![]() He was the older brother of Edgar Winter, also an albino, who rose to musical fame with the Edgar Winter Group. 23, 1944, in Mississippi, but was raised in Beaumont, Tex. Winter idolized Waters - and got a chance to produce some of the blues legend’s more popular albums. Winter one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. Winter, instantly recognizable because of his striking long, white hair, was a leading light among the white blues guitar players, including Eric Clapton and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, who followed in the footsteps of the earlier Chicago blues masters. The tour a documentary exploring his music, youth and substance abuse battles that premiered at the SXSW Festival and a newly released four-CD set of recordings were all part of a revival of Mr. ![]() His last performance came July 12 at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria. ![]() Winter had been on an extensive tour that recently brought him to Europe. There was no immediate word on the cause. His representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed the death. He was reportedly working on a new album at the time of his death which featured superstars Eric Clapton, and Ben Harper, which is slated for release this September.Johnny Winter, an American bluesman known for his lightning-fast guitar riffs and his collaborations with Jimi Hendrix and his childhood hero, Muddy Waters, died July 16 in a hotel room in Zurich. He released almost 20 LPs over the length of his career, including the most recent 2011 album, Roots, which offered a host of classic blues tunes, and featured Warren Haynes and Edgar Winters, among others. Winter is best known for his distinct covers of songs like “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo” by Rick Derringer, “Johnny B Goode” by Chuck Berry, and “Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan, as well as originals like “Still Alive and Well” and “I’m Yours and I’m Hers.” In the 70’s he continued to tour and record, as well as producing albums for another legend in the blues genre, Muddy Waters. That year, he played with idol BB King at the Newport Jazz Festival, and also made an appearance at Woodstock. The album featured Edgar on keyboards, and rose to number 24 on the Top 200. Winter’s first major release for Columbia, simply titled Johnny Winter, was released in June of 1969. He broke out from the Texas music scene in 1968 when a Rolling Stone magazine article brought him to national prominence, saying he played “some of the gutsiest, fluid blues guitar you ever heard.” The article brought a flood of record deals to the fledgling guitarist’s doorstep, leading to a deal with Columbia for a massive (at the time) $600,000. Johnny’s first major album release was the critically revered The Progressive Blues Experiment. ![]() Both of the brothers stood out early in the blues/rock music scene for their talented playing at a very young age, as well as their striking platinum hair and light skin due to albinism. In remembrance of the legend, here are 10 great tracks from Winter, playable for free on Spotify.īorn John Dawson Winter III in Beaumont, Texas, Johnny was the older brother of Edgar Winter, another renowned guitar player. We will remember Johnny Winter for his incredible talent, his gracious respect for music and the guitar giants with which he stood shoulder to shoulder, and his indelible touch on the blues. ![]()
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