Stevie Ray Vaughn: Caught in the Crossfire

Boston, MA, Toronto, ON, Canada & London: Little, Brown and Company, 1993. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo or 8° (Medium Octavo): 7¾" x 9¾" tall. Barbara Werden (Design); Steve Snider (Jacket Design); W.A. Williams (Jacket Photo); Wyatt Mc Spadden (Author Photo). 313 pp. Solidly bound copy and dj with minimal external wear, crisp pages and clean text. "The first biography of this meteoric guitar hero. Emerging from the hotbed of Texas blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan developed his unique style early on, in competition with his older brother, Jimmy Vaughan, founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds - a competition that shaped much of Stevie's Life. His death in a freak helicopter crash in 1990 silenced one of the great musical talents of our time." - from dust jacket. Synopsis: Publishers Weekly Austin-based journalists Patoski and Crawford pen a rousing account of Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who died at age 35 in a 1990 helicopter crash. The Dallas-born Vaughan began playing electric guitar in imitation of older brother Jimmie, who founded the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Both brothers were fixtures of the 1960s and '70s Austin scene, which spawned such rock acts as ZZ Top and allowed Stevie Ray to form his own band, Double Trouble. Vaughan's biggest break was playing on David Bowie's 1983 Let's Dance album; when he brazenly rejected Bowie's offer to tour, he garnered music-industry notice. Later, as his career skyrocketed, Vaughan abused cocaine and whiskey. He underwent treatment in 1986, a process which sealed his friendship with guitarist and recovered heroin addict Eric Clapton. Afterward, Vaughan became a preachy proponent of AA's 12-step program; he is reverently portrayed here as an inspiration to troubled fans. Backed up by plenty of blues history, this enthusiastic tribute ably succeeds as a narrative, adopting the down-home colloquialisms of its subject. Photos not seen by PW. (May) Library Journal The authors provide a penetrating first biography of blues/rock guitar virtuoso Vaughn (1954-90). Through the use of extensive interviews, they succeed particularly well in describing Vaughan's childhood relationships with his abusive father and his older brother, who served as a role model. The authors chart Vaughan's initial interest in music, his emergence on the Texas music scene, his 1983 breakthrough, and his continued rise to superstardom until his untimely death in a helicopter crash. Writing in a breezy, engaging style, they offer an intimate look at the insecurities and abilities of Vaughan to explain his sometimes tortured, drug-dominated life and his fiery, powerful music. Highly recommended for general music collections.-- David Szatmary, Univ. of Washington, Seattle Annotation Now available in paperback, here is the bestselling biography of America's last guitar legend, Texas firebrand Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hailed the greatest guitarist since Hendrix, Vaughan emerged from the hotbed of Texas blues to develop a blistering, unforgettable style all his own. "A rich, complete, and loving portrait."--Detroit Free Press. Publishers Weekly Austin-based journalists Patoski and Crawford pen a rousing account of Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who died at age 35 in a 1990 helicopter crash. The Dallas-born Vaughan began playing electric guitar in imitation of older brother Jimmie, who founded the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Both brothers were fixtures of the 1960s and '70s Austin scene, which spawned such rock acts as ZZ Top and allowed Stevie Ray to form his own band, Double Trouble. Vaughan's biggest break was playing on David Bowie's 1983 Let's Dance album; when he brazenly rejected Bowie's offer to tour, he garnered music-industry notice. Later, as his career skyrocketed, Vaughan abused cocaine and whiskey. He underwent treatment in 1986, a process which sealed his friendship with guitarist and recovered heroin addict Eric Clapton. Afterward, Vaughan became a preachy proponent of AA's 12-step program; he is reverently portrayed here as an inspiration to troubled fans. Backed up by plenty of blues history, this enthusiastic tribute ably succeeds as a narrative, adopting the down-home colloquialisms of its subject.