Stevie Ray Vaughan: Our 1989 Interview About Jimi Hendrix

[JasO]

In 1989, Stevie Ray Vaughan took a break from the In Step sessions to talk to me about Jimi Hendrix. He described the first time he heard Jimi’s music, and how when he was first starting to perform, he used to dress up like Jimi, hook up four rented amps to a P.A. in his bedroom, and “floorboard” it to Axis Bold as Love (wish I’d been there to see that!). At that time, he said, he was using a Telecaster that he'd rebuilt himself. Stevie also discussed Jimi’s blues roots, as well as how playing a flipped-over Strat effects playing technique. Stevie then went into the frustration he was having with amps at the In Step sessions – he’d brought 32 of them, and none of them were working right! You can see the whole conversation here:

http://jasobrecht.com/stevie-ray-vaugha ... i-hendrix/

[basile865]

Thats a cool read - thanks man

[Tone seaker]

yea very cool thanks

[Mars Hall]

Thanks for posting the links to the 2 songs he mentioned.

[JasO]

Since I put the SRV interview online a few days ago, there's been some speculation zinging around the internet that Jimi was actually the guitarist on the Sly Williams records Stevie talked about. Hearing the records (Ive embedded links in the article), it's tempting to speculate that it's very early Jimi, but I don't think so. Here's why: When we were working on the book "My Son Jimi" together, Al Hendrix said that Jimi got his first electric guitar after they'd moved to 1314 East Terrace in Seattle. He put the year for that move at 1959. Sly Williams probably made his recordings in 1958, when Jimi had yet to obtain an electric guitar. And Jimi's first electric guitar, which he played through the early 1960s, had no whammy bar. Finally, Al Hendrix was so poor in 1958 that there's no way he afford to send Jimi to California to make a record. And if Jimi had recorded in 1958, Al would certainly have mentioned it. So I'm convinced Jimi couldn't be the guitarist on the Sly Williams 45.

[garbeaj]

Thanks for this post Jas! Your first interview with Van Halen inspired me to start playing guitar at 8 years old and I am 38 now:)
I was lucky enough to meet Stevie in June of 1990 on my eighteenth birthday...he was a beautiful human being and really pleasant to be around, particularly at that sober stage. It was a pleasure reading your post:)