Stevie Ray had been in numerous bands before joining blues rock combo Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in the late 1970's.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's debut album was released in 1983. The critically acclaimed Texas Flood (1983) featured the top-20 hit Pride and Joy and sold well in both blues and rock circles.
Stevie Ray Vaughan died August 27th, 1990 when his helicopter crashed into the Alpine Valley ski hill. He was on his way back from playing a guest appearance at an Eric Clapton concert at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Adult life and career
Vaughan's first recording band was called Paul Ray and the Cobras. They played at clubs and bars in Austin during the mid-1970s, and released one single.[2] Vaughan later recorded two other singles under the band name The Cobras.[3] Stevie left the Cobras, leaving Denny Freeman still in his role of original lead guitarist, and formed Triple Threat in late 1975, which included bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton, vocalist Lou Ann Barton, and sax player Johnny Reno. Barton left the band in 1978 to pursue a solo career, followed by Reno in 1979. The three remaining members started performing under the name Double Trouble, inspired by an Otis Rush song of the same name. Vaughan became the band's lead singer.
Tommy Shannon, the bass player on Johnny Winter's early albums, replaced Newhouse in 1981. A popular Austin act, Vaughan soon attracted the attention of musicians David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Both Browne and Bowie first caught Vaughan at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival, where some members of the audience booed the band because they disliked Double Trouble's hard blues sound; the crowd response was quite different when they were subsequently invited to headline "Blues Night" at the festival in 1985.
In November, 1982, Vaughan recorded in Jackson Browne's studio in downtown Los Angeles. The recordings were brought to the attention of A&R man John Hammond and became Double Trouble's critically acclaimed first album, Texas Flood (1983), produced by Hammond; it featured the Top 20 hit "Pride and Joy" and sold 500,000 copies, earning the band a gold record. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, and its song "Rude Mood" was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental". Vaughan won three categories in Guitar Player's readers poll: "Best New Talent", "Best Blues Album", and "Best Electric Blues Guitarist". He became the second guitarist to win three Guitar Player awards in one year (the first is Jeff Beck). Vaughan won the "Best Electric Blues Guitarist" award every year until 1991.
Also in 1983 Bowie featured Vaughan on his 1983 album Let's Dance.[4] Vaughan was asked to go on tour with Bowie, but declined so he could continue to play with Double Trouble. Reportedly, Vaughan, who was still driving a delivery truck to support himself, was furious when he saw Bowie pantomiming over Vaughan's guitar solo in the video for "Let's Dance".
The band's next album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, was recorded in January 1984. During mid-1984 Vaughan and Double Trouble made numerous TV appearances, performing on Rockpalast, MuchMusic, and Solid Gold.
During the Grammy Awards of 1984, Vaughan and George Thorogood presented Chuck Berry with a lifetime achievement award. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" from Couldn't Stand The Weather was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".
The band played Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 4, 1984. The show featured one Double Trouble set, and a second with guests Dr. John on keyboards, George Rains on drums, Jimmie Vaughan on guitar, Roomful of Blues Horns, and singer Angela Strehli. The group rehearsed in September 1984 at the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth, Texas.
In November, Vaughan won two W.C. Handy National Blues Awards: "Entertainer of the Year" and "Blues Instrumentalist of the Year". It was the first time a white person won either award. During this time, he also began recording with one of his earliest idols, blues-rock guitar pioneer Lonnie Mack, to produce the album Strike Like Lightning on the Alligator label.
In late January 1985, the band went on a six-night Japanese tour with various interviews and performances. In March, the band started to produce their third album Soul to Soul. Reese Wynans, a former keyboardist with Captain Beyond and Delbert McClinton's band, was added to the band not long after. The album's production lasted for two months. On April 10 Vaughan played "The Star Spangled Banner" for opening day of the National League baseball season at the Houston Astrodome (supposedly he didn't get a good audience response from that crowd; he did, at least, get to meet former New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle afterwards). Soul to Soul was released on September 30, 1985; Vaughan received his fifth Grammy nomination: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for one of its songs, "Say What!".
