Before the iconic hat and Stratocaster became his signature, Stevie Ray Vaughan was just a Texas kid chasing the blues. But when he plugged in, everything changed.
With lightning-fast fingers and a soul soaked in Hendrix, Stevie Ray didn’t just play the guitar, he made it wail, cry, and roar. His sound was raw, electric, and unmistakably his own.
This gallery takes an electrifying look at the man who brought blues-rock roaring back to life, leaving a legacy that still echoes through every amp. Stevie played like every note might be his last, right to the end.
1
Before the hat and Strat
A young Stevie Ray Vaughan rocking the bass in 1970.
2
1978
A love affair of wood, strings, and pure Texas blues.
3
1978
Just a few years away from setting the blues world on fire.
4
1978
Before Double Trouble, there were the Vaughan brothers.
5
1980s
Behind the roaring amps was a soft soul.
6
1980s
Before he lit up the guitar world, Stevie was a multi-instrumentalist.
7
1980s
Stevie and Buddy Guy brought generations of guitar fire to one stage.
8
1983
Flamboyant, fierce, and full of fire.
9
1983
Backstage with wife Linnie, Matt Dillon, May Pang, and Steve Lillywhite.
10
1984
Even legends fall in love.
11
With Gregg Allman
Two Southern giants under one roof.
12
1980s
With Mick Jagger, from Texas bars to rock royalty.
13
Blues behind bars
Vaughan gave an unforgettable performance at a Oregon State Penitentiary in 1986.
14
1980s
Stevie’s signature back-play wowed crowds and defined showmanship in blues-rock.
15
With Eric Clapton
Clapton called him “the best.”
16
1980s
The bluesman on a break.
17
At the Montreux Jazz Festival, 1985
Stevie wore this headdress as a tribute to Native American culture and his roots.
18
Battle-worn and iconic
Stevie and his beloved Strat “Number One”.
19
Love in full color
With his fiancée Janna Lapidus in 1988.
20
1990
Double Trouble in full force.
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