 The
brief life of the legendary Texas blues-guitarist, well told by Patoski (a senior editor
at Texas Monthly) and writer/radio producer Crawford, both of whom live in Austin and saw
dozens of Vaughan concerts. Raised around Dallas, Vaughan (1954-90) was a guitar prodigy
whose greatest influence was his older brother Jimmie, also a guitarist. Whatever musical
instrument Jimmie tried to play, Vaughan was sure to imitate him, and as his brother got
better instruments, Stevie played Jimmie's electric hand-me-downs. At ten, Vaughan already
was feeding on the legends of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Johnny Ace, and Bobby ``Blue''
Bland. Determined to make a living off his guitar, he quit school and took his group to
Austin, which was then a mirror of the hippie paradise in San Francisco. Even so, Vaughan
was neck-deep in low self-esteem and forever hid behind his guitar, but as his powers
became more widely known, his intensity as a musician only deepened: During one gig, after
playing his finger callus off down to the quick, he borrowed some Superglue, glued the
callus back on, and went on with the show. Vaughan played blues with all the giants, from
Eric Clapton to Jeff Beck, but eventually drugs and booze numbed the soul out of his
playing. At 32, glazed and whacked out, he went to a Georgia rehab, then--with a hand from
fellow recoverer Clapton--made a fabulous comeback, remaining sober to his last breath.
Just before his death in a helicopter crash, following a concert with Clapton and some
fellow legends, he made a record with brother Jimmie, their first together. Released less
than three weeks after Vaughan's death, Family Style instantly zapped the charts. Patoski
and Crawford do an exceptionally strong job on Vaughan's final three years sober, his
early fears, and his huge comeback. (Thirty-five b&w photographs) |