Stevie Ray Vaughan

Stevie Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 in Dallas, Texas – August 27, 1990) was an American blues guitar legend, known as one of the most influential electric blues musicians in history.

Posthumous Recognition

A duet album, Family Style, with his brother, Jimmie Vaughan (also a noted blues-rock guitarist and former member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds) released in September 1990 after Stevie's death and was a popular hit. 1991's The Sky is Crying was the first of several posthumous Vaughan releases with chart success. Jimmie Vaughan later co-wrote and recorded a song in tribute to his brother and other late blues guitarists, entitled "Six Strings Down".

Related Topics:
Family Style - Jimmie Vaughan - The Fabulous Thunderbirds - 1990 - 1991 - The Sky is Crying - Six Strings Down

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In 1991, Texas governor Ann Richards proclaimed October 3, Vaughan's birthday, to be "Stevie Ray Vaughan Day."

Related Topics:
1991 - Texas - Ann Richards - October 3

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In 1992, Fender released the Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster, a reproduction of his battered 1962 Fender Stratocaster which he affectionately named "Number One", designed along with Stevie before his death. As of 2005, the model is still in production. It depicts "Number One" as it would have been brand-new in 1962, though when Stevie bought it in 1974 it was already badly weathered, as can be seen in several photographs of a young Vaughan. It also utilizes the black letter-script pickguard, a polyeutherane finish, Pau Ferro fretwood, and Stevie's initials on the headstock. The Brazilian rosewood of Stevie's guitar was too expensive, and only about 50 SRV Signature models exist with the Brazilian rosewood instead of the pau ferro. Pau ferro does not appear similar to Brazilian rosewood while it's young, but it darkens with age and will eventually resemble what Stevie's guitar had. The Poly finish lessens sustain, but it protects the guitar better and lasts longer than the Nitrocellulous Laquer that Stevie's guitar had.

Related Topics:
1992 - Fender - Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature Stratocaster - Fender Stratocaster - 2005

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In 1994, the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue was erected at Auditorium Shores on Town Lake in Austin, Texas.

Related Topics:
1994 - Town Lake - Austin, Texas

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In 2004, Fender released the Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Model "Number One" Stratocaster Guitar, a direct replica of Stevie Ray Vaughan's primary guitar, also called "First Wife." Constructed of a 1962 body and a 1962 neck, it possessed a deep, dark growl of a tone that was immediately identifiable. Even though it used all "stock" Fender Strat parts, about the only "original equipment" parts it possessed by 1990 were the body and the pickups. Over the years, Stevie and Rene Martinez, his guitar tech, replaced the pickguard, vibrato unit, saddles and neck.

Related Topics:
2004 - Fender

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The neck was damaged during a stage accident, and a spare was used from another of Stevie's Stratocasters. After he died, the original neck was put back on and the guitar was given to his brother. This is confirmed both by an interview with Jimmi Vaughan as well as pictures of Fender personel dissecting the guitar to create 100 Custom Shop "Relic" reproductions in a Guitar World Magazine, as well as several other online sources.

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