Death of Stevie Ray Vaughan
Encyclopedia
Stevie Ray Vaughan
was an American guitarist who gained worldwide fame as one of the greatest guitarists of the late 20th century, for his brief career with Double Trouble
, and for his collaborations. He was killed in a helicopter accident on the side of a skiing hill at Alpine Valley Resort
in East Troy, Wisconsin
on Monday, August 27, 1990; Vaughan had just played a concert with Double Trouble, featured as a special guest with Eric Clapton
, Buddy Guy
, Robert Cray
, and Jimmie Vaughan
.
Shortly after local news stations reported Vaughan's death, crowds gathered at Zilker Park
in Austin, Texas
. He was buried
on August 31, 1990, at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas; the grave is next to his father Jimmie Lee Vaughan
, who died on the same day four years earlier.
Backstage after the show that evening, the musicians talked about playing together again, particularly with Clapton for a series of dates at London's Royal Albert Hall
in February and March 1991. Moments later, Peter Jackson, Clapton's tour manager, said that the weather was getting worse and they had to leave soon. According to Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton, Vaughan's last words to him were, "I love ya."
Dew was settling on the windshields of the four helicopters waiting to transport the performers back to Chicago. Stevie Ray, Jimmie, and his wife Connie made their way to their reserved helicopter, a Bell 206B Jet Ranger
booked by Omniflight Helicopters and manned by Jeff Brown, a 42-year-old veteran pilot. Peter Jackson, one of Clapton's tour managers let Vaughan know that three seats were reserved for himself, Jimmie, and Connie. Upon arrival, they discovered that their seats had been taken by members of Clapton's crew, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel Browne, and assistant tour manager Colin Smythe. Vaughan, wanting to get back to Chicago, asked Jimmie and Connie if he could take the last seat, saying "I really need to get back." They obliged and caught the next flight in Lake Geneva
with Layton and Jimmie's manager, Mark Proct.
At 1 a.m., the helicopters departed in dense fog at two-minute intervals. Jeff Brown, occupying the right seat in the cockpit, guided the helicopter off the golf course, remaining at a high speed and slightly lower altitude than the others. It banked sharply to the left and crashed into the side of a 300-foot-high ski slope, about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) from takeoff. All on board were killed instantly. With no fire or explosion, the bodies and debris were scattered over an area of 200 square foot. Nobody was aware of the crash until the helicopter failed to arrive at its destination the next morning.
At 7 a.m., an Air Force
search helicopter, carrying sheriff's deputies, found the wreckage, which was 50 feet (15.2 m) below the summit of the hill. Shortly after, Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan were called to the morgue
to identify the bodies. According to an autopsy report, Vaughan had suffered many unsurvivable injuries, such as transection
and dissection
of the aorta
, multiple depressed skull fractures, ruptured spleen
and liver, along with fractures of the right thigh bone
and ribs. An investigation found that no drugs or alcohol were involved, and all victims had worn seatbelts. No part malfunction was found in the investigation. Pilot Jeff Brown had many hours of experience operating the Bell 206B at night. However, he had an instrument rating for flying airplanes at night with dense fog, not helicopters. The cause of the crash was that Brown simply did not see the hill and flew the helicopter full speed into the hillside due to low visibility.
was released in September 1990 and became Vaughan's best-selling non-Double Trouble album; it was the only collaboration that he recorded with Jimmie Vaughan. On August 31, 1990, Vaughan was buried at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas. Funeral services were held, with over 1,500 people attending and 3,000 more outside the chapel. His fiancée, Janna Lapidus, Jimmie and Martha Vaughan were in attendance. Among the other mourners were Stevie Wonder
, Buddy Guy
, Dr. John
, ZZ Top
, Eric Clapton
, Bonnie Raitt
, Jackson Browne
and Nile Rodgers
.
Omniflight, the helicopter's owner, was sued by Martha and Jimmie Vaughan for being negligent in allowing the unqualified pilot, Jeff Brown, to fly a helicopter and taking off in dense fog. The wives of Clapton's bodyguard, Nigel Browne, and assistant tour manager, Colin Smythe, received more than $2 million in settlements.
