How a Festival Mix-up Made Stevie Ray Vaughan a Star

When Stevie Ray Vaughan first appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1982, the blues world was about to discover a new star. Still an unknown outside Texas, Vaughan and Double Trouble were mistakenly booked on the festival’s acoustic stage.  The band had no idea and started their set with Vaughan’s trademark screaming guitar.

An early Double Trouble publicity photo: from L-R Chris Layton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Tommy Shannon

The mismatch was obvious from the first note of his roaring Stratocaster. Some members of the audience booed, while others leaned forward in awe. Vaughan himself later said, “I wasn’t there to be liked or disliked. I was there to play the blues.” That night, even in the face of mixed reactions, he proved he was willing to risk everything for authenticity.

The second night at Montreux changed everything. To make up for the error, organizers asked Vaughan and Double Trouble to play at the "after-hours jam session" in the casino bar where other musicians who were performing at the festival were all hanging out.

Among the attendees was Jackson Browne, who was captivated by Vaughan’s intensity. Jackson asked if he could jam with the group and ended up doing so for most of the night.  Browne recalled, “I just knew I was hearing something extraordinary. I had to help him.”  Moved by the performance, he offered Vaughan and Double Trouble free use of his Los Angeles recording studio for three days to put together a demo. It was an unexpected lifeline that gave the young guitarist his first chance to record in a professional setting without financial barriers.

Stevie Ray and Double Trouble jam with Jackson Browne in 1982 at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

In Browne’s studio, the trio showed up rehearsed and prepared. So, instead of only putting a demo record together,  they made full use of the facility. In fact, that Thanksgiving holiday in 1982, the band recorded all the songs for what would become their landmark debut album, Texas Flood. Tracks like “Pride and Joy” and “Texas Flood” captured the raw power that had first stunned Montreux.

Looking back, Vaughan’s own words seem prophetic: “The blues is life itself.”  From a misplacement on the wrong stage to the generosity of a fellow musician, the Montreux performances set off the chain of events that would launch Stevie Ray Vaughan’s career and ignite a blues revival in the 1980s.

Have a great weekend everyone.   Rob

Do you think Texas Flood would have been the same without that night at Jackson Browne’s studio? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

TheRockandRollProfessor.com