Here is some cool info from: http://www.premierguitar.com//articles/String_Myths_Part_1

Some myths are meant to be explored, so let’s look at some of the great players and the gauge strings they used. Starting with Stevie Ray, we find that, according to most available published information, he did indeed play some of the heaviest gauges available, most consistently 13s. He even went thicker, an astounding .018-.072 at one point. However, on the brown ‘63 Strat known as Lenny, SRV switched to lighter strings to get a lighter tone. Some nights when his fingers were thrashed he’d go down as light as 11s—back into mere mortal territory. It was rumored that he went to lighter strings later in his life, but I haven’t been able to substantiate this.

Some more:
Jimmy Page: well-known user of 8-gauge strings.
Danny Gatton: played 10s with a wound G, also played 9s.
Jeff Beck: “On my early stuff, I was playing the thinnest strings you could get, .008s,” Beck told Fender.com. “And then the Jimi man came along and told me, ‘You can’t play with those rubber bands. Get those off there.’ So my string gauges have been creeping up ever since. Now I’ve got .011, .013, .017, .028, .038, and .049. I’m trying to get heavier on the top end.”
Billy Gibbons: hipped to light-gauge 8s or 9s by B.B. King. King’s take on it is that it takes a lot less stress and strain to play the light stuff. Gibbons’ custom set from Dunlop has a 7-gauge high E!
Brian Setzer: 10s straight out of the box.
Peter Frampton: 8s back in the Comes Alive days.
Carlos Santana: 9s
Allan Holdsworth: 11s
Eddie Van Halen: well-known for using 9-gauge.
James Hetfield: .009-.042

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From: http://www.guitarworld.com/dear-guitar-h...ffects-and-more

Robin Trower:

Your sound has a huge amount of midrange, and even though you use effects and distortion, it’s almost never mushy. What’s your secret? — Paul Kirkovitz

Good question! These days, I use effects designed for me by Mike Fuller over at Fulltone. He created my signature RTO overdrive that allows me a little more drive without losing the clarity of the note, which is really important to my sound. It allows me to keep what I call the “front end” of the note. There’s no mush. In fact, I use the overdrive all the time, and when I want a cleaner sound I just turn down. That’s one of the great benefits of having a name! [laughs] You can get things made to your specifications.

But I also think using heavier strings is an important key to maintaining a nice clear midrange. About 20 years ago I started tuning down a tone so I could use a heavier .012 on the E string and a .015 on the B string and still do all my bends. And using higher action helps. It’s all about getting those strings to ring acoustically, which translates into a great electric sound. That’s where the sound comes from, and you can’t create it after the fact. An instrument always has to sound good acoustically. If it doesn’t, you lose a lot of musicality.

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looks like the jury is still out on the "lighter or heavier gauge argument" HUH?

cool info out there...