Remembering Stevie 28 Years Later

Today August 27th marks the 28th anniversary of Stevie Ray Vaughan's death...

Stevie Ray Vaughan kicked off a tour in mid-1989, 147 shows and 18 months. It all came to a stop on Aug. 27, 1990, when a helicopter carrying the guitar player and three members of Eric Clapton's touring circle crashed after a show in Wisconsin, killing everybody on board.

After the second of two shows on Aug. 26, everyone from Vaughan and Clapton's bands and crews boarded four nearby helicopters to take them to Chicago. Vaughan himself was on a craft with Clapton's agent, bodyguard and assistant tour manager. Reports indicate that there was fog and haze as they departed around 1 a.m. and attempted to fly over a 1,000-foot ski hill.

The helicopter didn't make it -- it veered to the left and crashed into the hill. Everybody on board was killed, including the pilot. An air patrol team wouldn't locate the accident site until hours later. No drugs or alcohol were involved in the tragic crash. And contrary to rumors, Clapton did not hand over his seat to Vaughan.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was buried on Aug. 30 in Dallas. More than 4,500 people gathered inside and outside of the church to pay their respects. Clapton, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder and members of ZZ Top were among those present.