Legendary blues musician Johnny Winter has died

Started by Elantric, July 17, 2014, 05:20:43 PM

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Elantric



I had the good fortune to meet Johnny Winter on several occasions, his spirit lives on and will encourage and impact future generations to come. FWIW - his speed was accomplished occasionally using "banjo" fingerpicks on all fingers of his right hand




http://youtu.be/d1E1EH6bXfA?list=RDwQPlU5q1CBI



Legendary blues musician Johnny Winter died in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland, on July 16th at 70 years old. There are plenty of reasons why that's notable — Winter was one of the first blues rock guitar virtuosos, releasing a string of popular and fiery albums in the late Sixties and early Seventies, becoming an arena-level concert draw in the process — but it's the barest facts that remain the most inspiring. Johnny Winter, from little Beaumont, Texas, afflicted with albinism and 20/400 eyesight in one eye and 20/600 in the other, made an iconic life for himself by playing the blues.

What are the odds of that story coming true? What levels of self-belief, resilience and talent did it take to transform those biographical details — one could easily imagine, say, Thomas Pynchon conjuring them for a character (The whitest blues guitarist! Named Johnny Winter!) — into the stuff of a legendary career? As fellow blues guitar great Michael Bloomfield said when introducing Winter at a 1968 show at Manhattan's Fillmore East, "This is the baddest mother**%#er." Winter was that, no doubt, but also a testament to the idea that with a lot of skill and dedication and more than a little luck, music can open any door.


In Mary Lou Sullivan's entertaining biography, Raisin' Cain, Winter, whose brother was multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter (of "Frankenstein" fame), explained that, "Growin' up in school, I really got the bad end of the deal. People teased me and I got in a lot of fights. I was a pretty bluesy kid." That alienation, he believed, gave him a kinship with the black blues musicians he idolized. "We both," he explained, "had a problem with our skin being the wrong color."

It's probably overly romantic to say that one can hear any sort of outsider's howl in Winter's playing, which first came to wider attention via a 1968 Rolling Stone article that praised him for some of the most "gutsiest, fluid guitar you ever heard," but at its best, there's a beautifully articulated flamboyance to his music. Faster and flashier than his blues god contemporary Eric Clapton, Winter's musicianship — a hyperactive, high-octane intensity was his great blues innovation — had the electric flair of someone who was determined to take charge of how he was seen by others. It was as if his playing (and his gutsy singing) was a challenge to audiences. Okay, you're looking at me? Then watch this.

As a concert draw and big-seller, Winter peaked in by the mid-Seventies. (New listeners should start with 1969's Second Winter; this year's True To The Blues compilation is comprehensive.) But stepping out of stardom's spotlight gave him the opportunity to do his most valuable work, as a steward to the music that changed his life. Starting in 1977, Winter produced a trio of swaggering, earthy albums for blues genius Muddy Waters, of which Hard Again is the first and best. Those albums reconnected Waters with his own greatness — Muddy's prior Seventies albums had been uninspired — and delivered him a late-in-life critical and commercial triumph. After Waters died in 1983, Winter, who by then had already inspired followers like his fellow Texan Stevie Ray Vaughan, settled into a journeyman's role, releasing albums at a steady pace and touring even more frequently than that. It wasn't always an easy ride— there were struggles with addiction and duplicitous management — but it was as good, and honorable, as a blues musician can ask for. They wouldn't be called the blues if everything was rosy.

When he wasn't on the road, Winter, who, it must be said, cut a striking figure on-stage up through his last gigs, spent his time with his wife at home in rural Connecticut, and was able to bask in the respect of fellow musicians, a testament to the truth that if you give your being to the music you love, the music can turn that being into a remarkable life. His now-posthumous upcoming release, Step Back, is due out in September and features appearances from Clapton, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Ben Harper, Dr. John, Aerosmith's Joe Perry and others. They all knew what Winter meant.

Towards the end of Raisin' Cain, Winter is asked how he'd liked to be remembered. He answered, simply, "As a good blues player."

