Quote:
Originally Posted by the Genral
Sometimes you never forget where you were when you hear bad news like SRV's death. I was almost crushed to death while working on a machine at IBM. During my recuperation, I went for physical therapy on 71 near I35. On the way one day, every radio station was playing SRV. I thought it was odd, but I appreciated it. Got to my p.t. session and they were listening to SRV also. I thought...cool. I asked someone there if they knew why everyone was playing SRV, and they told me he was killed in a helicopter crash after a concert last night. I was stunned. Like Hendrix before him, I still think of how much unfinished business they left behind, but grateful for what they left us. Thanks for posting the vids kevin.
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We were probably listening to the same radio station 26 years ago. I remember it too. I had just moved into the University Towers private dorm in West Campus, which had re-opened that year. I had signed up for a quad room, but because they didn't really attract many people that first year, I had a room all to myself. I had put together the two twin beds to make myself a king sized one. Quite luxurious for a poor student. My alarm was radio, and so I woke up to them playing nothing but SRV that morning. I must not have had an early class, cause I just listened in bed, and eventually after a couple of songs the news was repeated. That he had died. Since then, I've always been wary when I hear a bunch of songs from the same artist being played -- wondering if it's for the same reason.
That was a weird year. The first Iraq war had started, and many of us college students worried that a draft could be coming. We had grown up with the cold war and threat of the "big one" with Russia, but that had never happened and Iraq seemed like the first "real" war in our memories.
Austin was exactly as depicted in "Slacker", which was being filmed that year. We'd hang out at Les Amis. I had no idea who Richard Linklater was, but I did know about Robert Rodriguez. He was locally known for his rather cutesy (but very well drawn) comic strip in the Daily Texan.
I was in a band called the Local Prophets at the time. Probably because of Austin guitarists like Eric Johnson and SRV, I had ditched my 80's Jackson shred machine for a Strat. Saved up and purchased it new off the floor from Ray Hennig's on South Lamar. Still have that one.
Anyway, besides the day itself, the whole year is well etched in my memory.
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