Stevie Ray Vaughan Vaughn NEW BIOGRAPHY 432 PG 970 PICS Start Price USD 82.00 Current Price USD 82.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, September 05, 2008 End Time Monday, September 08, 2008 Location Dallas, TX See more about 'Stevie Ray Vaughan Vaughn NEW BIOGRAPHY 432 PG 970 PICS' Description ordering  Stevie Ray Vaughan  Day By Day, Night After Night signed by the author You are buying direct from the author. Not available in bookstores. Over 35% of this limited edition printing have already been sold. Get yours today. This is NOT an auction, it is a fixed price sale. There is no need to "watch" this or wait until the last minute to "bid." You can buy it now.Eighteen years ago I began researching the music and life of Stevie Ray Vaughan. I have been fortunate to enjoy the friendship, assistance, encouragement and contributions of Stevie's family (Martha Vaughan and Joe Cook), friends, band mates, business associates and hundreds of fans. With this book I am very happy to bring you the most fact-intensive and lavishly illustrated history of Stevie Ray Vaughan's life ever published. These 432 pages (253,000 words and almost 1000 illustrations, weighing almost 5 pounds) trace the life and legendary musical career of one of the greatest electric guitarists of all time. I approached the creation of this book with the attitude that if I could possess only one book about Stevie, this is it. With that attitude you can be sure that I believe this book is worth the money I have invested making it available to you, and every year I have spent doing research literally from coast to coast. The book explores where this musical genius came from, how he became successful, what he experienced along the way, the recollections of those who were closest to Stevie, his dramatic recovery from near-fatal addictions, stories from the band's life on the road and in the studio -- illustrated in a way that has never been done before and likely never will be again. I have 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.  Excerpt of review by noted blues historian, teacher, writer and W.C. Handy National Blues Award winner Art Tipaldi:     Craig Hopkins … has produced the most impressive and complete Stevie Ray Vaughan biography you’ll ever read. This 400+ page book is a must for everyone who loved the pure energy of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hopkins has self-published only 3,200 copies of this weighty tome. Once this highly limited edition sells out, it may not be available again.     For this effort, Hopkins conducted over 100 interviews in the past year with Stevie’s famous friends like Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Doyle Bramhall, Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Reese Wynans, and Johnny Winter. At the same time, Hopkins tracked down members of every band Stevie played in since his first band, The Chantones, formed in the summer of 1965. There is a full three page listing of Vaughan ’s bands with every member listed (except the short lived Epileptic Marshmallow) and Hopkins has found pictures of many of these early bands with Stevie the kid smilin’ over a huge guitar. These listings, pictures, and interviews are found nowhere else.     There is a picture from 1965 of Jimmie’s first band, the Pendulums, then a picture and business card for Stevie’s first band, the Chantones. There are great stories of Jimmie’s early star abilities and how supportive their parents were, driving Jimmie to whatever gig he had. In fact, Hopkins tells that their parents would come to whatever shows they could make, painting a very different picture from the SRV VH-1 Legends biography.     There’s Stevie’s 1971 letter to the editor about study halls in his high school, stories about Stevie’s trouble in school because he refused to cut his hair, and other early facts.     The illustrations Hopkins unearthed, including hundreds of personal photos, handwritten set lists, rough draft lyrics, posters, contracts, riders, and guitar designs, offer a nostalgic look back. The lengthy interviews with former girlfriends, managers, band members, techs, producers, promoters, and fans are presented as if they are sitting across from you. And Hopkins’ extended look into the Austin music scene accurately recreates the early days of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Triple Threat, Antone’s and Double Trouble.     This is no Wikipedia fast food biography; this book offers one of the most thorough, moment by moment biographies I have ever read. As the title suggests, the book is organized into a day by day arrangement which shows clearly that, unlike today’s American Idol today, star tomorrow mentality, the road to Stevie’s fame was a long and arduous one.     Once Vaughan moved to Austin in 1972, Hopkins is able to trace the day by day aspect of the book by following each band’s schedule. Hopkins cites every magazine or newspaper story that mentioned or featured SRV. In addition, he references every recording, studio or bootleg, television broadcast, radio show, and award that included Vaughan . And if you’re as guitar gearhead, the stories of all SRV’s guitars and gear will put you in Fender heaven.     