Johnny Winter dies aged 70

Written by admin on July 17, 2014 – 9:18 pm -

American blues musician Johnny Winter died on Wednesday 16 July in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland. The legendary singer-guitarist was 70 years old.

Winter’s representative, Lori Haynes, said:

His wife, family and bandmates are all saddened by the loss of their loved one and one of the world’s finest guitarists.

Winter came to prominence in the late 1960s and was soon widely regarded as one of the finest blues rock guitarists in the world.

Born John Dawson Winter III in Leland, Mississippi on February 23, 1944, Winter began playing guitar after moving to Beamont, Texas as a child and was playing in local clubs by the time he hit his mid-teens in the late 1950s. He would later note that his appreciation for the blues partly derived from feeling like an outsider when growing up. Winter was born with albinism, a melanin production deficiency that left him with little colour in his hair and skin, and poor eyesight.

Winter’s debut album, “The Progressive Blues Experiment,” was released in 1968. He followed this with a profile-raising appearance at Woodstock in 1969 and a series of high quality blues rock albums over the next few years.

Johnny Winter – Woodstock 1969

After passing his commercial peak in the mid-1970s, Winter continued to record and perform live, and also produced records for others artists. He shared three Grammies for his production work with the blues legend Muddy Waters in the late 1970s.

Winter’s career took a downturn in the 1980s and 1990s as he struggled with addictions, but he began to get back on track several years ago after hiring musician Paul Nelson to guide his career. His latest album, “Step Back,” is due for release in September and will include collaborations with the likes of Eric Clapton, Dr John, Ben Harper and Joe Perry. This follows the recent theatrical release of the documentary “Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty”.

Rolling Stone ranks Johnny Winter at number 63 on their list of 100 greatest guitarists. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988.

Johnny Winter celebrated his 70th birthday earlier this year with a gig at B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City.