Remembering Stevie Ray

How incredible was Stevie Ray anyway?

It does get me to thinking each year when the anniversary date
of Stevie’s passing rolls around again…

He was such a Monster of a player, and such a wonderful human
being as well. I suppose that’s why his fans thought so highly of him,
both before and after his tragic passing.

There will never be another like SRV. Many have copped his style
and that’s cool. But he was somebody very, very special and so many
still feel that way about him even though it’s been 14 years since
Alpine Valley.

Jimmie and the family and others have asked his legion of fans to
remember him on his birthday — it falls in early October — rather
than today. Stevie would be turning 50 on the third of October if
things had gone differently. But his fans — and you can certainly put
this puppy in that category — just can’t help but think of him each
year when this sad date rolls around again.

God bless Stevie Ray. And each of us who remember him each year.
And all of those who love good music and try to love one another.
And who are trying to keep the music alive.

Now if you were to compare this dog to Stevie, I’m not much of a musician, nor, perhaps, all that much of a man. But as with many other “saints”
and just good folk, we do try to emulate the really good ones! And Mister
Vaughan was as good as a man or a musician as one could possibly be.

We love you Stevie. And forgive us if we remember you each year
at this time. We just have some sense of what we all lost on one
dark and desolate morning those 14 years ago…

Bulldog Ben, remembering

Stevie from here in Orlando…

A note from Bulldog: this was first published in August of 2004 in one of my yahoo groups and that’s why the dates are off. It was exactly 30 years ago today that we lost one of the greatest musicians of our time.

© 2004 Ben Lawrence Basile