Since his tragic death 18 years ago today on September 13, 1996 (yes, he died on the anniversary of Biggie's Ready To Die), friends, fans, spectators and even those involved in the case have challenged whether Tupac Amaru Shakur actually died after being gunned down seven days prior.
Number One, also called First Wife, was the nickname given by Stevie Ray Vaughan to his favorite Fender Stratocaster, built ca. 1963. In 1974, he acquired the guitar as a trade at a music store in Austin, Texas. In 1990, it was retired due to many replacements of frets, though he continued to play it occasionally.
Vaughan bridged the gap between blues and rock like no other artist had since the late '60s. For the next seven years, Stevie Ray was the leading light in American blues, consistently selling out concerts while his albums regularly went gold.