An instant New York Times bestseller! The definitive biography of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, with an epilogue by Jimmie Vaughan, and foreword and afterword by Double Trouble’s Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon. Just a few years after he almost died from a severe addiction to cocaine and alcohol, a clean and sober Stevie Ray Vaughan was riding high. His last album was his most critically … album was his most critically lauded and commercially successful. He had fulfilled a lifelong dream by collaborating with his first and greatest musical hero, his brother Jimmie. His tumultuous marriage was over and he was in a new and healthy romantic relationship. Vaughan seemed poised for a new, limitless chapter of his life and career.
Instead, it all came to a shocking and sudden end on August 27, 1990, when he was killed in a helicopter crash following a dynamic performance with Eric Clapton. Just 35 years old, he left behind a powerful musical legacy and an endless stream of What Ifs. In the ensuing 29 years, Vaughan’s legend and acclaim have only grown and he is now an undisputed international musical icon. Despite the cinematic scope of Vaughan’s life and death, there has never been a truly proper accounting of his story. Until now.
Texas Flood provides the unadulterated truth about Stevie Ray Vaughan from those who knew him best: his brother Jimmie, his Double Trouble bandmates Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton and Reese Wynans, and many other close friends, family members, girlfriends, fellow musicians, managers and crew members.
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I received a free electronic copy of this excellent biography from Netgalley, Alan Paul and Andy Aledort, and St. Martin’s Press. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.
August 27, 1990, was a sad day for the world of the blues and rock, and for Texans in particular. Stevie Ray Vaughan was ours, homegrown, and is still mourned today in the Hill Country and beyond. It was doubly heartfelt because in the early ’80s we almost lost him to drugs and alcohol, but Stevie pulled himself out of that pit with heart and pure guts and was still the shy, sweet guy we knew before. His music grew to fill a whole genre of his own before his untimely death and is still popular with people of all ages, all genres.
Alan Paul, with help from Andy Aledort, members of Double Trouble and Jimmy Vaughan and his band The Fabulous Thunderbirds brings us a well researched, broad overview of the life and times of Stevie Ray. This book is essential reading for those who grew up in the Country/Rock and Blues/Rock growth in the 1970s and 1980s, and those younger listeners who have ‘found’ those Blues titans of that time – most lost much too soon, one way or another. All will be missed. SRV is still mourned.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is apart of my childhood. I grew up with his music pulsing through our living room stereo, and I remember members of my parents rock band trying to emulate the incredibly talented blues guitarists during sunny Sunday afternoon jam sessions.
I still see August 27, 1990 vividly through nine year old eyes. I remember both my mom and dad beside themselves with grief, like a member of our family had passed away, and in a way they did. Stevie’s music and talent had a way of touching lives far and wide and since he was a fellow Texan, I believe there was an unspoken kinship to the man, among other similarities. Us Texan’s are proud of our own.
At the time, I didn’t understand the tears, or why my parents left a photo of SRV on my moms keyboards in our living room for months after his death but, years later, I believe I have a better understanding, especially after reading Texas Flood.
Hearing about a life by those that lived that life with that person is unique, and that’s exactly what Texas Flood is all about. Raw and real, you get a glimpse of who Stevie was at his core, his rise to stardom by those who were by his side, his long-time battle with drugs and alcohol, and the amazing story of him overcoming his demons, and finally going clean, only to be killed at the peak of his life on a plane that he wasn’t supposed to be on. Oh those damn airplanes! So many of the greats lost by the same fate.
Stevie is buried in Dallas at the same graveyard as my cousin, who died before I was born. Visiting his grave reminds me just how close I feel to the rocker that I never got to meet, yet is apart of me. Reading Texas Flood brought me even closer to the legend, and for that I am grateful. He was an amazing talent that deserves to be remembered not only for his music but for the man that he was.
I cannot recommend this biography enough! I can honestly say that I’ve never read such a wonderfully unique tribute, and I am so happy to be reviewing this incredible work on my dad’s 60th birthday! Happy Birthday Dad!!
*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.
A very well written book about the life of Stevie Ray Vaughan. I found it to be very tastefully done with many of the stories in this book about him was from interviews with his close family and friends. It was very interesting reading and really shed a more human light on him and his tragic short life. I would recommend this one to anyone who wanted a more honest view of this performer.
I received an advanced copy of this book. If you are looking for a book about Stevie Ray Vaughan, then this is the book for you! This book goes very deep into his life and gives you a whole lot of details about him and his life. This book will tell you about him, the music scene, and the bands that he has been in. This book also talks about his family life. Basically if you want to know anything about Stevie, this is the book to pick up. It is well written and is a great story!