![]() 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. 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. There was no immediate word on funeral services.Legendary blues musician Johnny Winter died in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland, on July 16th at 70 years old. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988. 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." 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. 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.Ĭrowds 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. 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. But his addiction problems with heroin during that decade and later battles with alcohol and prescription medication, including methadone, also drew attention. Winter was one of the most popular live acts of the early 1970s, when his signature fast blues guitar solos attracted a wide following. 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, Texas. 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. ![]() His last performance came Saturday at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria. Winter had been on an extensive tour this year that recently brought him to Europe. There was no immediate word on the cause of death. The statement said his wife, family and bandmates were all saddened by the loss of one of the world's finest guitarists. ![]() His representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday that Winter died in a hotel room in Zurich a day earlier. Rolling Stone magazine named Winter one of the top 100 guitarists of all time. Winter 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. GENEVA - 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. ![]()
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