I've read this story from several sources over the years, but this has to be my favorite. As part of The Bullock Texas State History Museum's Texas Story Project, Jimmie Vaughan told the story of how a young Stevie Ray got the chance to sit in with his idol Albert King.
Enjoy.
A couple things that stood out to me from this interview:
- I never realized how big a deal Albert King was at that time. From Jimmie's story, Albert was more than just another artist that came through Antone's - he was a big, big deal.
- Nobody dared ask Albert to sit in, not even Jimmie. Clifford Antone asking Albert to let Stevie sit in was very unusual.
- Albert didn't like most guitar players, but he liked Stevie after hearing him play.