The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars (133 page)

Wrecks-N-Effect were probably the posse that first introduced the rap world to the bling-and-booty-lovin’ sound of New Jack Swing, their babeladen promotional videos predating the likes of Sir Mixalot while proving influential to much of Snoop Dogg’s work. Known as ‘B-Doggs’, Brandon Mitchell was a founder member of the trio assembled in 1987 with Aquil Davidson and Markell Riley. With a genre-defining single in ‘New Jack Swing’ (1988) and an eponymous album released on Atlantic two years later, global domination seemed on the cards for the group. For Mitchell, however, it was not to be. He was gunned down in New York, following a fierce argument over a woman. Davidson and Riley continued the project with Motown and RCA, achieving huge success with the 1992 hit ‘Rump Shaker’ (by now the act was spelt Wreckx-N-Effect).

Monday 27

Stevie Ray Vaughan

(Oak Cliff, Texas, 3 October 1954)

Double Trouble

(Various acts)

Even Eric Clapton admitted it – Stevie Ray was the best. Almost with just his Fender Strat, Vaughan captivated audiences across America and the world, becoming arguably the finest R & B/rock guitarist since his hero, Jimi Hendrix. He had much to thank his older brother, Jimmie, for – he taught him rudimentary chords at the age of eight, prompting Vaughan to play alongside him in the band Texas Storm and to unearth the blues that would colour his style.

Despite his obvious prowess, Vaughan was known for being under-confident about his playing, and this perhaps was why it took a little time for him to make his name. When his next band, Mark Benno & The Nightcrawlers, were dropped by A&M for being
‘too
blues’, a disheartened Vaughan made the short journey to Austin in 1975, where his brother was now fronting rockers The Fabulous Thunderbirds. A brief time with The Cobras marked Vaughan’s real discovery by blues legend Albert King, who invited the band to open for him; again this was not to last, and before long Vaughan and his girlfriend, Lou Ann Barton, had formed yet another combo, Triple Threat. When they split in 1980, the guitarist put together the band with which he would be most associated, Double Trouble. By his side were Tommy Shannon (bass) and Chris Layton (drums), the group eschewing vocals to play a blistering instrumental blues. David Bowie was one of the many blown away by Vaughan’s playing at this time, signing him up for his
Let’s Dance
album (1983). Vaughan contributed to two major hits – the title track and ‘China Girl’ and Double Trouble’s own debut album,
Texas Flood,
(1983) became a hit on the back of this highprofile association (which was ended over a contract dispute). Vaughan was now a commodity in his own right, his distinctive long-coat-and-black-fedora-clad appearance only adding to the image. With further albums
Couldn’t Stand the Weather
(1984) and
Soul To Soul
(1985), the only downside for Vaughan appeared to be an all-too-predictable slide into drug and alcohol addiction – although by the Grammy-winning
In Step
(1989) the guitarist appeared to have this licked as well. A further award-winner,
Family Style
(1990 – recorded with Jimmie Vaughan), was to enhance his by now global reputation, but sadly Vaughan had already died by its release.

The audience packed into the Alpine Valley outdoor theatre in Troy, Wisconsin, listened with relish as an array of guitar talent entertained them long into the evening of 26 August 1990: on stage were headliner Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and the Vaughan brothers. An informal ‘battle’ had taken place between the guitarists, with Clapton graciously deferring to Stevie Ray Vaughan as the assembled musicians rattled through a twenty-minute encore of ‘Sweet Home Chicago’. The mood was one of celebration and triumph; Vaughan, however, was not keen to party into the night and urged his brother to let him take the last seat on one of four chartered helicopters – despite the fact that conditions were worsening and chances were that the flight would be cancelled. With fog enshrouding the surrounding area, the pilot, Jeff Brown – who, unbeknown to his passengers, had been involved in previous crashes – ignored advice and took off over Wisconsin’s hilly terrain. At 12.30 am, just a mile from the venue, the Bell 206B Jet Ranger slammed into a man-made ski slope: Vaughan, Brown and three members of Clapton’s entourage – agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel Browne and tour manager Colin Smythe – were killed instantly. The search for the wreckage did not begin for a further four hours, and Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan were eventually given the heartbreak-ing task of identifying the bodies. Vaughan was buried in Dallas, next to his father, whom he had survived by just four years. Tributes to the electric-blues-man many believe to have been the greatest continue to be made to this day. In 1991, Texas Governor Ann Richards proclaimed 3 October ‘Stevie Ray Vaughan Day’, while a statue of the guitarist looms large in state capital Austin. Not to be outdone, Fender went on to issue their own ‘Stevie Ray’ limited edition stratocaster.

The burial place of Stevie Ray Vaughan: He took the blues some place else …

SEPTEMBER

Wednesday 5

Charlie Charles

(Hugh Glenn Mortimer Charles - Guyana, 1945)

Ian Dury & The Blockheads

(Loving Awareness)

(Various acts)

Charlie Charles was a pillar of British rock music for two decades, a session drummer par excellence who worked with everyone from Lulu to Arthur Brown; his reputation carried him to the US as well, where he sat behind a number of artists, including Link Wray. Originally in the British army, Charles returned to the UK in 1970, forming his own band, No Sweat, while honouring just about every session requirement going. In 1975, he teamed up with the Radio Caroline-promoted Loving Awareness before meeting Ian Dury in 1977. The Blockheads were Dury’s band, a hotchpotch of great musicians – including Chaz Jankel (guitar/keyboards) and Norman Watt-Roy (bass) – sympathetic to the singer’s infectiously irreverent humour. In this capacity, Charles experienced huge success with the album
New Boots and Panties
(1978) and a series of great singles including ‘What a Waste’, the charttopping ‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’ (both 1978) and ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ (1979). Charles moved on to other projects during the 1980s, with less commercial success, and died from cancer in London ten years before his longtime friend and colleague Ian Dury
(
March 2000).

Thursday 6

Tom Fogerty

(Berkeley, California, 9 November 1941)

Creedence Clearwater Revival

(The Blue Velvets/The Golliwogs)

After his ambitions of becoming a professional sportsman were crushed by a high-school injury, Tom Fogerty – the second eldest of five sons – took to music in earnest in the wake of the local popularity of his brother’s band, The Blue Velvets. Already rhythm guitarist, Fogerty became lead singer of the band (soon adding his name to the credits), and helped move matters on apace in 1963 by landing the job of packing clerk at Fantasy Records – whom he soon persuaded to sign the brothers’ band. Under the new, ill-chosen name of The Golliwogs, the band issued a few records for the label, but it was as Creedence Clearwater Revival that they began to take off. John Fogerty began to outflank his brother as the chief songwriter and architect of CCR’s sound and socio-political stance – only one of Tom Fogerty’s songs ever made a Creedence album. Although they never enjoyed a US chart-topper, CCR sold over 10 million singles with John’s compositions, hitting number two on no fewer than five occasions with ‘Proud Mary’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’ (number one in Britain) and ‘Green River’ (all 1969), ‘Travelin’ Band’ and ‘Lookin’ out My Back Door’ (both 1970). By 1971 his younger brother’s increasing control of the group caused Tom to leave and CCR lasted just eighteen more months before imploding. For Tom Fogerty, the split would be costly to his sales. His self-titled solo debut (1972) only just scraped the US listings, after which his work was virtually ignored. A final album emerged in 1985, but Fogerty became unwell shortly thereafter, and finally succumbed to respiratory failure, a result of tuberculosis.

OCT0BER

Monday 8

B J Wilson