Death of Stevie Ray Vaughan
| Time | 1:00 a.m. |
|---|---|
| Date | August 27, 1990 |
| Location | Alpine Valley Resort, East Troy, Wisconsin |
| Cause | Helicopter crash |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Burial | August 31, 1990, at Laurel Land Cemetery, Dallas, Texas, USA |
| Inquest | August 27, 1990 in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, USA |
| Coroner | John Griebel |
| Along with Vaughan and pilot Jeff Brown, three members of Eric Clapton's crew were killed in the accident, including agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel Browne, and tour manager Colin Smythe. | |
American guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, one of the founders of blues rock band Double Trouble, died when the helicopter in which he was traveling crashed on the side of a ski hill at Alpine Valley Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin, on Monday, August 27, 1990. All five people on board the helicopter were killed. Vaughan had just performed at the resort's amphitheatre with Double Trouble. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, where it was stated that all of the victims were killed instantly. Shortly after local news stations reported Vaughan's death, crowds gathered at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas for a candlelight vigil. He was buried on August 30, 1990, at the Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas.
The day before his death, Vaughan told his band and crew members about a horrible nightmare he had, in which he was at his own funeral and saw thousands of mourners. He felt "terrified, yet almost peaceful." Backstage after the show that evening, the musicians talked about playing together again, particularly with Eric Clapton for a series of dates at London's Royal Albert Hall in February and March 1991, as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Moments later, Peter Jackson, Clapton's tour manager, said that the weather was getting worse and they had to leave soon. According to Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton, Vaughan's last words to him were, "I love ya."
Dew was settling on the windshields of the four helicopters waiting to transport the performers back to Chicago. Stevie Ray, his elder brother Jimmie Vaughan, and Jimmie's wife Connie made their way to their reserved helicopter, a Bell 206B Jet Ranger, registration N16933, booked by Omniflight Helicopters and piloted by Jeff Brown, a 42-year-old veteran pilot. Peter Jackson, one of Clapton's tour managers, let Vaughan know that three seats were reserved for himself, Jimmie, and Connie. Upon arrival, they discovered that their seats had been taken by members of Clapton's crew, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel Browne, and assistant tour manager Colin Smythe. Vaughan, wanting to get back to Chicago, asked Jimmie and Connie if he could take the last seat, saying "I really need to get back." They obliged and caught the next flight in Lake Geneva with Layton and Jimmie's manager, Mark Proct.
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