Blues legend Johnny Winter dies at 70 in Zurich

By JOHN HEILPRIN 1 hour ago

GENEVA (AP) — Texas blues legend Johnny Winter, known for his lightning-fast blues guitar riffs, his striking long white hair and his collaborations with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and childhood hero Muddy Waters, has died. He was 70.

Winter 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.

Winter idolized Waters — and got a chance to produce some of the blues legend's more popular albums. Rolling Stone magazine named Winter one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.

His representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday that Winter died in a hotel room in Zurich a day earlier. The statement said his wife, family and bandmates were all saddened by the loss of one of the world's finest guitarists.

There was no immediate word on the cause of death.

Winter had been on an extensive tour this year that recently brought him to Europe. His last performance came Saturday at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria.

The tour, a documentary that premiered at the SXSW Festival exploring his music, youth and substance abuse battles, and a newly released four-CD set of recordings were all part of Winter's celebration of turning 70 this year.

John Dawson Winter III was born on Feb. 23, 1944, in Mississippi, but was raised in Beaumont, Texas. He was the older brother of Edgar Winter, also an albino, who rose to musical fame with the Edgar Winter Group.

Winter was one of the most popular live acts of the early 1970s, when his signature fast blues guitar solos attracted a wide following. But his addiction problems with heroin during that decade and later battles with alcohol and prescription medication, including methadone, also drew attention.

His career received a big boost early on when Rolling Stone singled him out as one of the best blues guitarists on the Texas scene. This helped secure a substantial recording contract from Columbia Records in 1969 that led to an appearance at the Woodstock Festival and gave him a wide following among college students and young blues fans.

Crowds were dazzled by the speed — and volume — of his guitar playing, which had its roots in urban blues but incorporated elements of rock 'in roll.

Winters paid homage to Waters on "Tribute to Muddy," a song from his 1969 release "The Progressive Blues Experiment." He continued to pick up accolades, producing three Grammy Award-winning albums for Waters and recording with John Lee Hooker, which helped revive their careers.

Winter performed often with blues and rock singer Janis Joplin and the two became close during the 1960s.

Among the blues classics that Winter played during that era were "Rollin' and Tumblin'," ''Bad Luck and Trouble" and "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl." He also teamed up with his brother Edgar for their 1976 live album "Together."

He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988.

There was no immediate word on funeral services.

Brothers Johnny and Edgar Winter.

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[Edited 7/17/14 8:23am]

He was just here in Chicago last month.

Peace to his soul.

RIP to one of the greatest of all time.

man! so damn sad. Johnny was a hell of a musician! guitar player and multi instrumentalist.

Wasn't into him.

damn, he rocked

He was my favorite guitarist and the reason why I have a Firebird. I am sorry that I never

got a chance to see him play live.

~~~~~~~Rest In Peace ~ ~ Johnny Winter~~~~~~~

http://sympathyflowerstoronto.com/

Johnny on his early struggles with Albinism:


"Like my younger brother, I was born an albino and was put down for looking different—too white. The Black people I knew could relate to what I went through and I understood their situation from my own experience. I went to Black clubs all the time, and nobody ever bothered me. I always felt welcome."

Identity said:

Johnny on his early struggles with Albinism:


"Like my younger brother, I was born an albino and was put down for looking different—too white. The Black people I knew could relate to what I went through and I understood their situation from my own experience. I went to Black clubs all the time, and nobody ever bothered me. I always felt welcome."

Boy, he made Firebirds the coolest guitars in the world, with that great tone between being

super fat and light at the same time.

The pic is reversed, though; Winter was right handed and played that way too.

The image has been adjusted. Good catch.

Identity said:

The image has been adjusted. Good catch.

Ahh. . . all is right with the world now.

He was the baddest rock n' roll guitar player of all time (Hendrix is in another category

by himself altogether).

I've never really felt compelled to get into Winter's own stuff, but I dig the first album he did with Muddy Waters - Hard Again. He really helped bring Muddy back as a recording artist after an absence of some years and his love for Muddy is clear all over that record.

The Hard Again version of Mannish Boy is for me the best one I've heard - http://www.youtube.com/wa...gaxYEsEVVY . Winter hollering in the background egging Muddy on makes it more intense ands amusing .

Johnny Winter's Upcoming Duets Album, Step Back
July 20, 2014
Link

As the music world mourns the death of blues guitar legend Johnny Winter, full details have been revealed about what will be his final

studio album.

Due out on September 2, Step Back features Winter playing covers of classic blues and early rock 'n' roll tunes that inspired him when he

was young, with help from a bevy of other renowned musicians.

Among the stars featured on the record are Eric Clapton, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Aerosmith's Joe Perry, Mountain's Leslie West, Dr. John and ex-Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer.

The track list includes the Ray Charles classic "Unchain My Heart," Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally," Fats Domino's "Blue Monday," Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love," Bobby Blue Bland's "Don't Want No Woman," Willie Dixon's "Can't Hold Out (Talk to Me Baby)" and Lightnin' Hopkins' "Mojo Hand."

"If there's good people, other good musicians, people enjoy it. I just love it," said Winter of his new album. "[Step Back] is just to bring it to the people of today who haven't listened to the old music. It's better than anything they hear today."

Perry, who's featured on the version of "Mojo Hand," has high praise for Johnny, saying, "If it was not for Johnny Winter, I would have never picked up the guitar."

Step Back is a sequel to Winter's 2011 album Roots, which featured guest appearances by his brother Edgar, Blues Traveler frontman John Popper, country star Vince Gill and Allman Brothers Band guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.

Step Back is available for pre-order now at Amazon. Here is the album's complete track list, along with the guest artists who joined Winter on the songs:

"Unchain My Heart" with The Blues Brothers Horns
"Can't Hold Out (Talk to Me Baby)" with Ben Harper
"Don't Want No Woman" with Eric Clapton
"Killing Floor" with Paul Nelson
"Who Do You Love"
"Okie Dokie Stomp" with Brian Setzer
"Where Can You Be" with Billy Gibbons
"Sweet Sixteen" with Joe Bonamassa
"Death Letter"
"My Babe" with Jason Ricci
"Long Tall Sally" with Leslie West
"Mojo Hand" with Joe Perry
"Blue Monday" with Dr. John