Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan-two sons of Texas whose pyrotechnic guitar work introduced an entire generation to the blues-are given full biographical treatment by a writer who tracked their careers for five years, until Stevie Ray's sudden death in 1990, and afterward as Jimmie pursued a solo career that continues to flourish. Based on scores of interviews with such well-known contemporary musicians as B.B. King, Robert Cray, Ron Wood, the late Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and others, The Fabulous Vaughan Brothers follows the two brothers from their modest Dallas roots to their emergence onto the Austin music scene. The brothers' subsequent recording experiences in Memphis-which the author sees as being crucial to their overall development as musicians-are also described, as well as their early bands and, of course, their work together on Family Style.
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"Brothers edge into a sprawling account." "Dickerson writes clearly and incisively." (James L. Dickerson Blues Revue: Salem, Wv, (Circ: 50,000) )
About the Author
The author of fifteen nonfiction books, more than 2,000 magazine and newspaper articles, and numerous poems and short stories, James L. Dickerson has worked as a magazine editor, newspaper editor, reporter, columnist, book critic, photographer, social worker, and psychological consultant, over a career that spans thirty years. He was a staff writer at five Southern daily newspapers and his byline has appeared in a variety of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Omni, Glamour, the Baltimore Sun, and the Toronto Star, to name a few. He is considered an expert on American pop culture and the music indigenous to the South-blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz, and country music. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Goin' Back to Memphis and That's Alright, Elvis (which he co-wrote with music legend Scotty Moore).
The author of fifteen nonfiction books, more than 2,000 magazine and newspaper articles, and numerous poems and short stories, James L. Dickerson has worked as a magazine editor, newspaper editor, reporter, columnist, book critic, photographer, social worker, and psychological consultant, over a career that spans thirty years. He was a staff writer at five Southern daily newspapers and his byline has appeared in a variety of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Omni, Glamour, the Baltimore Sun, and the Toronto Star, to name a few. He is considered an expert on American pop culture and the music indigenous to the South-blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz, and country music. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Goin' Back to Memphis and That's Alright, Elvis (which he co-wrote with music legend Scotty Moore).
The author of fifteen nonfiction books, more than 2,000 magazine and newspaper articles, and numerous poems and short stories, James L. Dickerson has worked as a magazine editor, newspaper editor, reporter, columnist, book critic, photographer, social worker, and psychological consultant, over a career that spans thirty years. He was a staff writer at five Southern daily newspapers and his byline has appeared in a variety of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Omni, Glamour, the Baltimore Sun, and the Toronto Star, to name a few. He is considered an expert on American pop culture and the music indigenous to the South-blues, rock 'n' roll, jazz, and country music. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Goin' Back to Memphis and That's Alright, Elvis (which he co-wrote with music legend Scotty Moore).
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More About the Author
A native of Mississippi, James L. Dickerson is the author of twenty-six books, and over 2,000 magazine and newspaper articles; he has worked as a magazine editor and publisher, newspaper editor, reporter, columnist, book critic, and social worker.
Dickerson's book, The Mojo Triangle, was the winner of a 2006 IPPY award (Independent Publisher Book Awards) in the non-fiction category. Two other books, Goin' Back to Memphis and That's Alright, Elvis, were finalists for the Gleason Award. Reprint rights to Dickerson's books have been sold to publishers in Australia and China, where two of his books have been translated into Chinese.