." Bonnie Raitt
's 1991 album Luck of the Draw
was dedicated to him. Many other artists recorded songs in remembrance of Vaughan, including Eric Johnson
, Tommy Emmanuel
, Buddy Guy
, Steve Vai
, and Wayne Perkins
. Stevie Wonder, whose "Superstition
" Vaughan covered, honored him with "Stevie Ray Blues" on his 1995 live album Natural Wonder
. Musicians such as Joe Bonamassa
, John Mayer
, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd
, Mark Tremonti
, Chris Duarte
, Colin James
, Los Lonely Boys
, Mike McCready
, Eric Johnson
, Orianthi
, John Petrucci
, and Doyle Bramhall II
have cited Vaughan as an influence.
An annual motorcycle ride and concert in Dallas Texas benefits the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund. The city of Austin erected the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake, the site of a number of his concerts. It has become one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Since 1998, St. Louis has hosted an annual Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Concert around Thanksgiving featuring local musicians. In 2000, Vaughan was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
. He also became eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2008. In 2008, residents voted to rename Dallas' Industrial Boulevard, with Vaughan's name being one of the finalists alongside Stanley Marcus
, Eddie Bernice Johnson
, and César Chávez
.
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
was an American guitarist who gained worldwide fame as one of the greatest guitarists of the late 20th century, for his brief career with Double Trouble
Double Trouble (band)
Double Trouble was the backing rhythm section for Texas blues rock guitarist and lead vocalist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Originally consisting of drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon, Reese Wynans would later join the outfit on keyboards.-History:...
, and for his collaborations. He was killed in a helicopter accident on the side of a skiing hill at Alpine Valley Resort
Alpine Valley Resort (Wisconsin)
Alpine Valley Resort is a resort located in East Troy, Wisconsin. It has a golf course and ski runs, the longest being a 2500-foot run. Once owned by the Boschert family, part of their family farm was sold off to a developer who created the resort. Ownership has changed several times since the...
in East Troy, Wisconsin
East Troy, Wisconsin
East Troy is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,564 at the 2000 census. The village is located southeast of the Town of East Troy. A small portion extends into the adjacent Town of Troy...
on Monday, August 27, 1990; Vaughan had just played a concert with Double Trouble, featured as a special guest with Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, Robert Cray
Robert Cray
Robert Cray is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band, as well as an acclaimed solo career.-Career:...
, and Jimmie Vaughan
Jimmie Vaughan
James Lawrence "Jimmie" Vaughan is an American blues rock guitarist and singer from Dallas, Texas, United States. He is the older brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan....
.
Shortly after local news stations reported Vaughan's death, crowds gathered at Zilker Park
Zilker Park
Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in the heart of south Austin that comprises over of publicly owned land. It is named after its benefactor Andrew Jackson Zilker, who donated the land to the city in 1917. It was developed into the park during the Great Depression in the 1930s...
in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. He was buried
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
on August 31, 1990, at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas; the grave is next to his father Jimmie Lee Vaughan
Jimmie Lee Vaughan
Jimmie Lee "Big Jim" Vaughan was the father of American blues guitarists Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Big Jim was known as being boisterous and quick-tempered. He had relatives who performed with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and Tommy Dorsey...
, who died on the same day four years earlier.
Death
On the morning of August 26, 1990, Vaughan told his band and crew members about a horrible nightmare in which he was at his own funeral and saw thousands of mourners. He felt "terrified, yet almost peaceful."Backstage after the show that evening, the musicians talked about playing together again, particularly with Clapton for a series of dates at London's Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
in February and March 1991. Moments later, Peter Jackson, Clapton's tour manager, said that the weather was getting worse and they had to leave soon. According to Double Trouble drummer Chris Layton, Vaughan's last words to him were, "I love ya."
Dew was settling on the windshields of the four helicopters waiting to transport the performers back to Chicago. Stevie Ray, Jimmie, and his wife Connie made their way to their reserved helicopter, a Bell 206B Jet Ranger
Bell 206
The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter program, the 206 failed to be selected...
booked by Omniflight Helicopters and manned by Jeff Brown, a 42-year-old veteran pilot. Peter Jackson, one of Clapton's tour managers let Vaughan know that three seats were reserved for himself, Jimmie, and Connie. Upon arrival, they discovered that their seats had been taken by members of Clapton's crew, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel Browne, and assistant tour manager Colin Smythe. Vaughan, wanting to get back to Chicago, asked Jimmie and Connie if he could take the last seat, saying "I really need to get back." They obliged and caught the next flight in Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
with Layton and Jimmie's manager, Mark Proct.
