My next brush with greatness came years later(1986?) while my mom and i were in Austin, Texas. While we were happily staying at my mom's friend Mary George's house, but somehow or another we made a change in plan for the last days of our visit and relocated to a small motel on Congress Ave.

The clerk at the hotel had told us that many musicians stay there while passing through town.. in fact, Peter Tosh had stayed one time- three suites: one for the party, one for sleeping- and one for eating (bathtubs filled with raw fish and more).

The previous day we combed the mall and i did a huge amount of music buying. Alot of Pink Floyd (practically filled out my collection) and i bought a copy of (then still not quite well known at the time) Stevie Ray Vaughn's album 'Couldn't stand the Weather'.. i was astounded, here's a guy who evokes the best of furious bluesRock and just DAMN! i listened to his version of Voodoo Chile several times that night and was just amazed by his playing.

Getting back to my story... we had to change rooms because the toilet backed up the first time we used it... no big deal, we moved to another room and everything was cool.

Our friend Mary George planned to have her Beaux- a true/blue Texan by the name of Red- pick us up for dinner that night. When i heard a car horn blast from outside of our room, instinctively i thought this was our signal to leave, so i opened up the door to look.

A big white cadi was now parked in front of our motel room... but there was no sign of Red, so i closed the door. But that's when it hit me.. wait a minute, 'Mom, you know that guy i just saw in the cadi looks alot like the guy on the cover of the album i bought yesterday..'

"Well go and say hello" she said... and with that and a dose of reluctance i took off after him. I ran down the outdoor hallway and climbed the stairs at the end of the building, caught up to him while he was still walking the outside deck of the second floor..

"excuse me, but are you Stevie Ray Vaughn?" i ask.

"Yes, thats me." he replies.

Now when i tell this part of the story i both laugh and cringe because i just don't know where my head was at at that moment in time.. but this is what came out of my mouth:

'Wow its a thrill to meet you, i'm such a big fan of Hendrix!'

Huh? Wha? ...where did that come from? Open mouth insert Foot and Leg!

He took it with a happy smile and replied "Yeah, i am too!"

I returned to my room kinda dazed, a little embaressed, but starstruckfor sure.

When Red arrived, my mom filled him in on what had just transpired moments earlier. Red approached Stevie and Tommy Shannon (who turns out was staying in a room directly above us) to get an autograph for my copy of the 'Couldn't Stand the Weather' album.

Both men happilly signed and went on their way to the studio to finish tracks on the then upcoming album 'Texas Flood'. I was struck for months after that.. i treasure that autograph (first album i kept in a 'mylar' bag) and even more so now that his spirit is no longer with us here on earth, i feel priviledged to have crossed paths with him. He was, nay "is" a huge talent.. and charming to boot.