Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King’s “Father-Son Relationship”

There are a few musical duos whose chemistry matches that of Stevie Ray Vaughan and B.B. King. Whenever the two played together it seemed they could unconsciously finish off each other’s musical thoughts. Although, if it weren’t for the pair’s offstage relationship, this chemistry would not have existed.

Known to make quite a few public appearances together, Vaughan and King were more than just professionals. They shared a steadfast friendship that extended far beyond musical companionship. King was seemingly the mentor, and Vaughan the pupil. That being so, their bond created a tight-knit relationship that produced some great music and even better stories.

The Origins of Their Friendship

According to the Cincy Blues Society, a 21-year-old Vaughan was playing at Antone’s Blues Club in Austin, Texas when he first met King. It was following this moment that King and Vaughan’s relationship not only started in music but also life in general.

King stated, “When I first met Stevie I met him with his brother and after meeting him our communication started to be more like a father-son relationship. So we were very close, very, very close. He used to come to me when he had problems, he used to call me and we talked. I loved the guy.” It was this “father-son” relationship King speaks of that made the two so close, and also, made Vaughan’s loss all the more tragic to King.

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Death

Prior to Vaughan dying in a helicopter crash in 1990, he and King performed together countless times. In consequence, King’s emotional response to Vaughan’s death loosely mimicked that of a father losing their son.

Upon Vaughan’s death, King emotionally exclaimed, “Stevie had many ways of showing you that he had not only talent but he had the feel for playing Blues” and “He could get something going and it was like a song and it would just go on and on. Ideas continuously flowed, I don’t have that. There is not a lot of people that I hear that have that but Stevie had it,” per A Tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan.

It’s universally agreed that Vaughan was taken too early, and King seemingly believes so as well. Often credited for bringing the blues back to life, if Stevie Ray Vaughan had grown old alongside B.B. King who knows what more they could have accomplished. Nevertheless, they accomplished quite a bit in their time together and their friendship should be replicated in one’s own life.

Photo by Clayton Call/Redferns