Stevie Ray Vaughan: Never Another Like Him

Hey everybody I'm back for my third week of blogging on Music Reviews by a Musician and I've decided to start off the week with something special to me.



Stevie Ray Vaughan

Last Friday I talked about what makes a guitarist special and I mentioned one in particular; Stevie Ray Vaughan. The reason I focused on SRV for Friday's blog is because he is my first and truly number one inspiration for my guitar playing. Stevie Ray Vaughan is a very special guitarist in many, many ways. His tone, phrasing, stage presence, soul, and heart poured through every song he played and made him the soul reason in my opinion that blues music became popular again in the 1980's.

From his debut album "Texas Flood" until his untimely death in a helicopter crash on August 27, 1990 in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin; SRV completely turned the world of guitar and blues music on its ear and made people stop and listen to his music when they heard it.

His fiery Texas style guitar playing combined with elements of R&B, jazz, early blues pioneers, and influence from other artists like T-Bone Walker, Otis Rush, Lightning Hopkins, and most notably Jimi Hendrix on top of countless others became a centerpiece for a remarkable career.

From early hits on songs like Pride and Joy, Texas Flood, Voodoo Chile, and Love Struck Baby to later hits such as Couldn't Stand the Weather, Crossfire, Tightrope, and The House is Rockin, SRV turned on a whole new generation of guitar players to the blues. And his effect is still being felt today some 20 years after his death.

Countless young artists are doing their best to pick up where SRV left off after his passing and keep the blues alive. Guys like Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Tyler Bryant, Jonny Lang, and even John Mayer all have elements of SRV's playing infused into their playing styles and they are all doing their part to keep alive a type of music that is slowly dying away amidst the mainstream music today.

But even then no matter how hard these guys try there is no way to duplicate or match what SRV did and still does today. He was a phenomenal talent that will never, ever be matched in my opinion. He is simply an amazing talent and the odds of someone like him coming along in the future are very small. If I were a betting man I would not put money on that. That is why I feel that there will never be another like him.

Until next time keep on rocking away music lovers,

JAS

Image coutesy of Joe Bielawa, Creative Commons/Flickr