Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire

Austin-based journalists Patoski and Crawford pen a rousing account of Texas blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, who died at age 35 in a 1990 helicopter crash. The Dallas-born Vaughan began playing electric guitar in imitation of older brother Jimmie, who founded the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Both brothers were fixtures of the 1960s and '70s Austin scene, which spawned such rock acts as ZZ Top and allowed Stevie Ray to form his own band, Double Trouble. Vaughan's biggest break was playing on David Bowie's 1983 Let's Dance album; when he brazenly rejected Bowie's offer to tour, he garnered music-industry notice. Later, as his career skyrocketed, Vaughan abused cocaine and whiskey. He underwent treatment in 1986, a process which sealed his friendship with guitarist and recovered heroin addict Eric Clapton. Afterward, Vaughan became a preachy proponent of AA's 12-step program; he is reverently portrayed here as an inspiration to troubled fans. Backed up by plenty of blues history, this enthusiastic tribute ably succeeds as a narrative, adopting the down-home colloquialisms of its subject. Photos not seen by PW. (May)