Johnny Winter was much more than that.



whippinpost91850

Sad to hear this and at such an early age. Johnny was allways one of my favorites and allways proud I had the pleasure of meeting him as well.

Rhcole

Winter WAS a good blues player. Don't worry Johnny, you got that.

Just read an interview with him a couple of weeks ago.  ::)

Pete1959

Just read this on the forum. One of my biggest influences growing up.
I wore out those albums to the point they were no longer playable.

Songs that come to mind from those great albums:

Be Careful with a Fool
Dallas
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
Still Alive and Well
Rock me Baby

His live albums were just incredible and you can hear those great riffs and slide in tunes like
Highway 61 Revisited
Bony Moronie
Jumpin Jack Flash
Johnny B Goode

Never met him but did see him several times when he came to town.
So sad to learn he has passed away.

RIP Johnny.


Elantric

#4
I last saw The Johnny Winter Band last summer at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA

His Manager for past 10 years has been Paul Nelson, compared to 7 years ago, in summer 2013, Johnny looked great, and healthy, thanks to Paul's efforts on getting Johnny back in the studio and touring the world in recent times.

Meeting and talking with Johnny post show in his tour RV  last year was one of the happiest moments in my life, because I was able to have the following conversation:

"Hello, Mr Winter, I've been a lifelong fan of yours since 1968, and I currently play in a "The Ventures" / Surf Instrumental tribute band . . .

(lay down my  band's business card on the table






and then to experience Johnny Winter's response:  a full hearty laugh and beaming smile as soon as he looked at my band's logo will be one of the highlights of my life.






mbenigni

Quotea full hearty laugh and beaming smile as soon as he looked at my band's logo will be one of the highlights of my life.

It is a fantastic name.

I had no idea he lived in CT - a neighbor!  Always assumed he stayed in TX all his life.

Lately I've been listening to his cover of Riot in Cellblock #9 a whole lot.  Great interpretation of an incredible song.




Paresh

#6
I always loved his acoustic slide work, like on the Progressive Blues Experiment album (his 1st i think) ...I don't know anyone else with that combination of speed + intonation.

cool cover: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Progressive_Blues_Experiment#mediaviewer/File:Progressive.jpg

paresh

papabuss

#7
I remember when Johnny played in the famous ROCKPALAST TV shows in Germany over35 years ago
"Jumping Johnny Flash...."

R.I.P.

FENDER STRATOCASTER (1974); BRIAN MAY RED SPECIAL; VG 99; GR 55; Yamaha DX 7

Music was my first love and it will be my last (JOHN MILES)

Paresh

I saw him at an outdoor rock festival soon after Woodstock. It was raining & bitter cold. Still he played full speed ahead, as always. He had on a cape & waltzed around the stage...he looked like a ghost. Later he jammed with Janice Joplin & members of Vanilla Fudge.
paresh

cynegetic

My dad gave me the middle name Leland because of him.

Brent Flash

#10
Got to work with Johnny (and his brother Edgar) a few times in my career because he is from my area of the country. Last time I ran FOH for him at a Janis Joplin tribute concert honoring her anniversary of sorts. Johnny, Edgar Winters being from Beaumont, Texas and Janis being from down the road a few miles in Port Arthur, Texas they had a connection of sorts.

This particular concert he was carried onto the stage sitting in a chair, set in front of his mic and handed a guitar. He played the show, was lifted chair and all and taken off stage as his brother came on to do a show.

This video I think is a good example of how most will remember him although his younger years he was more out there if you know what I mean. Hope you enjoy.


Elantric

So four white guys walk into an all black bar in the 1960's...

...and BB King is playing and thinks they're agents from the IRS!

He notices that one of them is "extra white".  :D

And that guy eventually comes up to the bandstand between sets and asks to talk to BB.

Now BB's sure they're from the IRS.

But what he wants is to ask if he can sit in.

BB says he'll think about it, but he eventually lets the guy sit in.

BB says: "He was good. Real good."

And by now you all know who it was.


It was the start of a long friendship from what I understand.







admin

#13


George Jones, with Johnny Winter on 59 Gibson EB-2 Bass