Most towns have statues honoring statesmen, great authors, city founders and philanthropists. Austin has a statue of blues man Stevie Ray Vaughan. The legendary Austin guitarist died in 1990 at age 35, leaving behind five albums under his own name and several more albums on which he played as a sideman. These albums have been reissued in various ways and combinations since his death. His albums still sell well, his voice still vibrates with heartfelt blues almost daily on Austin radio stations, his guitar blazing and wailing.

One of the five albums Stevie Ray Vaughan made was Family Style, made with his older brother Jimmie Vaughan. "Tick Tock" from this album became a poignant hit, released just as Stevie Ray died in a helicopter crash. The Vaughan brothers showed their licks Austin style in such numbers as "Hard to Be," and "Good Texan."

SRV's album The Sky is Crying was remastered as a 24 CT gold disc in 1998. It contains such greats as "Little Wing" and "Wham."

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Live at Carnegie Hall stands as a monument to Stevie Ray and to the players he worked with and imitated.

At age eight Stevie Ray began playing guitar. He learned by sneaking into big brother Jimmie's room and playing his guitars when Jimmie wasn't there. Stevie Ray is quoted as saying that it didn't take him long after he first picked up a guitar to realize that playing guitar was what he wanted to do with his life. He started his playing in Dallas, but in 1972 he dropped out of school and moved to Austin to drink in the vital blues scene there.

Not long after, he saw Albert King perform live, which was to have a great influence on his life and music.

Here's how Stevie recalled that night: "By the time I got to Albert's gig, there were only about 75 people left in the place. I ended up standing on a table right beside the stage, just staring at him throughout the whole set. Partway through the show he took his mic stand and walked over to where I was standing, planted it, and just stood there and sang and played to me the rest of the night. He didn't know me from Adam. I was just this skinny little kid, 98 pounds soaking wet. I guess I must've yelled, "Right!" or something. And when he finished playing, he walked over to me, handed me his guitar and shook my hand. I was stunned. I'll never forget it." Within a few years Stevie and Albert King were on the stage at Antone's together.

Couldn't Stand the Weather, Soul to Soul, and Texas Flood with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble contains 28 songs and would be a comprehensive way to start a SRV collection. Inside you'll hear the strat burning texture to the rhythm guitar parts on "Pride And Joy" and "I'm Crying," two Vaughan originals, which established the thick-toned Texas shuffle as an SRV trademark.

Books about Stevie Ray Vaughan are described in MusicAustin and the Written Word. You can find his albums on amazon.com.