Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughan and Texas R&B

by Hugh Gregory

Texas is the honorary home of roadhouse music, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan its uncrowned king. More than just a biography and musical exploration of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Roadhouse Blues tells the stories of the great Texan musicians that came before him and influenced him so deeply. It puts in context Stevie Ray's rise to fame – including the part played by his family, his friends, his heroes (like Jimi Hendrix), and his addiction to drink and drugs – as well as the lasting impact that his brief but turbulent life and work had on his contemporaries, and on later generations of blues fans and guitar players.

Genres: Music

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roadhouse Blues: Stevie Ray Vaughn and Texas R&B by Hugh Gregory (Backbeat Books 2003) (782) (3736).

Stevie Ray Vaughn was the quintessential Texas blues-rock guitar god before his death at age 35 in a helicopter crash in 1990.

Author Hugh Gregory loves Texas blues music, and he loves the music of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Gregory’s knowledge of the history of the electric blues and the performers who have shaped the genre runs wide and deep. This book is his homage to a style of music which he obviously adores.

This volume is in large part a biographical sketch of the lives of Stevie Ray and his older brother (and guitar hero) Jimmy Vaughn, but the author manages to include short bios of practically every other influential Texas blues player of note.

In addition to focusing this narrative on Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughn, Gregory devotes special attention to and special praise for the music of vocalist and harmonica player Kim Wilson of the band The Fabulous Thunderbirds, which was Jimmy Vaughn’s former band. Gregory also includes interesting background about the life and the musical career of the legendary albino guitar god John Dawson “Johnny” Winter III who was the brother of rocker Edgar Winter (who also evinces albinism).

My only regret is that Gregory wrote this book in 2003. I would have appreciated his thoughts on how this musical genre has evolved in the twenty years since Stevie Ray’s untimely passing.

I purchased a used PB copy of his volume for $2.00 in like-new condition from McKay’s Books in Knoxville, Tennessee on 9/1/22.

My rating: 7/10, finished 3/15/23 (3736).

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

[Dan Shonka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugh Gregory's book does a great job of giving the blues fan a detailed look at the Texas blues, and as the title suggests, there's a heavy dose of Stevie Ray Vaughan. The bottom line: Gregory hits all the key players from the Texas blues scene, and he gives you a quick bio on each and then mentions their contributions to Texas blues. At the end of the book, he provides a wonderful discography of all the artists covered with some notes on the key ones put in your collection, and the ones that are secondary. The book has a great index, too, for your use later. Texas blues well covered!

[Jean Pierre · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book chronicling the Texas Blues and R&B scene than this is the book for you. If you are looking for a Stevie Ray Vaughan book than you will be left wanting. While the Vaughan brothers are mentioned in detail in this book, this is more a love letter to Texas Blues and R&B.