Texas Guitar Legend Jimmie Vaughan
Jimmie Vaughan is far more than just one of the greatest and most respected guitarists in the world of popular music.
As Guitar Player Magazine notes, "He is a virtual deity--a living legend." After all, Vaughan provides a vital link between contemporary music and its proud heritage, as well as being a longtime avatar of retro cool.
Since releasing his first solo album in 1994, he has set the standard for quality modern roots music. Throughout his career, Vaughan has earned the esteem of his legendary guitar-playing heroes and superstar peers along with successive generations of young players. His musical ethos and personal style have had an impact on contemporary culture, from spearheading the current blues revival with The Fabulous Thunderbirds to his longtime, innate fashion sense of slicked-back hair and sharp vintage threads (now seen throughout the pages of contemporary fashion journals) to becoming a premier designer of classic custom cars. But for Jimmie Vaughan, none of it is part of a crusade or a career plan. It's just his natural way of living his life and pursuing the interests that have captivated Vaughan since his youth.
As Jimmie Vaughan emerged as an artist in his own right, his reputation as a master musician became even more apparent, thanks to the admiration of blues legends like B.B. King and Buddy Guy, such guitar superstars as Eric Clapton and Z.Z. Top's Billy Gibbons, and rising talents like Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. As Clapton notes, "The first time I heard Jimmie Vaughan, I was impressed with the raw power of his sound. His style is unique, and if I've learned anything from him, it's to keep it simple." Likewise, Buddy Guy once proclaimed: "He's unbeatable when it comes to the blues. He just plays it like it's supposed to be played." Even Stevie Ray Vaughan acknowledged that when people would compare his playing to that of his brother, there was really no contest. "I play probably 80 percent of what I can play. Jimmie plays one percent of what he knows. He can play anything."
Jimmie Vaughan is more modest in assessing his abilities, though very clear when it comes to his approach. "I try to speak with my guitar in sentences," he explains. "The people that I enjoy and the music that I enjoy are not about just a bunch of licks strung together. If you just play a bunch of guitar licks that aren't connected, it's like throwing a lot of words into a bowl. It doesn't make any sense. It's just words. "When I listen to Gene Ammons, the great saxophone player, I get the feeling he's telling you a story. That's how I'd like to play guitar someday, when I grow up. That's the goal. That's what I enjoy. That's what makes me get chill bumps--when you listen to music where the phrasing comes out and it speaks. That's the conclusion I've come to after 37 years of playing."