Vintage Guitar Magazine - JOHNNY WINTER: STILL ALIVE AND WELL By Tom Guerra John Dawson Winter has been a troubadour for the blues for over forty years, playing his razor sharp licks from the Texas roadhouses where he first cut his teeth in the early 60's through the massive audiences of rock festivals like Woodstock, to his world tours of the present day. A true original in the Texas guitar slinger tradition of T-Bone Walker, Freddie King and Albert Collins, Winter's instantly recognizable guitar style and gravely roar have gained him a worldwide following and reverence in both the rock and blues communities alike. Born in Beaumont, Texas in 1944, Winter and his younger brother Edgar played in a variety of local rock n' roll bands before they made their recording debut for Dart Records in 1959. In the early 60's, Johnny cut singles for several regional labels before moving to Chicago to immerse himself in the blues scene, jamming with local blues legends and a young Mike Bloomfield, among others. Unfortunately, Winter was unable to break into the Chicago blues scene and shortly moved back to Texas, where he played in various blues and rock and roll outfits for the next few years. In 1968, after deciding to concentrate solely on blues, Johnny assembled a trio with (future Double Trouble) bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Uncle John Turner. The trio soon built up a following in Austin and Houston which resulted in a Rolling Stone magazine writer calling Winter "the hottest item outside of Janis Joplin." The subsequent buzz culminated in a major label bidding war, concluding with Winter signing with Columbia Records in 1969 and recording his highly regarded self-titled debut album shortly after. Click here... to read the full article. Click on image for full size view...