Long addicted to drugs and alcohol, Vaughan entered an Atlanta rehabilitation clinic in 1986 after collapsing on stage while on tour in Germany. With his problems finally behind him, Vaughan began to concentrate once again on his music. In 1988 he performed an acoustic set on MTV and the following year he released Double Trouble's fifth album, In Step, touring with fellow guitar legend Jeff Beck. By early 1990 Vaughan had released another album, Family Style, recorded with his older brother Jimmie, and won two more Grammys in Rock and Blues categories. After an August 27, 1990 performance with Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray at Alpine Valley, in southern Wisconsin, Vaughan left for Chicago via helicopter. The packed chopper slammed into a hill during bad weather, and Vaughan and four other passengers were killed instantly. After his tragic death, Vaughan's fame only grew, as, like Jimi Hendrix before him, he posthumously became an immortal "guitar god," admired for his technical skill and innovative style. New Stevie Ray Vaughan material continues to be released, periodically reminding the public of the rare talent that was lost. You can pay your respects to his memory at the Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue that was placed at Auditorium Shores, near the shore of Town Lake in Austin, to honor the many great performances he gave there. My own personal tribute, this microbox, can also be found here.
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Last updated on 03/27/2005