Page "Stevie Ray Vaughan" Paragraph 6

After trying to play the drums and saxophone, Vaughan received his first guitar for his seventh birthday: a plastic toy from Sears with a western motif.

He recalled, " It had gut strings and it was one of them — not Gene Autry or a Roy Rogers — but it was made out of Masonite, with the little stencils on it, you know?

" Among the first songs Vaughan learned were " Wine, Wine, Wine " and " Thunderbird " by The Nightcaps, a Dallas garage rock band, along with Jimmy Reed's " Baby What You Want Me to Do ".

With no interest in formal music training, Vaughan studied by ear and played along to Jimmie's records by such blues musicians as Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Albert King and B. B.

King.

In 1963, he purchased his first record, Lonnie Mack's " Wham!

", after asking the record store clerk for the " wildest guitar record " they had ; Mack soon became a prominent influence on Vaughan.

Upon listening to Jimi Hendrix's " Purple Haze ", he also became another significant influence on Vaughan's style.