Winter performed often with blues and rock singer Janis Joplin and the two became close during the 1960s.Īmong 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." But his addiction problems with heroin during that decade and later battles with alcohol and prescription medication also drew attention. Crowds were dazzled by the speed - and volume - of his guitar playing, which had its roots in urban blues but incorporated elements of rock 'n'roll. He was one of the most popular live acts of the early 1970s, when his signature fast blues guitar solos attracted a wide following. 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. 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. It's the only thing I've ever really been great at," he said. Fifteen was a big year for me," Winter recalled with a laugh in a documentary released this year, "Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty." Started drinking and smoking when I was 15. "Made my first record when I was 15, started playing clubs when I was 15. He was the older brother of Edgar Winter, who like him was an albino, and rose to musical fame with the Edgar Winter Group. He had recently announced that he would follow up his 2011 album "Roots" with a new studio album, "Step Back," in September featuring collaborators such as Eric Clapton, Ben Harper, Joe Perry, Dr. His last performance was on Saturday at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria. Winter had been on an extensive tour this year to celebrate his 70th birthday. "The real legacy of Johnny Winter is that he brought the blues to an audience in tie-dye that might otherwise have neglected the entire genre - and his timely work producing Muddy Waters only deepened that contribution," said Schruers, author of an upcoming biography of Billy Joel. Music writer Fred Schruers said Winter played a major role in introducing the blues to a new audience. Rolling Stone magazine named Winter one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. He idolized Waters - and got a chance to produce some of the blues legend's more popular albums. 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. She said investigators are mainly looking at "medical causes" and there is no indication that anyone else was involved. The cause of death was unclear and authorities have ordered an autopsy, said Zurich police spokeswoman Cornelia Schuoler. The statement said his wife, family and bandmates were all saddened by the loss of one of the world's finest guitarists. Winter's representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday that he died in a hotel room just outside Zurich a day earlier at age 70. "His tone was a little more modern, more electric, but I could see the influences. Amazing."He did not overplay, like a lot of white blues guitarists," she said of Winter, who collaborated with the likes of Waters, John Lee Hooker and Jimi Hendrix. "This was Johnny playing the way he loved most, paying tribute to the past while making the song his own. "I had one of those moments where you just knew what you were watching was magic and history in the making," he tells us via email. Paul Nelson, Winter's producer, recalls recording what would be Winter's final studio performance. Winter died in July at the age of 70, two days after performing at a blues festival in France. "Ready?" he asks, just before breaking into a perfectly ragged version of the Son House classic "Death Letter."Īs the video unfolds, we get an intimate glimpse into Winter's life on the road and love of music, as he greets cheering fans, signs autographs and performs on various stages around the world. Showing the signs of age, he settles onto a stool, slips on a guitar slide and picks out a few notes. where we see Winter shuffle up to a mic in his loafers, slightly hunched and clutching a guitar. The video, directed by filmmaker Greg Olliver, opens at Carriage House Studios in Stamford, Conn. Watching blues legend Johnny Winter make his final studio recording is both heartbreaking and magical.
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