“He snuck in without people realizing. The only giveaway was the white feather tail in his hat”: How Stevie Ray Vaughan gave Bernard Allison the surprise of his life at his 16th birthday gig

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Bernard Allison comp.

Bernard Allison grew up the son of blues royalty, but made his own bones as a player – practicing for years before he revealed to his father, Luther Allison, that he could play.

Luther was, of course, a blues veteran and a contemporary of everyone from Howlin’ Wolf to Muddy Waters and Albert King. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree for Bernard – and growing up in the Allison household proved to be an education.