Virtually no one epitomizes the resurgence of blues music during the 1980s more than Stevie Ray Vaughan. He entranced audiences in every concert with his blues guitar, and he was known around the industry as the foremost master of his instrument. Remarkably, Vaughan could also switch to styles like rock and jazz seamlessly, further increasing his fans' adoration. Vaughan grew up in Texas and first picked up the guitar as a younger to emulate his older brother. He was already in a variety of bands by junior high, honing his playing and performing schools.He decided to leave high school when he was 17 to start pursuing music completely and soon joined a band called the Cobras, playing around Austin, Texas. The group folded in the mid 1970s, causing Vaughan to form the band Triple Threat in 1975, which later became Double Trouble in the late 1970s. The band started to develop a large and loyal following of fans in their home state. They performed at the legendary Montreux Festival in 1982, leading to Vaughan performing on David Bowie's album and the group recording in Los Angeles. They nailed a deal with Epic Records, and Vaughan and his band released Texas Flood in 1983.Vaughan released his follow up, Couldn't Stand the Weather, in 1984. The album ended up going gold, paving the way for another successful release in 1985, Soul to Soul. By this time, Vaughan was dealing with serious addictions to drugs and alcohol. After the tour to promote Live Alive in 1987, Vaughan went to rehab. He emerged stronger and continued playing while working on new material. He released the now fan favorite album In Step in 1989. He was working on a new album in 1990 with his brother Jimmie along with performing many live concerts. Tragedy hit during his concert on August 26, 1990 in East Troy, Wisconsin. Vaughan left the concert in a helicopter after performing, and not long after takeoff, the helicopter crashed, killing 35-year-old Vaughan and the rest of the passengers.