Hopkins ’ style with each band Vaughan was part of is to let the members of the band speak at length about the days with Stevie. The same is true of every SRV incident. The 1982 appearance at the Montreux Jazz festival is given five pages of great pictures and impressions of those there including Jackson Browne. Likewise, the failed Bowie tour is covered in four pages. Stevie was left on the street holding his bags as the tour bus pulled out, but by reading all aspects of the affair, each reader can form his own opinion of who was right and who was wrong.     Stevie’s eventual substance and alcohol collapse in 1986 is told in the same way, through the eyes of those closest to the [downward spiral] and subsequent recovery. Hopkins has also included Vaughan ’s four page testament at one of his AA meetings. Vaughan ’s rise from the ashes is the archetypal parable of how one rediscovers the true path from the darkest bottom. The stories from Martha Vaughan, Raitt, Shannon, Layton , and Wynans offer inspirational looks into SRV after his commitment. There is a great Raitt story about calling Stevie to the stage when he attended her Atlanta show on 11/12/1986, becoming his first performance after his sobriety date.     Through it all, Hopkins has painted the most intimate portrait of Vaughan he could. Amid the turmoils one experiences living the musician’s life, Stevie was a kind hearted and generous human being. He was born with a gift, but he also knew that he had to work hard to elevate that gift. He was respectful to the blues masters he idolized like Albert and B.B. King, Johnny Copeland, Albert Collins and others, and, at the same time, he was very giving to others with his own talents. This book is so very relevant to every music fan, but the interviews offer so much more. Without knowing it, Hopkins has presented a life story of anyone born into the innocence of the 1950’s, who lived through the turmoils of the late 1960’s, who experimented with the fast life of the 70’s and 80’s, and ultimately rediscovered life’s purpose. --Art Tipaldi, Blues Revue, Blueswax The following are among the many highlights: ** The story of Stevie's life and career is told in the form of interviews of over 110 family members, band mates, peers, friends, girlfriends, crew members, managers and agents. Some of their comments will make you laugh, some may make you cry. If you don't think, "Wow! I didn't know that..." many times while reading this book, I will be quite surprised. 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 directly from those who were there. It is not a story sprinkled with a few quotes; it is comprised of quotes tied together to form a story, annotated with thousands of additional facts and illustrations. ** 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 I didn't know about some of these bands until I 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; and comic photos of the characters Stevie would invent and other candid moments off stage. 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 is 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. ** For the first time, I have presented everything in chronological order (except for the pages at the end about Stevie's guitars and equipment). FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. How different is it from the previous books you have written about Stevie? Like night and day. As successful as the previous books are, they are quite different. Just as The Essential is more extensive than the earlier Anthology, the new book is significantly more informative and lavishly illustrated. Look at the page totals for the three books: 150, 250 and 432. The Essential was an expansion of The Anthology. Day by Day is a completely new book. It is not a new edition or revision of the previous books. 2. Are copies of your previous books still available for purchase? The Stevie Ray Vaughan Anthology is sold out. There are less than seven copies available of The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan. There is no plan to reprint either of them. 3. How many copies of Day by Day, Night After Night will be printed? Only 3200 copies were printed. Over 1000 have been sold in the first five months. Whether there will be another printing is unknown. 4. Can I get the book in the bookstore or anywhere else? The book is not stocked in bookstores because I don't need bookstores to sell out this printing. Approximately 30% of the books were sold to fans ordering in advance of printing.  