In the following months of 1986, Vaughan and Double Trouble went on tour in New Zealand. It was around this time that he met Janna Lapidus, a touring model in New Zealand.
In mid-1986, the band was considering ideas of a new album, particularly a live album. Shows were set up at the Austin Opera House and at the Dallas Starfest. Audiences saw Vaughan struggle through these shows, as some of the original recordings were filled with technical difficulties.
On August 27, 1986, the Vaughan brothers' father, Big Jim, passed away of heart failure. A funeral was arranged two days later. The boys rushed home to comfort their mother, yet had little time to mourn. After the funeral was finished, a jet rushed Vaughan to Montreal, Quebec, where he played the "Labatt Blues Fest" (in Quebec, so named for their flagship beer "Labatt Blue"), known elsewhere as the "Miller Beer Festival" in Jarry Park.
The recordings in both Dallas and Austin, as well as the Montreux Jazz Festival, were edited and later released on Live Alive in November 1986.
Studio Albums:
Texas Flood (1983)
Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984)
Soul to Soul (1985)
In Step (1989)
Family Style (with Brother Jimmie Vaughan as "The Vaughan Brothers", 1990)
The Sky Is Crying (posthumous release) (1991)
Official live audio releases:
In the Beginning (Live, recorded 1980)
In Session (Live, with Albert King, recorded 1983)
Live at Carnegie Hall (Live, recorded 1984)
Live Alive (Live, recorded 1986)
Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985' (Live, recorded 1982 & 1985)
Wolfgang's Vault releases: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/stevie-ray-vaughan
Compilations:
Greatest Hits (1995)
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1995)
The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1999)
Blues at Sunrise (2000)
SRV (box set, with early recordings, rarities, hits, and live material) (2000)
Willie the Wimp
Stevie Ray Vaughan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They laid him to rest in a special way
Sent him off in the finest style
That casket-mobile really drove 'em wild
Southside Chicago will think of him often
Talkin' 'bout Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
He had a vanity license and a Cadillac grille
Willie was propped up in the driver's seat
He had diamonds on his fingers and a smile sweet
Fine red suit had the whole town talkin'
Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Yeah Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
In his Cadillac to heaven he was wavin' the banner
He left like he lived, in a lively manner
With a-hundred dollar bills in his fingers tight
He had flowers for wheels and a-flashin' headlights
He been wishin' for wings, no way he was walkin'
Talkin' 'bout Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Yeah, Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Willie the wimp, his Cadillac coffin
Willie the wimp, Cadillac coffin
Willie the wimp, Cadillac coffin
The song "Willie the Wimp" by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble is a tribute to a real-life Chicago gangster, Willie Stokes. The lyrics describe his lavish funeral, which featured a Cadillac-shaped hearse and a display of wealth, with Stokes' body propped up in the driver's seat, wearing a fine red suit and diamond rings on his fingers. The song glamorizes the gangster lifestyle and Willie's flamboyant personality, portraying him as a folk hero of sorts.
However, beneath the surface, the lyrics also hint at the dark side of gangster culture, with lines like "he left like he lived, in a lively manner" implying that Stokes met a violent end. The song is a vivid portrayal of the excess and brutality of Chicago's underworld, and the strange mix of adulation and fear that gangsters inspire in their communities.
Overall, "Willie the Wimp" is a masterful piece of storytelling, using vivid images and subtle hints to paint a complex portrait of a larger-than-life figure. It highlights Stevie Ray Vaughan's ability to craft compelling narratives and bring characters to life through music.
Line by Line Meaning
Willie the wimp was buried today
Today, they buried a person known as Willie the Wimp.
They laid him to rest in a special way
He was given a unique funeral service.
Sent him off in the finest style
He got an amazing send-off.
That casket-mobile really drove 'em wild
People were amazed by the casket that was used to carry his body.
Southside Chicago will think of him often
The folks in Southside Chicago will remember him a lot.
Talkin' 'bout Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
They will talk about him and the fancy Cadillac coffin that carried him in his final moments.
That casket, it looked like a fine Seville
The casket looked like a luxury car called Seville.
He had a vanity license and a Cadillac grille
The casket had a personalized license plate and a grille from a Cadillac car.
