Stephen "Stevie" Ray Vaughan was an American blues-rock guitarist, whose broad appeal made him an influential electric blues guitarist. Known for his warm blues rock tone, Vaughan characteristically used very heavy strings on his guitar ranging from 11 to 16-gauge sets to give a fuller sound which he tuned down a half-step to the key of E flat. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Stevie Ray Vaughan #7 in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and Classic Rock Magazine ranked him #3 in their list of the 100 Wildest Guitar Heroes in 2007. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan, born 1951.