Today would have been Stevie Ray Vaughan's 64th birthday. As you know he died in 1990 in that helicopter crash after a show in Wisconsin. So we'll always remember him in his mid-30's at the peak of his popularity. His playing was SO unique and I'm always at a loss to describe an artist's importance and beauty. I suppose because music is it's own vocabulary that is appreciated emotionally, almost outside of language, but I DID find a good explanation of why I (and millions) still worship Stevie Ray's playing...this is from the Gibson Guitar website:
"What made and still makes Vaughan and his music resonate with so many, players and laymen alike? The nut answer is this: typically great guitarists either pivot toward the intellectual/technical or the visceral/gut-level. Vaughan was among the rare masters who’ve combined both."
That hits it on the head and on his birthday let's simply appreciate the genius of SRV!!!!