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Stevie Ray Vaughan: Fans Remember Blues Legend As 26th Death Anniversary Nears

By Shayla D
Published on: 16:21 PST, Aug 26, 2016

Stevie Ray Vaughan died in the early morning hours of August 27, 1990, but fans are making sure Vaughan’s legacy lives on as tributes to the blues legend began to pour in on social media.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was only 35-years-old when the helicopter he was a passenger in crashed into the hillside of the Alpine Valley Ski Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin. According to witnesses, the fog-covered hills made it difficult for the pilot to see in the early morning hours. Vaughan and all others aboard the helicopter were killed instantly.

In an eerie twist, according to Guitar World Magazine, Stevie Ray had informed his bandmates the night before the helicopter crash that he had a bad dream in which he was attending his own funeral. Reports of Vaughan’s crash didn’t surface until later in the morning when the helicopter didn’t reach its destination.

Just hours before, Stevie Ray had performed with another musical legend, Eric Clapton. Part of Clapton’s entourage was also aboard the helicopter flight carrying Vaughan and it was Eric Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie Ray’s brother, who were saddled with the horrid task of identifying his remains. On the 25th anniversary, Jimmie Vaughan, also a musician, told GuideLive on the eve of Stevie Ray’s induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame that he was still feeling the effects of the loss of the younger Vaughan.

“He was my little brother. Anybody who has a little brother or little sister knows what that means. I know he was a great musician, and I know people love his music and think about him that way, but I miss my little brother,” Jimmie Vaughan said of Stevie Ray. “I’ll never get over it. The whole thing doesn’t seem real.”

Jimmie Vaughan honors his brother Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction 2015.Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Vaughan’s funeral was attended by more than 4,000 mourners and included a who’s who of musicians from all genres including Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Nile Rodgers, ZZ top, and Stevie Wonder.

According to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s memorial website, Vaughan’s music helped reignite the blues in the 1980s by bridging the gap between rock n roll and the blues, something that other artists had struggled to do since the 1960s. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Vaughan would later be buried in his home state days after the crash. Texas’ music epicenter, Austin, erected a bronze statue in Stevie Ray’s memory, marking his significance not only globally to the music industry, but locally.

A Fender Stratocaster signed by Stevie Ray Vaughan sold for $80,000 at auction this year.Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Vaughan’s illustrious career, though short and impactful, was also marred by a lifetime of alcohol and drug addiction. Stevie Ray admitted to sneaking drinks of his father’s alcohol as early as 6-years-old and eventually added cocaine into the mix in adulthood. According to the Los Angeles Times, in 1986, Vaughan attended rehab and after getting sober found himself nervous to play without his medicinal coping mechanisms. Vaughan overcame his fears to deliver some of the best music of his career.

“Life’s real confusing because it’s confusing to have feelings, but I know it’s better by a long shot. With our music now, it seems to me that we’re playing cleaner,” Vaughan stated. “It’s more wholesome, more right and more off-the-wall at the same time, like the way my brother Jimmie plays. I think we’re playing better, and sometimes that makes lots more sense.”

Stevie Ray Vaughan must have been right. In 1991, the album Family Style released just after his death earned Stevie Ray his third Grammy.

[Photo by Marty Lederhandler/AP File.]

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