Willie was propped up in the driver's seat
The body of Willie was placed in the driver's seat of the casket.
He had diamonds on his fingers and a smile sweet
Willie was buried with precious stones and had a warm smile on his face.
Fine red suit had the whole town talkin'
Everyone noticed Willie's fancy red suit.
In his Cadillac to heaven he was wavin' the banner
Willie was symbolically driving his way to heaven in his favorite car.
He left like he lived, in a lively manner
Willie's departure from the Earth was lively and energetic, just like how he lived his life.
With a-hundred dollar bills in his fingers tight
The body of Willie was holding many one hundred dollar bills tightly.
He had flowers for wheels and a-flashin' headlights
The imagery signifies his car's wheels made of flowers and headlights shining brightly.
He been wishin' for wings, no way he was walkin'
Willie wished to fly to heaven, there was no way he would walk there.
Talkin' 'bout Willie the wimp and his Cadillac coffin
People will keep talking about Willie and his luxurious Cadillac coffin.
Willie the wimp, his Cadillac coffin
This repeats the earlier lines to remind the listener of Willie's grand burial.
Willie the wimp, Cadillac coffin
This repeats the earlier lines to remind the listener of Willie's grand burial.
Willie the wimp, Cadillac coffin
This repeats the earlier lines to remind the listener of Willie's grand burial.
Lyrics © LITTLE BROTHER MUSIC INC.
Written by: BILL CARTER, RUTH ELLSWORTH-CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@faicalnagat5623
Willie the Wimp was buried today,
They laid him to rest in a special way.
Sent him off in the finest style
That casket-mobile really drove 'em wild
Southside Chicago will think of him often
Talkin' 'bout Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin,
Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin
That casket, it looked like a fine Seville
He had a vanity license and a Cadillac grille
Willie was propped up in the driver's seat
He had diamonds on his fingers and a smile sweet
Fine red suit had the whole town talkin'
Talkin' 'bout Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Oh, Cadillac to Heaven he was wavin' the banner
He left like he lived, in a lively manner
With a-hundred dollar bills in his fingers tight
He had flowers for wheels and a-flashin' headlights
He been wishin' for wings, no way he was walkin'
Talkin' 'bout Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin
Yeah, Willie the Wimp and his Cadillac coffin
@monroetoolman
Stevie live sounded better than a lot of people could do in the studio. An unbelievable talent.
@scottmelby1678
I seen him live outdoors in st.paul.tripping on LSD..EXCELLENT
@timarmstrong7917
Absolutely
@blunewhouse7528
Willie Nelson used to have the Austin Opery House. There was Music Lane, where musicians would rent space. I watched Stevie practice for years. I was backstage at the Armadillo World Headquarters when Stevie got Tommy Shannon to quit playing with Johnny Winter to play with him. Starting Double Trouble. Stevie was my friend
@DaddyyCrab
The thing about Stevie, is that he was never arrogant to think he was the best. He high respect for the former/older bluesmen. This is why he is great.
@terrylodercreative
You're exactly right. Just read what he said about Jimi and it all makes sense. We are the culmination of our influences and heroes. If we play too, someone somewhere feels that way about you.
@cyndygough4107
He also said many times that he wished he had as much talent ad his brothet, Jimmie.
@Celamim
About SRV. Saw him early in his career, about 200 showed up in a place that would seat 2000. After a couple of songs, he looked out at us, sat on the edge of the stage, and said, "There aren't many of us, but there's enough." He then sat there for the next 20 minutes and blew the top of my head off. Needless to say, will forever be a fan. Amazing talent - certainly would gave stayed a alternative to the sad current pop strain.
@terrylodercreative
He knew the one true lesson about live music. What the audience feels and how the performer feels back. I remember playing to 4 people. .... They drove 80 miles in bad weather to hear us.... Stevie obviously knew that it ain't the number of people... it's their love of the music done with your personal signature on it. Great song - great bass great drum kick and pretty fair guitar dood.
@dalebuckley8593
@Terry Loder Thanks. Notification of your reply brought me back here on a particularly scattered morning, and it was just what I needed. Good to get re-grounded once in a while.