SEXIEST PERSONS ALIVE

Saturday, August 29, 2009

he who hesitates is los loserface


And his wife, los loserest loserface of all.

It was summer 1990. Late July, I think it was. Sam and I were still dating at the time. In a few weeks I would be moving away for a year. Far away and out of state. When you live in central Texas, anywhere out of state is far away, but I was moving many states away. At the time I didn't know if I would be returning to Texas.

Sam was a big fan of Austin music legend Stevie Ray Vaughn. Had been since Stevie was an unknown playing Miranda's at Northgate in Aggieland College Station. And later, when Sam would drive to Austin on weekends to catch him at the Soap Creek Saloon.






During 1990, Sam and I spent a lot of evenings listening to his albums. I didn't think I liked blues before then. Sam helped cultivate my taste for it. I had never been one for loud lead guitar riffs, but I did favor rhythm and blues, so Sam took the time to find SRV songs I would like. By summertime, I was a fan.

So on this particular Wednesday in July I heard that SRV was playing that night about 45 minutes away. Now was my chance to see this guitar wizard on stage.

"But it's a work night," complained Sam, sucking the wind out of my spontaneous sails. But then, he was the only person in the room with a 7am wake up call. "We can hear him in Austin anytime. We'll catch him during one of your weekend trips back."


So I went by myself plopped down on the couch and pouted kept the 8-to-5 working man company.

A few weeks later, I heard the sad news.

Stevie Ray was killed in a helicopter crash August 27, 1990.

I can't hear his music without feeling incredibly sad. And gypped.

So this is for you, Stevie. The sky is still crying and the telephone lines are still down.

Looks like I'll have to catch a performance on the other side. Until then, it'll be Sam's albums and youtube. Like these two, below, my favorite SRV tunes.














22 comments:

flutter said...

los loserface...lol

Lee said...

I love SRV too. Had a similar experience w/Roy Orbison. Could have seen Roy in Reno but, no, too busy. He died not long after.

Heather T said...

Oh, that is the the best story I've read in a long while. I've lived life in the slow lane and not gotten to see many live acts. And no good live acts. I haven't gotten to see any of my favorites. And most of them were dead before I discovered they were great. Alas.

Mary Alice said...

My husband and I took time off and went on a three month camping trip all the way around the US during the fall of 1990...and we about wore out our SRV tape, listening to it again and again on the drive from campsite to campsite.

Kirsetin Morello said...

What a great tribute. Thanks for sharing your memories!

Fragrant Liar said...

Sorry you got gypped.

Stevie, RIP, dude. You have been well missed for all these years.

Slutty McWho? said...

Hello, this is just a test to see if you moderate comments before you publish them...

Slutty McWho? said...

Nope, you don't...Well, in that case, can you please email me so I contact you? Thanks!

serizy dot severine at gmail dot com

Glennis said...

a story of missed opportunity - always a cautionary tale.

Trying to minimize the number of opportunities I miss...

Jocelyn said...

I was a fan, too, and still remember that day of learning of his death. Oy.

shrink on the couch said...

jocelyn - it still blows me away, nearly 20 yrs later. such a gifted guitar player.

Kathleen Scott said...

Woohoo! Thanks for posting the links.

I know how you feel about the missed opportunity. I had the chance to see Stanley Turrentine at an outdoor venue not far from home but it was toward the end of my chemo regimen and I didn't think I could stand up long enough. He died six months later...I always wished I'd tried.

katydidnot said...

i had a good comment about love struck baby. but now i forgot, because i kind of just wanted to know who slutty mcwho is and what she (he?) wanted. but i'm afraid to click her (his?) link.

i love srv too. but never felt sufficiently worthy.

Margo said...

Hey los loserface! I wasn't a srv fan until I saw him live in around 1984 - he was the opening act for the Pretenders... and blew me away and I hadn't even been drinking. I feel the same way you do now whenever I hear his music :)

brigit said...

I've wanted to take my daughter to shows of a couple of musos I used to see in younger years who are still performing...and didn't. They haven't been back. In fact there is one coming up soon. Think I'll book that one.

blognut said...

Stevie was killed near Chicago and I was there the night before his helicopter crashed, and saw his last concert. I will never forget it.

Wendi said...

Great, great story. I was a big fan of his before coming to Austin, but I never got to see him perform live.

Michelle Wells Grant said...

Aw, man. What a story. Thanks for that.

shrink on the couch said...

margo and blognut -- y'all are killing me! especially you, margo. I love the pretenders. They were my "it" band back at that time. Tell me exactly where you were so that when the geek squad finally gets the time machine working properly, I will know exactly where to meet you.

stephanie said...

What a beautifully bittersweet memory. I remember feeling so sad at that time because I had not properly appreciated his music before he died.

dkuroiwa said...

okay, I hate to do this but..in '89 (i think) we were all in San Antonio blowing off some teacher stress up on the river when someone told us that SRV was playing in a bar there....needless to say we smoooshed our way in...could barely see him but Lordy could we hear him. That...was almost a perfect night.
When he was killed, my students knowing how much I loved him, made a special point of being really good that day...one even brought me a picture of SRV he had drawn. Some things just can't be replaced.
Still love his "Don't Mess With Texas" commercial!!
Thanks love, for the memories.

shrink on the couch said...

dk -- so you just stumbled upon him? ohhh, had I been on the riverwalk that night with ya!