This is not about a Fender product but it is about a Fender legend. I'm watching SRV's Live At El Macambo on my XBox 360 and began reminiscing about our meeting in 1983.

I was 21 and working at Tower Records in Honolulu. We were such a power seller in the state that celebs came often to promote their records and our good will. In 1983 CBS held a convention in Honolulu so all the bigs were there. Micheal Jackson was in town though of course he didn't stop by. I did meet all of Journey except Steve Perry, Quiet Riot, Billy Gibbons and the lovely Cyndi Lauper. They were all runaway hits that were grossing hundreds of millions for CBS. And all those stars had to come to us because we sold their records. Working at Tower in '83 was the next best thing to being a real Rock Star. You didn't even need to have music knowledge just so long as you dressed outrageous enough to stand look like one.

I was working the register with Joe Revard as my bagger. He asked me, as we were working, "So, Bruce says Stevie Ray Vaughan will be dropping by later--excited?"

"Stevie Ray Vaughan?" I repeated. "Not really."

"Yeah? But you like Hendrix don't you?" Joe asked.

"Sure! But that's not Hendrix," I said. Then I asked "Why? You excited?"

"No way!" he said. He was in a punk Band called Deviant Sheep and said it wasn't his trip.

After my reg shift I went to inventory and clean my rack which was the Imports section. As I was counting and dusting away when I saw this flood of people rushing towards the entrance. Stevie Ray Vaughan had just walked in and people started clamoring. Through the mob goes Joe, pushing his way around with all importance by saying, "Sorry! 'Scuse me! Sorry I work here!" then when he got to the front he hails Stevie, "Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughan!" and presents him with a marker and a copy of his Texas Flood album and said to him "I'm one of your biggest fans!"

I thought "effin sellout!" and just went back to working my rack. After a while--don't know how long but a while later I got this crawling feeling and turned around. Stevie Ray Vaughan was standing all by himself, a couple yards away, and he's looking at me. I looked back and he didn't seem very happy. He was just about my height--I'm small-5'8". They always seem so much smaller off the stage.

He just kept on looking at me with this "What should I do now?" type look. Since he was just standing there I decided to break the ice by saying the most intelligent thing I could think of. I pointed at him and said, "You're Stevie Ray Vaughan." kind of lamely. He looks down at his boots then up his body and back down again then up at me and said, "yeah, you're right!"

Again with the long look and silence. I tried to think of something more intelligent to say but ended up with, "Look man--anyone who digs Hendrix is cool by me."

His whole demeanor changed. He took three huge paces to cover the distance between us and put his hand out. When he took my hand it was soul brother style--not "How do you do, I'm Mr. Business man." shake you know. We shook brothers style and then he started twisting my wrist and before I knew it Stevie Ray Vaughan was Indian-wrestling me!" We went back and forth a couple times then he let me win.

I'm watching him perform Lenny. He was so young. We all were back then. Many of you not even born I'm sure

We leaned back on my rack, his arm over my shoulder, mine around his waist. We talked a good 15-20 minutes, mostly about what Hendrix meant to each of us. He was really happy to be with me because I treated him like an equal rather than a quickly forgotten VIP. When he left, he was smiling and Joe Revard was looking at me wide-eyed. He asked me, "You know Stevie Ray Vaughan?" so I said, "Yeah, we had the same guitar teacher."

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

wow.. You're one lucky SOB.

That was a really cool story.From what I had read he was really down to earth and very approachable,always taking time to spend time with his fans when he could.

Very Cool Story!!!

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Great story. El Mocambo was what got me back into playing my guitar. But why was he just standing there staring at you?

I really enjoyed the story of you meeting Stevie. The way you wrote that I felt as if I were there also. Thank you so much for sharing that.

wow manabu.
that is an amazing story....

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

Thanks for sharing such a great story, that one would be a treasured memory for sure.


Cheers,

Snowy.

Nice man. I'd love to have an encounter like that.

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Fender 50th Anniversary Strat
Fender Road Worn '50s Strat
Fender Highway One (HSS) Strat (D standard tuning)
Fender '72 Tele Deluxe
Fender Hot Rod DeVille 212

What a great story and something you will remember for the rest of your life. I am shocked to learn that he was that short because he had hands the size of someone 6'5 lol. To be honest the day he died was the only time I ever cried over someone I did not know.

I saw Stevie in concert just a couple of months before he died and I got so close to the stage that I could have touched his pedals,I thought I was lucky getting that close,you were blessed.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

he was a pure gentleman. I wish I had followed his career more carefully. the thought that he would be taken so early in his career had never crossed my mind. what hurts most about the loss of Stevie was the fact that he had just gotten clean and sober after decades of partying. he was more in touch with his consciousness, which showed in his later works, after getting clean--then boom! he gone. when I heard the news my heart broke. having been a priest, I was used to death and giving comfort, but suddenly I was on the needing end. I have no siblings and lost my parents early. his loss was as close to family for me as it could get.

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"If I don't see you no more in this world I'll meet you on the next one and don't be late... don't be late." -Jimi Hendrix

Fantastic story, I wonder how many other members here have similar encounters with other famous players?

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

Cool story, manabu.

I'll be eternally grateful for SRV. I can vividly remember the first time I heard "Pride And Joy." I was in high school and was elated that someone new on the scene was playing the music I loved.

I was never a Flock Of Seagulls or Kajagoogoo kinda guy.

Yes, I have that video (el Macambo) AWESOME! and I just watched Live from Austin TX this weekend. I had a chance to see him in a medium sized club in Connecticut where I grew up back around '83-'84 era. Missed it, still regretting that decision. The intro for Couldnt stand the weather is Sooooo BAADDDDD!!! That song Made me a SRV fan ! of course I like all his stuff now. A Legend