Dickerson's book, The Mojo Triangle, was the winner of a 2006 IPPY award (Independent Publisher Book Awards) in the non-fiction category. Two other books, Goin' Back to Memphis and That's Alright, Elvis, were finalists for the Gleason Award. Reprint rights to Dickerson's books have been sold to publishers in Australia and China, where two of his books have been translated into Chinese.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Horrible book!,
By J&SVaughan "Kelly" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fabulous Vaughan Brothers: Jimmie and Stevie Ray (Hardcover)
I thought this book would bring joy as I opened it. I was abruptly mistaken. This author, in my opinion, trashes Jimmie and makes some bold hurtful comments that sent me into anger rages. Anyone who loves the "Brothers" had best leave this book alone. Unless, you need something to start your backyard firepit with. Obviously, the author has many "issues" not the least of which has to do with Jimmie Vaughan. I beg you not to buy such trash!! May the blues always be a safe haven for those who appreciate it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Shallow and unnecessarily venomous,
By
This review is from: The Fabulous Vaughan Brothers: Jimmie and Stevie Ray (Hardcover)
So Jimmie's a bit of a hardcase. Tell us something we didn't know.But this characterization--which Dickerson sticks with throughout (and which is true enough, I'm sure)--doesn't bother me half so much as the unaccountably * nasty * tone he takes at the end of the book where he snidely suggests it's time JLV packed it in. He doesn't mince words, either; it's a straightforward, Hey man, you're old and you've had it; maybe you shouldn't bother recording or doing shows anymore. Well, pardon the heck out of me, Mr Dickerson sir, but nuts to that. As long as he's still playing and still WANTS to play, Jimmie Vaughan will always have a dedicated following of fans, record-buyers and concert-goers. I'd say his career is doing just fine, thank you very much. (And not to put too fine a point on it, but if blockbuster sales are the only measure of success, then * ahem, * maybe the author would do well to take his own advice.) With respect to Stevie, there's not much here that hasn't been said elsewhere and ten times better--by Patoski & Crawford in _Caught in the Crossfire,_ to name one nicely-done biography--and much that needn't have been said at all: Dickerson's multiple breathless excursions into all things Memphisian--clearly a pet subject of his--belong in another book. And, you know, I don't really have a problem with biographers playing amateur psychologist here and there, provided they bring some genuine depth of insight to their analysis, but unfortunately Dickerson's psychological interpretations are as shallow and fatuous as they come. I mean, good grief, I suspect most fans have by now come to grips with the idea that there was indeed some measure of sibling rivalry between the boys. It's hardly the most compelling thing about them as people or as brothers, but if that worn-out angle of approach to their relationship has any interest left in it at all, Dickerson failed to find it. He bangs the rivalry drum for sure, but takes it nowhere new. Tedious. Finally, in the Forward the author claims the book was eighteen years in the making. Really? Why, then--if the book was so laboriously, painstakingly fashioned--does Dickerson have so many basic biographical facts scrambled? For example, right out of the chute he misspells Stevie's christened name (it's Stephen, not Stephan), forgets his year of birth (in attempting to establish a Dallas chronology and limn Stevie's activities just before the move to Austin, Dickerson ages him by three whole years), and--for me, the crowning absurdity--misidentifies the peacock plainly tattooed on SRV's chest as an eagle. C'mon, man. Look at a picture. Any picture. (Am I being too picky? I don't think so; who's likely to read a book like this at this point if not seriously picky, detail-oriented, diehard fans?) So while not quite an abject failure, the book IS a big disappointment--a good idea that for some reason Dickerson allowed to fall flat. There's a smattering of cool quotes from Kim Wilson, a fair-to-middlin' history of the T-Birds, a lot of unnecessary bile directed at Jimmie, and nothing new or revelatory about JLV & SRV *as brothers* whatsoever (which, from the title of the book and the cover photo, you would think was at least one of the author's chief objectives). I want to throw Dickerson a single bone, for he managed to come up with a brief but sparkling interpretation of the song _Lenny._ The last sentence in particular is lovely and perceptive; too bad he wasn't able to invoke this level of poetic insight for the rest of the book: "Lenny is a slow-temp instrumental Stevie wrote for his wife. When playing it live he sometimes liked to sit down on the stage and play it last, after the band had stood down and walked off the stage. In this song, he uses tremolo and vibrato techniques to lay down a foundation over which to play individual notes. It is a song that's filled with love, childlike wonderment and, at times, bafflement, all emotions he was feeling in his marriage at the time." Now that's pretty darn good. What happened?
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't bother.,
By Debbie (Knoxville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Fabulous Vaughan Brothers: Jimmie and Stevie Ray (Hardcover)
Very disappointing. Author obviously does not like Jimmy Vaughan and tookseveral cheap shots. Unless you are interested in the history of the Thunderbirds early days, and non-relevant Memphis music scene, no new info.
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