At 1 a.m., the helicopters departed in dense fog at two-minute intervals. Jeff Brown, occupying the right seat in the cockpit, guided the helicopter off the golf course, remaining at a high speed and slightly lower altitude than the others. It banked sharply to the left and crashed into the side of a 300-foot-high ski slope, about 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) from takeoff. All on board were killed instantly. With no fire or explosion, the bodies and debris were scattered over an area of 200 square foot. Nobody was aware of the crash until the helicopter failed to arrive at its destination the next morning.
At 7 a.m., an Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
search helicopter, carrying sheriff's deputies, found the wreckage, which was 50 feet (15.2 m) below the summit of the hill. Shortly after, Clapton and Jimmie Vaughan were called to the morgue
Morgue
A morgue or mortuary is used for the storage of human corpses awaiting identification, or removal for autopsy or disposal by burial, cremation or otherwise...
to identify the bodies. According to an autopsy report, Vaughan had suffered many unsurvivable injuries, such as transection
Traumatic aortic rupture
Traumatic aortic rupture, also called traumatic aortic disruption or transection, is a condition in which the aorta, the largest artery in the body, is torn or ruptured as the result of trauma. The condition is frequently fatal due to the profuse bleeding that results from the rupture...
and dissection
Aortic dissection
Aortic dissection occurs when a tear in the inner wall of the aorta causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart. The dissection typically extends anterograde, but can extend retrograde from the site of the intimal tear. Aortic dissection is a medical...
of the aorta
Aorta
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it branches off into two smaller arteries...
, multiple depressed skull fractures, ruptured spleen
Ruptured spleen
Rupture of the capsule of the spleen, an organ in the upper left part of the abdomen, is a situation that requires immediate medical attention. The rupture of a normal spleen can be caused by trauma, such as a car accident.-Function In the Body:...
and liver, along with fractures of the right thigh bone
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
and ribs. An investigation found that no drugs or alcohol were involved, and all victims had worn seatbelts. No part malfunction was found in the investigation. Pilot Jeff Brown had many hours of experience operating the Bell 206B at night. However, he had an instrument rating for flying airplanes at night with dense fog, not helicopters. The cause of the crash was that Brown simply did not see the hill and flew the helicopter full speed into the hillside due to low visibility.
Aftermath
Vaughan's death triggered an outpouring of grief and shock around the world. The album Family StyleFamily Style
Family Style is a blues-rock album by the Vaughan Brothers, released on September 25, 1990. The album features the brethren guitarists and vocalists, Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, in their only studio collaboration. In his early years, Stevie Ray Vaughan often remarked that he would like to do an...
was released in September 1990 and became Vaughan's best-selling non-Double Trouble album; it was the only collaboration that he recorded with Jimmie Vaughan. On August 31, 1990, Vaughan was buried at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas. Funeral services were held, with over 1,500 people attending and 3,000 more outside the chapel. His fiancée, Janna Lapidus, Jimmie and Martha Vaughan were in attendance. Among the other mourners were Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...
, ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
and Nile Rodgers
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers is an American musician, producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist.-Biography:...
.
Omniflight, the helicopter's owner, was sued by Martha and Jimmie Vaughan for being negligent in allowing the unqualified pilot, Jeff Brown, to fly a helicopter and taking off in dense fog. The wives of Clapton's bodyguard, Nigel Browne, and assistant tour manager, Colin Smythe, received more than $2 million in settlements.
Memorials and tributes
Jimmie Vaughan later co-wrote and recorded a song in tribute to his brother, along with other deceased blues guitarists, titled "Six Strings DownSix Strings Down
"Six Strings Down" is a song written by Art Neville, Eric Kolb, Aaron Neville, Cyril Neville, Kelsey Smith, and Jimmie Vaughan, and which first appeared on Jimmie Vaughan's album Strange Pleasure in 1995...
." Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
's 1991 album Luck of the Draw
Luck of the Draw (album)
Luck of the Draw is the eleventh album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1991 . After being nominated for Grammy awards in four different categories for the album Nick of Time, Raitt went for a creative retreat in Northern California to begin work on Luck of the Draw. "I did it on purpose to see if I...
was dedicated to him. Many other artists recorded songs in remembrance of Vaughan, including Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
, Tommy Emmanuel
Tommy Emmanuel
William Thomas "Tommy" Emmanuel AM is an Australian guitarist, best known for his complex fingerpicking style, energetic performances and the use of percussive effects on the guitar. In the May 2008 and 2010 issues of Guitar Player Magazine, he was named as "Best Acoustic Guitarist" in their...
, Buddy Guy
Buddy Guy
George "Buddy" Guy is an American blues and jazz guitarist and singer. He is a critically acclaimed artist who has established himself as a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation...
, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, and Wayne Perkins
Wayne Perkins
Wayne Perkins is a rock and R & B guitarist, singer, songwriter and session musician. He was the oldest of six children, a brother and four sisters. Both of his parents sang and played guitar...
. Stevie Wonder, whose "Superstition
Superstition (song)
"Superstition" is a popular song written, produced, arranged, and performed by Stevie Wonder for Motown Records in 1972, when Wonder was 22 years old. It was the lead single for Wonder's Talking Book album, and released in many countries. It reached number one in the USA, and number one on the soul...
" Vaughan covered, honored him with "Stevie Ray Blues" on his 1995 live album Natural Wonder
Natural Wonder
Natural Wonder is a live album by American musician Stevie Wonder, released in 1995 and recorded in Osaka, Japan. It is an edited version of a televised concert Wonder performed with the Tokyo Philharmonic.-Disc one:# "Dancing to the Rhythm" *– 7:07...
. Musicians such as Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kenny Wayne Shepherd is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced a rare level of commercial success both as a blues artist and a young musician.-Biography:Shepherd graduated Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana...
, Mark Tremonti
Mark Tremonti
Mark Thomas Tremonti is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands...
, Chris Duarte
Chris Duarte
Chris Duarte is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Duarte plays a style of Texas blues-rock that draws on elements of jazz, blues, and rock and roll.-Biography:...
, Colin James
Colin James
Colin James is a Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, who plays in the blues, rock, and neo-swing genres. He grew up as a Quaker.-Early years:...
, Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys
Los Lonely Boys is a Chicano rock power trio from San Angelo, Texas. They play a style of music they call "Texican Rock n' Roll," combining elements of rock and roll, Texas blues, brown eyed soul, country, and Tejano....
, Mike McCready
Mike McCready
Michael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
, Orianthi
Orianthi
Orianthi Panagaris , better known simply as Orianthi, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She is perhaps best known for being Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his ill-fated This Is It concert series. Her debut single "According to You" has peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8...
, John Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
, and Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II
Doyle Bramhall II is a guitarist and vocalist in his band Smokestack and was also the second guitarist in Eric Clapton's band from 2004 to 2009.-Discography:with Arc Angels*Arc Angels...
have cited Vaughan as an influence.
An annual motorcycle ride and concert in Dallas Texas benefits the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Scholarship Fund. The city of Austin erected the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue at Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake, the site of a number of his concerts. It has become one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Since 1998, St. Louis has hosted an annual Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Concert around Thanksgiving featuring local musicians. In 2000, Vaughan was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame
Blues Hall of Fame
The Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1980 by the Blues Foundation, it honors those who have performed, recorded, or documented blues.-1980:*Big Bill Broonzy*Willie Dixon*John Lee Hooker...
. He also became eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2008. In 2008, residents voted to rename Dallas' Industrial Boulevard, with Vaughan's name being one of the finalists alongside Stanley Marcus
Stanley Marcus
Harold Stanley Marcus was an early president and later chairman of the board of the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, which his father and aunt had founded in 1907...
, Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eddie Bernice Johnson
Eddie Bernice Johnson is a politician from the state of Texas, currently representing the state's in the United States House of Representatives. She is the first registered nurse elected to the US Congress....
, and César Chávez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
.