Stevie Ray Vaughan Photography

In just seven short years, Stevie Ray Vaughan quickly became one of the most respected and influential electric guitarists in history, and a central figure in the 1980s blues revival. After playing a major part in the sessions for David Bowie’s Let’s Dance comeback, this burgeoning star broke big on his own with 1983’s double platinum Texas Flood album (bolstered by the hit “Pride and Joy”).

Throughout the rest of the decade, this prodigious player and his famed backing band Double Trouble went on to record many more million sellers and smashes, including the canonical sports anthem “The House Is Rockin’.” They also became a massively popular live attraction, even headlining tours over longtime influences Jeff Beck and Joe Cocker.

The rapidly rising star’s life was cut tragically short at a mere 35 years old from a helicopter crash following a concert with Eric Clapton in 1990. The six-time Grammy Award winner was posthumously inducted into both the Blues and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, while Double Trouble continues to tour in his honor.