Press Release
Source: Craig Hopkins
In 1992, Craig Hopkins began a journey that culminated in this Revised Signed and Limited Edition of his award-winning biography, Stevie Ray Vaughan: Day by Day, Night After Night. At the beginning of this journey, he could not have guessed the adventures that lay ahead. His efforts eventually found expression in newsletters, a website, fan conventions, memorabilia exhibitions, three books and tens of thousands of letters and emails.
None of this epic undertaking would have been possible, he says, much less so overwhelmingly enjoyable and successful, without the assistance, encouragement and contributions of Stevie’s family (Martha Vaughan and Joe Cook), friends, band mates, business associates and thousands of fans.
And now as his journey reaches its final destination, Craig is pleased and grateful to bring you the opportunity to own the most fact-intensive and lavishly illustrated history of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s life. These 600 pages (with approximately 1000 photographs) trace the life and legendary musical career of one of the greatest electric guitarists of all time, exploring where this musical genius came from, how he became successful, and what he experienced along the way. They include the recollections of those who were closest to Stevie, his dramatic recovery from near-fatal addictions, and stories from the band’s life on the road and in the studio — all illustrated in a way that has never been done before and likely never will be again.
Craig has selected almost one thousand of the most historic and artistic photos from among thousands of images — from family photo albums and candid shots on the road to those taken by the most respected professional photographers.
Craig approached the creation of this book with the attitude that if he could possess only one book about Stevie, this would be it. Given that attitude and the years of intensive research involved, traveling from coast to coast to interview contributors and unearth stunning and previously unpublished photographs, Craig is satisfied that this book is worth every minute, mile and dollar he has invested to make it available to you. And he is confident that every Stevie Ray Vaughan fan will find it an indispensable fount of information and a source of unending “pride and joy” to own.
Highlights
• The story of Stevie’s life and career is told in the form of interviews with over 110 family members, band mates, peers, friends, girlfriends, roadies, managers and agents. Some of their comments will make you laugh, and some may make you cry. The recollections of those closest to Stevie tell a compelling story without the need for paraphrasing or speculation. To the greatest extent possible, you get the story unfiltered, told in their own words by those who were there.
• An analysis of the nineteen different bands of which Stevie was a member (plus four other incarnations of those bands, which could legitimately bring the total to twenty-three bands). Several of these bands have never been mentioned in any previous book or magazine. Even Craig didn’t know about some of these bands until he really dug into researching Stevie’s early years. The story of these bands is told by the surviving members, many of whom had never been interviewed about their experiences with Stevie.
• The nearly 1000 illustrations include previously unpublished family photos of Stevie beginning in 1954 and continuing throughout his life. There are photos of Stevie on stage from his first public performance ever (1965!) through his final song, “Sweet Home Chicago,” at Alpine Valley; the only photos known to exist of Stevie in his earliest bands; comic photos of the characters Stevie would invent; and other candid moments offstage. In addition to the hundreds of photos of Stevie, there are also illustrations of concert handbills, posters, letters, handwritten lyrics and notes and other historic artifacts.
• The list of concerts has been significantly expanded and is now annotated with references to known audio and video recordings and sample set lists throughout his career, including never-before-published set lists from his teenage bands.
• Craig has presented everything in chronological order, making it easy to follow Stevie’s life and career “Day by Day, Night After Night,” and to locate specific information as needed.
Even if you own a previous edition of the book, consider that, in addition to the award-winning content of the 2008 and 2010/11 editions, the Revised Edition features 21 new pages, bringing the total page count to a staggering 600 full-color 9″ x 12″ pages! New material includes:
• Full coverage of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction weekend, including never-before-seen photos and transcripts of all the speeches by John Mayer, Reese, Tommy, Chris and Stevie’s brother Jimmie;
• A new and lengthy interview with Janna Lapidus and two letters Stevie wrote to her that she has allowed Craig to share here;
• Even more amazing photos;
• More concert dates;
• Updated Alpine Valley information with crash research and Stevie’s notes about his decision to do those gigs;
• Corrections and additions to some venue names and other small details;
• Updated information about known videos;
• Additional quotes from famous guitarists about Stevie;
• Additional news from 2011 through 2022;
• Hardcover with an historic new cover photo by famous rock photographer Robert Knight, taken during the final jam at Alpine Valley;
• All pages printed on acid-free paper for a substantially longer life (high-grade 86# paper … for comparison, copy paper is 20#);
• Signed by the author.
Only 500 copies were printed; as of October 2024, only 200 remain available. This is the last edition of the book, its first and only printing, and likely to be the most complete biography of Stevie Ray Vaughan that will ever be published.
ORDER your signed copy today at http://www.CraigHopkins.com/
