Stevie Ray Vaughan Research Collection
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, printed material, financial documentation, interviews, photographic material, legal documentation, notes, creative works, audio and video recordings, and machine-readable records, created and maintained by Bill Crawford and Joe Nick Patoski, document the research, production, and promotion processes of their co-authored biography, Stevie-Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire.
The collection consists of three main series, the Crawford Files, the Patoski Files, and the Audio and Video Materials Series. The Crawford Files and Patoski Files represent each author's individual research, production, and promotion for the book. Generally, the series representing one author will contain material created and maintained only by that author, although some overlap does occur, as the two authors collaborated closely on this project. Each author's differing methods of research and production are revealed by the structure and contents of their files, which are listed briefly in the Series Summary, following the Series Descriptions. The Audio and Video Materials Series was created for ease of access to this varied material, which was created and maintained by both authors. It includes interviews, musical performances, a recording of Stevie Ray Vaughan's funeral service and consists of formats such as cassette audiotapes, VHS videotapes, and CD-ROM audio discs.
Because this biography of Stevie Ray Vaughan was unauthorized, the authors did not have the cooperation of the Vaughan family, including his brother, Jimmie Vaughan, nor that of certain other key figures in Vaughan's life, including Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton, and Reece Wynans, of his band, Double Trouble. However, published interviews with these important figures do appear in this collection, complementing the original research done by the authors. This collection sheds a unique light on Stevie Ray Vaughan's life and musical career. At the same time, it documents the rise of the blues in the Austin music scene during the 1970s and 1980s, a time when progressive country artists, such as Willie Nelson, reigned supreme. Of particular note are the many interviews with Stevie Ray Vaughan's musical mentors and colleagues such as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, W.C. Clark, Ray Benson, Kim Wilson, Angela Strehli, and Antone's owner, Clifford Antone. Interviews with Stevie Ray Vaughan's longtime friend, Dale Bramhall, twin brother to Doyle Bramhall, Vaughan's closest songwriting partner and friend, lend important insights into the history of certain albums and certain periods of the late musician's life. Many of the interviews conducted for this project bring to light what had for years been stories held only among Austin musical enclaves. Also, bootleg recordings of Stevie Ray Vaughan performances dating back as far as 1975, and many candid and publicity photographs dating back to the mid-1970s, are of special interest. Inclusive dates range from 1964- 1995, with the bulk of the material dating from 1990-1993.
A special note on interviews in this collection: Not all interviews on audiotape have written transcripts, and conversely, not all transcripts are represented by audiotapes. Existing transcripts are filed with the series of the author who conducted the interview. The interview audiotapes themselves are simply listed in alphabetical order in Series III, each tape has been assigned a number, and when a transcript is available for a particular tape, its location (by box and folder) will be noted on this list.
Dates
- 1964-1995
Creator
- Crawford, Bill, 1955- (Person)
- Patoski, Joe Nick, 1951- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Photocopying allowed. Joe Nick Patoski holds copyright for Selena materials he wrote and created, and half of the Caught in the Crossfire materials he wrote and created with co-author Bill Crawford. Other items will require copyright status determined on a case-by-case basis.
Biographical Notes
Bill Crawford and Joe Nick Patoski have been involved in writing and the music industry for most of their adult lives. From 1990 to 1993, they combined their literary talents and connections with the music industry insiders to write an unauthorized biography of blues guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954-1990), who died in a helicopter accident near East Troy, Wisconsin. In spring 1993, Little, Brown & Co. published Crawford and Patoski's Stevie Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire. Michael Pietsch provided editorial assistance.
Born in New York City in 1955, Bill Crawford attended Andover and Harvard, where he majored in comparative religion. He moved to Texas after graduation and became involved in radio. He worked as a disc jockey at a music station in Midland and later earned a masters degree in business administration at the University of Texas at Austin. A freelance writer and radio and television producer since 1981, Crawford has produced segments for Music Television and the nationally syndicated public affairs program, Asian Communique. He was an associate editor of Third Coast magazine, and has written on media and business for Texas Business, Texas Monthly, and other publications. He was co-author of the book, Border Radio: Quacks, Yodelers, Pitchmen Psychics, and Other Amazing Broadcasters of the American Airwaves, published by Texas Monthly Press in 1987.
Joe Nick Patoski moved with his family to Fort Worth in 1953, at the age of two. He attended the University of Texas at El Paso, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Texas at Austin, where he began his career as a writer and consultant in the music business in 1972. Starting as a columnist with the Daily Texan, the newspaper of the University of Texas at Austin, Patoski soon earned a reputation as one of the most respected critics of pop culture in the Southwest. He worked as a stringer for Rolling Stone from 1974 to 1980, and as contributing editor for Texas Monthly from 1975 to 1980. During the early 1980s, Patoski was the manager and executive producer for several top Texas rock and roll bands, and toured the United States, Europe, and South America. In 1985, Patoski was named an associate editor at Texas Monthly. In October 1990, he wrote an article for Texas Monthly commemorating Stevie Ray Vaughan. Patoski has written on various other topics, covering the entire range of Texas cultures. His work has also appeared in Mother Jones, Village Voice, and Conde Nast Traveler, as well as numerous other publications.
Extent
27 boxes
14 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Metadata Rights Declarations
- The descriptive data created for this finding aid is licensed under the CC0 Creative Commons license and is free for use without restriction.
Abstract
Correspondence, printed material, financial documentation, interviews, photographic material, legal documentation, notes, creative works, audio and video recordings, and machine-readable records, created and maintained by Bill Crawford and Joe Nick Patoski, document the research, production, and promotion processes of their co-authored biography, Stevie-Ray Vaughan: Caught in the Crossfire.
Physical Location
Materials may be stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use: https://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/makearesearchappointment.html.
Source of Acquisition
Gift of Bill Crawford and Joe Nick Patoski, 1993.
- Title
- Guide to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Research Collection
- Author
- Ashley Schimmelman, Emily Painton, Kristen Davis-Vontrat, and Mandy York Oates
- Date
- 1998
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Revision Statements
- 2021: Revised for ArchivesSpace by Susannah Broyles.
Repository Details
Part of the The Wittliff Collections Repository
