BLUES N'AT

   The blues world lost another great one. Johnny Winter joined the ranks of blues and rock n' roll greats while on tour, in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland on July 16, 2014. How fitting that he passed while on the road.  I'm sure if he could have, Johnny would have died while cradling his beloved guitar.

   John Dawson Winter III was born in Beaumont, TX on February 23, 1944. With his younger brother Edgar on keyboards, the Winter brothers started out playing the clubs of Texas at a young age. Always, Johnny wore his blues on his sleeve idolizing the likes of Robert Johnson, B.B King and Lightin' Hopkins.

    In 1968 Rolling Stone Magazine featured Johnny in a piece centering on the burgeoning Texas music scene. The article sparked a bidding war amongst record labels for Johnny's talents. In 1969 Columbia Records signed Johnny to, at that time, a record-breaking deal. Also that year, he appeared at Woodstock. Unfortunately, Johnny's performance was left off of the original soundtrack and out of the movie. Big mistake, producers.

    From there, the rest is history. Johnny paid homage to his heroes every chance he got. He helped revive the careers of John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. He even produced and played guitar on Muddy's 1977 Grammy-winning album, "Hard Again". That began a series of successful collaborations between the two that produced more Grammy award-winning albums with "I'm Ready" and "Muddy "Mississippi" Waters-Live".

    For the next four decades, Johnny continued to tour and record, blessing the world with his brand of blues and rock n' roll. He had a knack for taking songs by other artists and putting his own stamp on them with his Texas-sized talent. He showered fans with numerous Grammy-nominated albums as well as hard-charging live performances.

     In 1988, the Blues Foundation inducted him into the Blues Hall of Fame. Gibson Guitars presented Johnny with the signature Johnny Winter Firebird guitar. He and Edgar were honored in their hometown of Beaumont with induction into the Southeast Texas "Walk of Fame".

    All the while, Johnny continued to do what he loved most, playing the blues on his guitar. You know he is just up there smiling and jamming away with all those other greats. Rest in peace, Johnny Winter. Keep It Bluesy!