Wow. 18 years ago today, SRV was killed in a helicopter crash. His death was one of those "Where were you when you heard" moments for me. I was in the middle of getting ready to go away to University to room with Darren and Kevin Barefoot, had already finished working at my summer job, making hot dogs at the Olympic Fine Meats factory in Vancouver. A regular stop for our crew was the 7-Eleven on Marine Drive in West Vancouver; I was in the parking lot about noon, and heard on the news about the crash and the confirmed death of Stevie Ray Vaughan. I'd been listening for news all day after hearing an unconfirmed report that it was Eric Clapton who was killed (Clapton, SRV and Robert Cray played a triple bill the night before in Alpine Valley, WI).

Here's Little Wing, which, in the studio version on "The Sky is Crying," has one of the eeriest, coolest moments in it, when you can hear just the buzz of his amp in the background:

I got a little obsessed with Stevie after that for a while, and there are likely a few embarrassing photos floating around of me in a cowboy hat, boots and a trenchcoat. Sort of this era of Stevie's look (not the Liberace-frill days of SRV's outfits, thank Odin):

Since I just recently broke out my guitar and amp again, to reacquaint myself with the electric side of things, now I suppose I'll have to start rigging my guitar a half-step down, with GHS Nickel Rockers 13-58.