Draco
08-22-2007, 10:59 AM
<center>As everyone knows I am a musician although I have been
side-tracked from it for awhile now. Because I'm a musician, I would
like to take a minute to remember a man that influenced my desire
to be a musician. It'll be the anniversary of his death here in a week
and I just wanted to give everyone the gift of his music and possibly
introduce him to those who have never heard of him.
Put on your headphones and turn it up. </center>
<center>Death
On August 25, 1990, Vaughan and Double Trouble finished up the summer leg
of the tour with shows at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, just outside of East
Troy, Wisconsin. The show also featured Robert Cray and his Memphis Horns
along with Eric Clapton's set. Alex Hodges, Double Trouble's tour manager,
arranged flight by helicopter with Omni Flights.
The next morning on August 26, 1990, Vaughan had what was described as a
"horrible" nightmare. He dreamt that he was at his own funeral and saw
thousands of mourners. He felt "terrified, yet almost peaceful". He shared this
story with his bandmates and some trusted crew members. The band played
that night, as bass player Tommy Shannon hopped a helicopter already back
to Chicago.
Eric Clapton played his set next. At the end of the show, as fog settled over
the audience in the arena, Clapton introduced Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray, Robert
Cray, and Jimmie Vaughan. The musicians chose the appropriate titled "Sweet
Home Chicago", a blues classic written by Robert Johnson.
After the 15-minute jam, the lights went up and the musicians went
backstage to trade compliments. Clapton and Vaughan talked about future
dates in London to pay a tribute to Jimi Hendrix.
Double Trouble drummer, Chris Layton, recalls his last conversation with
Vaughan backstage. He then remembers Vaughan saying he had to call his
girlfriend, Janna Lapidus, back in Chicago. He headed out the door to the
helicopters.
The musicians expected a long bus ride back to Chicago. Vaughan was
informed by a member of Clapton's crew that three seats were open on one of
the helicopters returning to Chicago with Clapton's crew, enough for
Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, and Jimmie Vaughan's wife Connie. It turned out
there was only one seat left, which Stevie Ray Vaughan requested from his
brother, who obliged. Stevie strapped himself next to Clapton's crew. It was
12:44 am. Pilot Jeffrey Browne guided the copter off the ground as the lights
flashed below. Seconds later, the pilot banked the copter into a 300-foot high
hill with the twisted metal scattered over an area of 200 square feet. All on
board were killed instantly. No one realized that the crash had occurred until
the helicopter failed to arrive in Chicago, and the wreckage was only found
with the help of its locator beacon. The main cause of the crash was believed
to be pilot error. Chris Layton, Jimmie and his wife were waiting for their
copter so they could leave. However they hadn't found out about the news
until they returned to the motel in Chicago. The next morning Stevie Ray
Vaughan's brother Jimmie and good friend Eric Clapton were called to identify
the bodies.
The media initially reported that Vaughan and his band had been killed in the
crash. Chris Layton saw this on the news and had security let him into
Vaughan's motel room. Layton saw that the bed was made and the clock
radio was playing the Eagles' song, "Peaceful, Easy Feeling", which includes
the lyrics "I may never see you again". Layton and Shannon then called their
families to let them know they were okay.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is interred in the Laurel Land Memorial Park, Dallas,
Texas.</center>
<center><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zAG-kX_IlUw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zAG-kX_IlUw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></center>
side-tracked from it for awhile now. Because I'm a musician, I would
like to take a minute to remember a man that influenced my desire
to be a musician. It'll be the anniversary of his death here in a week
and I just wanted to give everyone the gift of his music and possibly
introduce him to those who have never heard of him.
Put on your headphones and turn it up. </center>
<center>Death
On August 25, 1990, Vaughan and Double Trouble finished up the summer leg
of the tour with shows at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, just outside of East
Troy, Wisconsin. The show also featured Robert Cray and his Memphis Horns
along with Eric Clapton's set. Alex Hodges, Double Trouble's tour manager,
arranged flight by helicopter with Omni Flights.
The next morning on August 26, 1990, Vaughan had what was described as a
"horrible" nightmare. He dreamt that he was at his own funeral and saw
thousands of mourners. He felt "terrified, yet almost peaceful". He shared this
story with his bandmates and some trusted crew members. The band played
that night, as bass player Tommy Shannon hopped a helicopter already back
to Chicago.
Eric Clapton played his set next. At the end of the show, as fog settled over
the audience in the arena, Clapton introduced Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray, Robert
Cray, and Jimmie Vaughan. The musicians chose the appropriate titled "Sweet
Home Chicago", a blues classic written by Robert Johnson.
After the 15-minute jam, the lights went up and the musicians went
backstage to trade compliments. Clapton and Vaughan talked about future
dates in London to pay a tribute to Jimi Hendrix.
Double Trouble drummer, Chris Layton, recalls his last conversation with
Vaughan backstage. He then remembers Vaughan saying he had to call his
girlfriend, Janna Lapidus, back in Chicago. He headed out the door to the
helicopters.
The musicians expected a long bus ride back to Chicago. Vaughan was
informed by a member of Clapton's crew that three seats were open on one of
the helicopters returning to Chicago with Clapton's crew, enough for
Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan, and Jimmie Vaughan's wife Connie. It turned out
there was only one seat left, which Stevie Ray Vaughan requested from his
brother, who obliged. Stevie strapped himself next to Clapton's crew. It was
12:44 am. Pilot Jeffrey Browne guided the copter off the ground as the lights
flashed below. Seconds later, the pilot banked the copter into a 300-foot high
hill with the twisted metal scattered over an area of 200 square feet. All on
board were killed instantly. No one realized that the crash had occurred until
the helicopter failed to arrive in Chicago, and the wreckage was only found
with the help of its locator beacon. The main cause of the crash was believed
to be pilot error. Chris Layton, Jimmie and his wife were waiting for their
copter so they could leave. However they hadn't found out about the news
until they returned to the motel in Chicago. The next morning Stevie Ray
Vaughan's brother Jimmie and good friend Eric Clapton were called to identify
the bodies.
The media initially reported that Vaughan and his band had been killed in the
crash. Chris Layton saw this on the news and had security let him into
Vaughan's motel room. Layton saw that the bed was made and the clock
radio was playing the Eagles' song, "Peaceful, Easy Feeling", which includes
the lyrics "I may never see you again". Layton and Shannon then called their
families to let them know they were okay.
Stevie Ray Vaughan is interred in the Laurel Land Memorial Park, Dallas,
Texas.</center>
<center><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zAG-kX_IlUw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zAG-kX_IlUw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></center>