Stevie Ray Vaughan died on August 27, 1990, exactly 36 years ago today.
He was 35 years old and had just performed at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin alongside Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, and others.
After the show, Vaughan boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago. The helicopter crashed into a hillside shortly after takeoff in heavy fog. Everyone aboard was killed, including Vaughan.
His death was a devastating loss to the blues world, but his influence only grew afterward. Songs like βPride and Joy,β βTexas Flood,β and βCrossfireβ remain blues classics.