10 Things You Didn’t Know About Stevie Ray Vaughn
This is a commentary on the original article of the same name that was posted on Guitar World. You can find the original article about Stevie Ray Vaughn here if you would like to read it.
- Vaughan appears in an extended 1988 New Zealand TV commercial, which you can watch on youtube.
This commercial is almost 3 minutes long. We couldn’t actually bring ourselves to watch the whole thing but Stevie Ray Vaughn is playing some guitar in it and can be shown doing so. There is a plot to this commercial. We are guessing it is some sort of travel commercial because SRV is singing about travelling but like we said we didn’t watch the whole thing. Sometimes you gotta pay the bills and we can’t fault SRV for doing so in this case.
- For a Halloween gig at the Austin Rehearsal Complex in Austin in 1980, Vaughan dressed up as Jimi Hendrix—wig, makeup and all.
Well it was just Hallowe’en and yes we think it is pretty cool that he decided to dress up as one of the greatest guitarist’s of all time for his Hallowe’en costume. We do, however, prefer SRV’s version of “Little Wing” over Jimi’s.
- He was a huge fan of Derek and the Dominos’ classic Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs album and learned to play every song note for note
Okay, who hasn’t done this? You are obsessed with that one band. You learn to play guitar just so you can play every song of said band on there album. It is pretty cool that he like Derek and the Dominos. That band and that album rule!
- Vaughan plays drums on the original studio version of “Empty Arms” on 1985’s Soul to Soul. He plays guitar on it too, of course.
Hey these guitar guys are pretty talented musicians and SRV is no exception. Heck we wouldn’t be surprised if he played bass on a few tracks too!
- Vaughan was a big fan of The Urantia Book, a spiritual and philosophical tome that originated in Chicago between 1924 and 1955; its authorship remains a matter of speculation.
Never read this book nor do we know what it is about. Jesus was a real dude who walked this earth though and we think that there is a pretty good argument to be made that He is the I Am!
- SRV played guitar on Don Johnson’s 1986 album, Heartbeat. That’s Don Johnson, as in the guy from Miami Vice! What’s even weirder is that the album reached Number 17 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Vaughan can be heard on “Love Roulette.” His solo starts around 2:51.
Okay this is nothing to be ashamed of! SRV is arguably the greatest guitarist in his genre of all time but he played on Don Johnson’s album? Like Miami Vice Don Johnson? SRV just went up even a few more notches in our books!
- How did SRV get his “Number One” Strat? According to Chris Layton: “He said he walked into Ray Hennig’s Heart of Texas Music with a black Strat and stood, looking at the Agile guitars on the wall. He said, ‘Will you trade me this guitar for…[slowly moves his finger through the air in a straight line, and then stops, transfixed, like a divining rod], ‘…that guitar right there!’ [laughs] He picked up a vibe from the guitar, from all the way across the room!”
Hey, let’s face it the majority of us probably got our first guitar in a pawn shop somewhere. But Stevie Ray Vaughn finding “The One” in a pawnshop, the guitar that would go on to become as recognizable if not more than he is? That is pretty cool.
- For a brief period, before he decided on being called “Stevie Ray Vaughan,” he wanted to be known as “Sting Ray.”
We are going to go ahead and say that was probably a good call. “Sting Ray” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
- Vaughan was joined by the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood for a jam session at New York City’s China Club because Jagger wanted to sign Vaughan to Rolling Stones Records, but a deal was never offered.
Cool piece of trivia. I guess Jagger saw something the rest of us didn’t or they just never hit it off.
- SRV covered the Beatles! Vaughan’s studio version of the Beatles’ “Taxman” appears on Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble: Greatest Hits, even though it was a previously unreleased track and a total non-hit.
Seriously? Gonna have to look that up on youtube and maybe buy that album off itunes. Don’t know if we really care about the Beatles cover though. SRV’s other stuff is sooo good!
