Bonnie Raitt + Stevie Ray Vaughan Unite For Powerhouse “Testify” Performance

North Of The Great Divide, 1986 Seattle Broadcast

In 1986, worlds collided when first lady of the blues Bonnie Raitt united with friend and Texas blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Arts Festival where together, the two tore through Vaughan’s hit song “Testify” to close out the night. While we’re used to hearing something equal parts finesse and brutal force in Stevie’s playing, the addition of Bonnie’s signature slide guitar playing adds a little extra something spicy to “Testify” – and we like it!

Fun Fact: Bonnie Raitt credits Stevie Ray Vaughan’s sobriety making him a better guitar player with inspiring her to get sober, too.

Lucky for us, the performance was caught on tape and featured on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s North Of The Great Divide: The Seattle Broadcast, and a rarely seen exchange of licks between the two friends finally immortalized. While Stevie and Bonnie hardly ever appeared on the same stage at the same time, the fact that Stevie invited her to join Double Trouble for “Testify” speaks volumes to the immense respect he had for his fellow guitarist!