V is for Stevie Ray Vaughan

There are guitarists and there are guitarists. Then there is Stevie Ray Vaughan.

He's one of those -- like Eric Clapton or Carlos Santana -- whose sound you would recognize anywhere.

I discovered him several years ago when he was performing on "Austin City Limits" -- the long-running show that over the years has introduced me to so many other outstanding artists. Seems only appropriate given that Stevie Ray, who grew up in the Dallas area, had adopted Austin as his hometown. After his untimely death, the city erected a memorial statue of him with his signature wide-brimmed hat and knee-length leather coat.

He was killed in a helicopter crash in 1990 while flying with Clapton's road crew to Chicago following a performance the previous night. He was just 35.

While he was alive, he produced six albums, most of them with Double Trouble, the band his older brother Jimmie also played in. After his death, another dozen albums came out, many of them taken from live performances or compilations of his greatest hits, including "Crossfire," "Pride and Joy" and "Texas Flood."

He had a voice like sandpaper and a face made for radio but, boy, could he play.