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The first time that Buddy Guy, quite possibly the greatest living blues guitarist, heard Stevie Ray Vaughan play, he couldn’t believe it. “He was hitting them notes and made me feel like I should go in the audience and watch so I could learn something,” says Guy in Alan Paul and Andy Aledort’s illuminating oral history, Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Read more at The New York Times.

For the first time publicly, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s longtime bass player Tommy Shannon is sharing a portion of his personal photobook with the Houston Chronicle in an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the late guitarist – including some gems like the time Vaughan was hanging with Robert Plant backstage.

View the photos and read more at Chron.com.

RIP 1954-1990

From Jimmie Vaughan’s epilogue to Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan:

“The guitar was Stevie’s instrument of liberation, his magic sword. I can’t even fathom Stevie without a guitar. It meant everything to him. It took Stevie around the world. It introduced him to his heroes. It allowed him to express himself so he could speak, so he could have an identity. So he could find out who he was. When Stevie played, his guitar talked and told his story. If you listen, you can hear it. You can hear him speaking through his guitar. I know I can.”

Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan is out TODAY! Tuesday 8/13. Order now! https://bit.ly/TexasFloodSRV

All photos in the book. Music by Andy Aledort from his album Put A Sock In It.

From 1977-79, Stevie Ray Vaughan teamed with singer Lou Ann Barton, in the Triple Threat Revue and Double Trouble.

“Lou Ann was terrific, a great singer in her prime and a huge presence,” drummer Rodney Craig says in Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Early Double Trouble promo photo courtesy Joe Priesnitz > Lou Ann, Stevie, Chris “Whipper” Layton, Jackie Newhouse.

Book out TOMORROW 8/13. Preorder now! https://bit.ly/TexasFloodSRV

And check this out: Jackie will be the bass player for the Texas Flood Book Release Musical Celebration at C-Boy’s Heart & Soul on 8/17.

Family Style was the first joint project by Stevie Ray Vaughan and big brother Jimmie Vaughan. Material was still being written in the studio.

Recalls drummer Larry Aberman, “Jimmie took out his acoustic guitar and said, ‘I’ve got this song I’ve been working on but it’s not quite done. I’d like to know what you guys think.’ He starts playing the hook: “Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, people/ Time’s slipping away” and goes, ‘What do you think?’ We were all like, ‘It’s a f**king smash!'”

Photo by Mark Proct, one of 170 images featured in Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Book out 8/13. Preorder now! https://bit.ly/TexasFloodSRV

Stevie Ray Vaughan and guitar tech Rene Martinez playing video games in the studio during a break from recording Family Style, Stevie’s first joint album with his big brother and first guitar hero Jimmie Vaughan.

Photo by Mark Proct, one of 170 images featured in Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Book out 8/13. Preorder now! https://bit.ly/TexasFloodSRV

From Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan:

In 1976, Albert King played Antone’s for the first time, on three consecutive nights, April 29 to May 1. King was an intimidating man who stood 6-foot-5 with broad shoulders and usually had a pipe clenched between his teeth, which sparkled with gold. Onstage, his Gibson Flying V looked like a ukulele in his massive hands. His tough tone and aggressive playing style, marked by huge, multiple-string bends, were equally macho. The lefty held his right-handed guitar upside down and tuned in an enigmatic fashion that is still debated, the combination of which gave him a highly distinct style that’s been oft-copied but rarely duplicated. Stevie Ray Vaughan was an exception; Albert King’s style was at the very heart of his playing. He was not going to miss an opportunity to see his idol perform and hopefully to interact with him. Clifford Antone, who died in 2006, said that Stevie begged him to ask Albert to let him sit in.

Recalls Jimmie Vaughan, “It was so far out: nobody would ask Albert King to sit in unless you were dumb or something. I don’t even know if Jimi Hendrix would do it…. Albert didn’t like anyone, but he liked Stevie! He put his arm around him, and from then on it was big Albert and little Stevie.”

Book out 8/13. Preorder now! https://bit.ly/TexasFloodSRV