ZZ Top, Stevie Wonder,
Bonnie Raitt and Buddy Guy were among the mourners at the 1990 funeral for
Stevie Ray Vaughan – a fitting tribute for the man often called one of the
greatest guitar players of all time. The newly released biography called TEXAS FLOOD is “The
Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan” written by Alan Paul and Andy Aledort. The
authors were clearly inspired by Stevie Ray Vaughan and express their
appreciation to his many friends and fellow musicians and to his brother,
Jimmie Vaughan, all of whom contributed (see the several page “cast of
characters”) to this book which “represents three decades of work.”
This biography
explores Vaughan’s life from an early age and uses direct quotes (“I got my
first guitar when I was seven”) from his interviews. In addition, the authors feature impressions
and quotes from a large number of his associates (think of a script from a Ken
Burns documentary) in chapters that deal with the Austin music scene, Vaughan’s
addiction issues, his work with the Double Trouble band and much more. Kirkus
called TEXAS FLOOD “a
treasure trove for anyone interested in the blues and Vaughan’s place within
popular music” and gave it a starred
review as did Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. If you have not
heard Stevie Ray play the blues, give a listen to the video below; then read his story:
