Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Crossfire" Honored for a Million Air Plays

by Lynne Margolis.

In honor of the 1 millionth play of "Crossfire," Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble’s first No. 1 hit, recording rights organization BMI presented the songwriters with a special award at an Austin City Limits Festival kick-off party at Lambert’s, an Austin restaurant, on September 13, 2007. BMI has sponsored a stage devoted to up-and-coming singer/songwriters since the beginning of the 6-year-old festival.

BMI representative Jody Williams, who presented the awards, said 1 million radio plays equals constant spins for about eight years straight. BMI collects royalty fees for a licensed song's radio airplay and use in other public venues, and distributes payments to its composers.

"I look at this song and I realize it was a turning point in my career," said Double Trouble bassist and co-writer Tommy Shannon, who noted he and Vaughan had gotten clean and sober and the band was heading toward becoming a songwriting team. Had Stevie lived, Shannon said, he's sure there would have been more song collaborations. (Vaughan did not share a co-writing credit on this tune, however.)

"It's a bittersweet award," added drummer Chris Layton, who also co-penned the tune with Bill Carter, Ruth Ellsworth Carter and keyboardist Reese Wynans, the only co-author who could not make the event.

The duo still performs as the Double Trouble rhythm section, but in the town where they made their name – and to blues fans around the world – there will always be a hole where Stevie Ray once stood. His statue, however, is a prominent fixture in Zilker Park, site of the annual three-day festival, which took place September 14-16.

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