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Stevie Ray Vaughan’s favourite musicians

Tue 1 August 2023 14:00, UK

It’s hard to believe that Stevie Ray Vaughan had such a short commercial career due to the legacy associated with his name. Yet, the legendary guitarist didn’t release his debut album, Texas Flood, until 1983. By 1990, he was dead as a result of a tragic helicopter accident. Still, in his fleeting career, Vaughan left a lasting impact on music, despite only receiving one chart-topping hit, ‘Crossfire’.

Vaughan was a vital component in the blues rock revival of the 1980s, becoming one of the genre’s most influential names. Known for his immense guitar-playing skill, Vaughan is a highly celebrated musician and idol for many current artists. However, he learnt his skills from a collection of musicians who came before him, citing many figures, from Jimi Hendrix to Jeff Beck, as some of his own idols.

Discussing Hendrix, one of the most revered guitarists of all time, Vaughan said, “He would take harmonics, if he couldn’t take straight out of the guitar he would find an effect. I think he opened all those doors. I think he just continued to try to take things further. He wasn’t afraid of talking about spiritual things in his songs and trying to grow. It’s obvious to me that he was trying to grow spiritually. I think that was a new thing in rock and roll or rock music. I think he stretched all the boundaries.”

Vaughan was also greatly inspired by his brother, Jimmie Vaughan. He once claimed, “A lot of my brother, because not only did he familiarize me with all this music, and all these people that play this music as well. But he was able to emulate a lot of their styles, but then, he was already developing his own. I’ve still never heard anybody play quite like Jimmie. So, as a result, I have to say Jimmie Vaughan is probably my biggest influence.”

His brother introduced him to many of his musical idols, telling Michael Corcoran in a 1983 interview, “Jimmie came right out of the chute, bringing home records by everyone from Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King and Buddy Guy to the Beatles and Hendrix to Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis. All this stuff at the same time. I don’t know how he got the idea to be so hip so quick.”

Vaughan also loved Hubert Sumlin, best known for his work with Howlin’ Wolf. Despite being considerably older than Vaughan, the latter once said, “Hubert Sumlin is my twin brother. I call him my little brother. Hubert’s is probably the most original guitar player I know. He is wonderful.”

Discover Vaughan’s complete list of favourite musicians below.