5. How long does it take to receive the book? All books are shipped via USPS Priority Mail, including overseas orders. Please allow 3-7 days in the U.S. and 7-21 days outside the U.S. 6. WHY ORDER NOW, and how was the price set? About the price: The book is within the industry-suggested price for a book of this quality and extent. It is 8.5" x 11" hardcover with color throughout. This book is self-published, which means not only that there is no publishing house paying me to write this book, but I have committed tens of thousands of dollars of my own money for the printing costs, expenses, licenses, travel and taxes without selling a single book. I must sell hundreds of books before I make a penny on this project. The print run of 3200 books does not afford an opportunity to spread the costs over a larger number of buyers. I tried very hard to keep the book price much lower, but I believe all the content is important, and I would rather be over-inclusive than produce a lesser quality book. I wanted you to have all the information and lots of big, color pictures!  I am aware that as the supply of books dwindles the demand will result in an increase in price. So the earlier you buy, the less you will pay. Copies of my previous books, which started out at $20-$30, have routinely sold for $125-$250 in recent years. The shipping and handling costs include postage and other actual out-of-pocket expenses and fees that I have to pay for payment processing, supplies, etc.   Get yours today and enjoy the book!Make sure your Paypal account is updated with your current shipping address. I sometimes ship within minutes of the order coming in, so there may not be time to send me a corrected address. If you do not have a Paypal account you can still use a credit card by logging into Paypal as a "guest." Here are a few of the many comments pouring in from fans around the world about this book:Hi Craig! Just got your book yesterday! I haven't had time to REALLY read it, but will take a day off and just sit and enjoy your really fine work! How on earth do you do it?! I know everyone has their gift and yours is putting things in chronological order! And you always always always do it first class! Uskomatonta as we say in Finnish=: Amazing! It is such a beautiful work and I know that Stevie would be so proud of you and the books you have done to keep his name and memory alive. I AM PROUD OF YOU! Such beautiful work man. You are an example to others and that is no lie! Thank you for rushing it to me. Thanks and keep up the great work you are doing in memory of our dear friend. Always, Christian-Charles. (Lead singer in Lincoln and Blackbird with Stevie; now a gospel singer in Finland) All I can say is, the guy from the guitar magazine that has been working on the ["authorized"] version should be able to sleep easy knowing that the job has already been completed fully and can move on to another project. Outstanding. Jeremy, NZ Craig, There are men put in the world's clock in order to see another man's time. A man of worthiness, life of inspiration captured and preserved by another heart with a sense of mission as much as passion. I applaud you on the book. Your presentation and first impression composition was new, neat, nostalgic, endearing. You hit the mark brother, congratulations on a job very well done sir. Thanks for the book and allowing me to be a part of it. W. R. TONY DUKES [bass player, guitar dealer, friend of Stevie's] Hi Craig, thank you so very much for doing this book. I received it on July 5th. Perfect timing since my vacation was the following week. I just couldn’t put it down and at the same time I didn’t want to finish it too fast because I didn’t want it to end. Stevie left a huge impact on my heart. The world lost a truly wonderful man on that day in Aug. He still and always will be pulling on my heart strings the way he pulled on those strings on Number One. Peace and God Bless, Jen D. from Crown Point, IN Hi Craig. Just a quick note to let you know the book has arrived safely in the UK! Even a quick browse through it shows it to be beyond expectations. It's a real credit to you and I can only start to imagine the sheer work and dedication you have put into it. It does you proud. Having read many music biographies/journals/diaries, I can safely say this sets the standard by which others should be judged: the amount of detail and facts are staggering, yet it is objectively written and is so much more than either a bland re-telling of statistics or a obsessive narrative with prejudiced and clouded judgement. This will appeal to both hardened SRV fans and more casual admirers. A real work of art and achievement. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and resources. Best regards Stuart S. Woah, what a book!!!!!!!!!! I received it today, and it's way beyond any expectations I had. Absolutely beautiful in every respect. Thank you Mr. Hopkins for the timeless enjoyment this book will provide. (The work you put into this, it just boggles the mind...) Lucy R., Montreal, Canada Craig, It has taken me soooo long to finish the book. But, stealing time on breaks, at lunch, after dinner at night.... well, you get the picture. I NEVER wanted to put it down....but HAD to. Anyway...I have finished it...just now at lunch. You have outdone yourself. This is by far the best read about Stevie...ever....probably ever will be. I can't imagine how much time you spent compiling it. I absolutely LOVED the way the book started at the beginning & took us thru to today. I "thought" I knew who Stevie was .... until I read your book...... it made me have more respect for him than I could have even imagined! As I read the book...I listened to his music on my MP3 ..... After I had read more than half the book.... I listened to some of the live stuff from some of his major concerts.... I began to cry !!! (Sitting at my desk, no less!!) I thought about what I had read...that all he wanted was for someone to "get it" when they heard him play...to look out & see that someone smiling, dancing, screaming, whatever.... it wasn't about the money...being famous....it was just knowing that people understood what he was doin' up there.... giving of himself......... then the live music began & the crowd was absolutely screaming........ I thought "what must he have felt" then .....he had thousands of fans screaming because they LOVED his music!!! How HAPPY he must of been. Anyway, I cried about that. Then I cried last night reading about the final night, the funeral. THANKS from the bottom of my heart for this book. Now, it's [my husband's] turn! Finally!! Lynn M Craig, Just finished reading your book, Day By Day, Night After Night, and wanted to let you know I found it fabulous. To have done such a complete chronology is unprecedented and I commend your effort. As a guitar player myself I am delighted to know that I'm not the only person to believe Stevie was a truly special player; accounts throughout the book by top musicians said so. The revelation that he played all the time, like during nearly every waking hour while younger, is testament to the "practice makes perfect" credo. And it came as no surprise to find Stevie was a super and caring person - I already sensed it just hearing his music. Thanks for this truly honest and thorough book about Stevie and many of the fine musicians he associated with during his life. Cary Z Hello,Craig I just want to thank you for a Super nice book you sent me,i would have paid more for this because it is obvious that you did a lot of hard work putting it together. I have been with you now since the early 90's and you have never let me down and this is a crowning achievement and you should be very proud. James W., Nashville Dear Craig, I have just finished reading your book about Stevie Ray Vaughan. I have laughed, tapped my foot thinking of his music and also cried about his life. You have done a marvelous job in bringing him to life for me in your writing. All the hard work and long hours you have put into it have paid off. You have a right to be very proud to share this with all of the Stevie fans all over the world. Virginia H. Mr. Hopkins, I just wanted to tell you that I've finished reading the new book and it is nothing short of spectacular. I love the format. It's like the complete SRV desk reference!!! I could barely put it down. The whole book is so beautifully done and really speaks to your commitment and integrity. Thank you so much for doing this as I'll treasure it always. Sincerely, Brandon M Dear Craig, I just wanted to drop you an email to say I appreciate and commend all your efforts and hard work to share your knowledge and collection with the rest of the world. My husband, myself and our little boy enjoyed the SRV museum very much. It was very obvious how much work and pure love went into putting everything together. Your passion regarding SRV and Texas music is so fun and refreshing to watch. I had the divine pleasure of knowing Stevie. I must say, he was a gentle, sweet man (I am a sucker for gentle, sweet men). So, if anybody deserves to remembered in such a first class way, it is Stevie. I just wanted to tell you that I respect and truly appreciate all you do to remember and to share your collection. Respectfully, Traci S I got the new book today, the wife and I spent several hours just flipping through and reading tidbits and I am freaking blown away by the amount of information and details! The pictures and information is mind blowing!!! For every SRV fan out there that purchased this book THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! If you didn't purchase this book, buy one NOW! It WILL answer any question you may have. I will order another one before they are all gone! I cant wait to read this SRV Bible!!!!!! Thank you again for writing this book! Derick R. Seller added the following information:I don't understand why people are "watching" this eBay listing rather than just buying the book immediately. This is not an auction; it's a fixed price sale just like walking into a store. There is nothing to "watch." There is no bidding and the price is not going to change. The first person to buy ends the listing. It is a limited edition book and you cannot buy it from anyone else - no bookstores, no music stores, no one else sells this book but me, the author. Place a Bid!