After his untimely death after a concert in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin in 1990, Stevie's image became that of tragic guitar hero. Thousands mourned his death and hundreds emulated his style. Everyone tried to be the "next" Stevie Ray. Rather than let his memory rest in peace, they copied his licks, lyrics and style. Others, like Ian Moore and Chris Duarte, were unfairly compared to him when their only crime was living in Austin and probably subconciously copying his style simply because that's all they heard for a decade prior to starting their careers.

After his death, his brother Jimmie and his mother Martha petioned the court to assume control over Stevie Ray's music. It was such a sad time for the family. Stevie's death came four years to the day after his father passed away. It was tragic for his fans as well. Stevie had been sober for 3 years, 317 days and about 35 minutes at the time of his death. He was playing and singing better than ever. Jimmie and Martha were awarded coexecutors of his estate and began to inventory his assests. They searched through his belongings for a will but came up empty handed. They vowed to watch over his legacy with meticulous detail.

Among his personal effects they found $173,000 in various bank accounts, all the stock for his music publishing company, about 35 guitars, about 31 amps, some speakers, a CD player, a motorized skateboard and his car, a 1975 Chevy Caprice. The money would come from his 27 published songs and six albums. He also had 132 video and audio tapes of his various live performances. This would be of most interest to his millions of fans clamoring for any form of new music they could get their hands on. But Jimmie ruled with an iron fist and few concerts have been released since his death. Pressure from Epic Records convinced Jimmie to begin sorting through hours and hours of studio outtakes to release "The Sky Is Crying" album. It had some classic performances but many fans were dissappointed in it. Not long after that, a live CD of a concert Stevie recorded back in 1980 in Austin was also released. Titled "In The Beginning," it was recorded at Steamboat 1874 on 6th Street. Again, fans complained that it was only a portion of the show. They wanted it to be a 2 CD set of his entire performance.

As a fan of his music, I admit I was skeptical to learn that another wave of Stevie Ray Vaughan CD's were being re-issued. After all, where was that multi-disc box set they kept promising us? A call to Epic / Legacy Records cleared up a few questions. Yes, the CD's would all be completely remastered, have new liner notes and contain bonus tracks not found on the original CD's. There would also be a "Greatest Hits" Volume Two. And don't
forget the box set. It was coming and would be ready by the fall of this year. Well, if that won't cock your pistol, I don't know what will.  Let's look at each CD on an individual basis. Using studio time donated by Jackson Browne, the band went in the studio over the Thanksgiving holiday in 1982. Browne even loaned them the tape to record on. Their first album, "Texas Flood," was taped over the original demos for Jackson's "Lawyers In Love." With only a few days of studio time, 72 hours to be exact, they finished the record. John Hammond at Columbia Records heard their tape and got them signed to the sister company, Epic Records. John knew talent when he saw it, after all, he had signed Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. The album took the music world by storm. Everyone from Eric Clapton to David Bowie wanted Stevie to play on their albums. He helped Bowie on the "Lets Dance" album but decided not to accept Bowie's invitation to tour with him. Stevie's boat had come in and he knew it. When "Texas Flood" is re-issued on March 23, it will include an outtake version of "Tin Pan Alley" that was recorded for that album but never released. It will also include three songs recorded live at the Palace in Hollywood on September 23, 1983. These songs are "Testify", "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and "Wham."   When you get the CD, go to "Testify" and at one minute, twenty-five seconds into the song, turn up the volume a listen to some of the hottest guitar playing you will ever hear.

Stevie's big break came in 1984 with the release of "Couldn't Stand The Weather." It was the first album to be produced by John Hammond and the band had a real budget to work with. In the studio it was all work and no play, but at night they partied hearty all around New York. The album was a huge success and the re-issue will include many extras. The liner notes will be written by Bill Milkowski and the four bonus tracks are "Hide Away,"
"Look At Little Sister," "Give Me Back My Wig" and "Come On (Pt.III)." By the time they went back in the studio to begin "Soul To Soul," the drugs and alcohol were taking their toll. The album came out OK but it took a lot of studio work to accomplish. After the album was released, they went back on the road.

The entire band was burnt out but they couldn't stop, they were deep in debt and had bills to pay. "Soul To Soul" was not the hit that Epic Records had hoped for. On the re-issue, they have added a Jimi Hendrix medley of "Little Wing / Third Stone From The Sun" and "Slip Slidin Slim," both of which were left over from the "Soul" sessions. It was on the following tour that Stevie felt the powerful grip that drugs had on him.  After collapsing in a hotel room in Germany, band members found him lying across his bed, vomiting blood and starting to turn gray. An ambulance rushed him to a hospital where he spent the next few days. After he was released, they tried to continue the tour but wasn't able to. They cancelled the rest of the tour and headed home. Stevie checked himself into Charter
Lane Treatment Center in Atlanta. He walked out 28 days later, clean and
sober.

He recorded and released "In Step," in 1989. It won him his first Grammy Award. He was completely sober when he recorded the album. On the tour that followed, every night got better and better. He was playing like every night was his last. Friends and fans couldn't be happier. Stevie Ray was back, better than ever. For the re-issue, Epic has added four live songs recorded on November 29, 1989 in Denver, Colorado. Fans can now hear incredible live versions of "The House Is Rockin," "Let Me Love You Baby," "Texas Flood" and "Life Without You." In just eight short months, Stevie Ray would lose his life. Another tragic case of dying young in the crazy world of rock 'n roll.