Johnny Winter Artistfacts

February 23, 1944 - July 16, 2014
Johnny was born with albinism, a genetic condition characterized by lack of pigmentation in the skin and hair, and poor eyesight.
He was the older brother of rock multi-instrumentalist Edgar Winter, who also was born with albinism. Throughout their careers, the siblings frequently worked together.
In 1969, Johnny signed with Columbia Records for $600,000, purportedly the largest deal ever for a solo artist at that time.
In August 1969, he performed at the historic Woodstock festival. His brother, Edgar, was playing keyboards in his band at the time, as was bassist Tommy Shannon. Shannon later became a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan's group Double Trouble.
Around 1970, Johnny began playing with a new backing band featuring three former members of The McCoys - Rick Derringer on guitar, Rick's brother Randy Zehringer on drums and Randy Jo Hobbs on bass. The McCoys are famous for their 1965 chart-topping hit "Hang On Sloopy." The album Winter recorded with the group, Johnny Winter And, was released in 1970. It features the original version of "Rock And Roll, Hoochie Koo," which became a solo hit for Derringer in 1973.
Johnny produced three Grammy-winning albums for one of his musical heroes, blues legend Muddy Waters: Hard Again (1977), I'm Ready (1978) and Muddy "Mississippi" Waters - Live (1978).
In a 2014 Songfacts interview, Winter said his favorite songwriter was Bob Dylan, and two of his favorite modern-day blues players were Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.
In 2015, Johnny won a posthumous Grammy in the Best Blues Album category for his 2014 album Step Back. The star-studded project includes guest appearances by Eric Clapton, Aerosmith's Joe Perry, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and many other well-known musicians. It's Johnny's only Grammy.

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