Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan

TEXAS FLOOD                                         ALAN PAUL

Just a few years after he almost died from a severe addiction to cocaine and alcohol, a clean and sober Stevie Ray Vaughan was riding high. His last album was his most critically lauded and commercially successful. He had fulfilled a lifelong dream by collaborating with his first and greatest musical hero, his brother Jimmie. His tumultuous marriage was over and he was in a new and healthy romantic relationship. Vaughan seemed poised for a new, limitless chapter of his life and career.

Instead, it all came to a shocking and sudden end on August 27, 1990, when he was killed in a helicopter crash following a dynamic performance with Eric Clapton. Just 35 years old, he left behind a powerful musical legacy and an endless stream of What Ifs. In the ensuing 29 years, Vaughan’s legend and acclaim have only grown and he is now an undisputed international musical icon. Despite the cinematic scope of Vaughan’s life and death, there has never been a truly proper accounting of his story. Until now.

Texas Flood provides the unadulterated truth about Stevie Ray Vaughan from those who knew him best: his brother Jimmie, his Double Trouble bandmates Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton and Reese Wynans, and many other close friends, family members, girlfriends, fellow musicians, managers and crew members.

PAT'S REVIEW

First, let me say that I am a fan of his music and I still listen to his music and his brothers who just came out with a new CD. I liked this book in that I felt everyone associated with were honest in their stories about Stevie Ray Vaughn. The people around him management wise and the members of his band. They were honest about the drug and alcohol abuse and how he almost died before he got help. Hearing these stories were just sad. I really enjoyed this book even though I knew that at the end he was going to parish in that helicopter crash. To think that he was finally sober and his last album was probably some of his best work. It is a wonder to think what or where he could have gone. It is hard for me to put into words what I felt reading this book since I am a huge blues fan still listening to the blues. I still hear Reese Wynans since he plays keyboards for Joe Bonamassa and he also came out with his own album a month ago. The parts I really liked were the ones by his brother Jimmy and from the band members. For me, this was an outstanding book from beginning to end and there are a few interviews with Stevie taken from various interviews he did which add to the story. Overall a very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com