To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=18501
15 messages

Happy Birthday Johnny Winter

23 Feb 00 - 11:32 AM (#183395)
Subject: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Steve Latimer

Today is Johnny Winter's 56th Birthday. Johnny is still one of my favourite blues musicians. He was the first white artist to be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Johnny burst onto the scene in 1969 with a self tilted album of electric and acoustic blues that featured Willie Dixon on bass. He was led into the Rock world, but turned his back on it and has focused on the blues for the last twenty five years or so. When Muddy Waters' carreer was at a low point in the mid seventies Johnny sought him out and produced and played on the Grammy award winning "Hard Again" a collection of Muddy classics. This introduced Muddy to a whole new audience, myself included. They did two more albums together, I believe they were both Grammy award winners. Muddy referred to Johnny as his son up until his death, a bit of a joke I'm sure as Johnny is an Albino.

In my opinion there have been a number of white guitarists who dabbled in the blues, but Johnny is a bluesman through and through.

Happy Birthday Johnny, thanks for all of the great music.


23 Feb 00 - 11:58 AM (#183421)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Pontiac Joe

I've seen Johnny sevral times and he is no doubt one of my favorites.I'll bet I have over 30 records of his with different artist such as Muddy and sonny boy. In high school during the seventies everyone was digging Boston, The cars, Led zep,ELO,Ted Nugent they all thought I was a freak with my Johnny Winter tee shirt. They couldn't beleive that I liked the blues, listening to Muddy, JB Hutto,willie Dixon,howlin' wolf and many others and were too dunb to realize that the stuff they were listening to was the same stuff just ripped offed by others.They saw credits by Morganfield,Burnett,and Dixon and never put two and two together.

Happy b-day J.W


23 Feb 00 - 12:18 PM (#183442)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: longhair

I'll join in on wishin' Johnny a Happy Birthday. You 'ol bottleneck slidin' fool you!!!!! :^)

longhair


23 Feb 00 - 12:32 PM (#183459)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: catspaw49

To say he's white is an understatement. Transparent is damn near the truth...and he is the THINNEST dude I've ever seen. But he's mf'in player ain't he? Happy Birthday

Spaw


23 Feb 00 - 01:53 PM (#183530)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: The Shambles

Whatever 'it' is he has got 'it'. I did see him live once but I don't think he was very healthy at all then. I am a bit surprised and delighted to find that he is still with us.

I do have some records of his that really come over.


24 Feb 00 - 02:13 AM (#183908)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Mountain Dog

I've always admired Johnny Winter's integrity as well as his chops. Who else ever had the class and restraint to cut just three sides of a two-record set instead of padding it out with "almost but not quite" cuts? ("Second Winter" on Columbia)

Happy Birthday, JW!


24 Feb 00 - 07:22 AM (#183954)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: GUEST,Neil Lowe

Glad also that Johnny is "Still Alive and Well," given all he's been through. Being from Texas must have something to do with it - they grow them rough and tough out there. Reckon he got another tattoo to celebrate? If so, where would it go?

Best Birthday wishes -- Neil


24 Feb 00 - 10:30 AM (#184009)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Steve Latimer

I saw Johnny a year and a half ago, I must admit that I think his health is failing pretty badly. He sure wasn't as firey as the times I'd seen him previously.

Good point Mountain Dog. I do think that his integrity cost him the recognition that he deserves, giving up the Rock guitar god status that so many others would kill for to concentrate on the blues, and doing it with such passion. Loved his work with Muddy and Sonny Terry as well as his solo stuff.

I hope he cotinues to be "Still Alive and Well."


24 Feb 00 - 10:35 PM (#184414)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: DougR

I remember the Winter brothers as young boys attending St. Marks Episcopal Church in Beaumont, Texas. Their father, also John, had a fine tenor voice and sang in the choir.

Hard for me to believe he is 56 years old though. Happy Birthday, Johnny.

DougR


23 Feb 01 - 03:50 PM (#404766)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Steve Latimer

Well, I'm a day early, but Johnny turns 57 tomorrow, Feb 24. Apparently he fell and broke his hip in the fall and had to cancel a tour, but he's back out on the road now as well as working on a new CD.

I was listening to Meantown Blues this morning. What a slide player.


23 Feb 01 - 04:03 PM (#404777)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: catspaw49

Yeah Doug, actually he's almost 57 since this thread is a year old.........I always hate it when that happens.

Spaw


23 Feb 01 - 04:07 PM (#404781)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Steve Latimer

DougR,

Apparently their father passed away very recently.


23 Feb 01 - 04:25 PM (#404796)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: catspaw49

I love his slide stuff.......I hadn't heard about his father, but I remember reading somewhere about the family and its bearing on the music. I wonder if doug will show up here now, a year layer, and have any info on it. Or anybody for that matter.......

And another Happy Birthday a year later for 57!

Spaw


24 Feb 01 - 01:25 AM (#405147)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: Gray Rooster

Happy birthday JW. Lets get together and play through I Love Everybody on the porch at your old house on Hall Street. See if the cops'll come by and we can be Hustled Down in Texas. What great songs.


24 Feb 01 - 12:20 PM (#405291)
Subject: RE: Happy Birthday Johnny Winter
From: GUEST,mike putt@work again

I went to see Johnny Winter in London back in the early 70's. I had'nt heard him play before, AWESOME I immediately became a very big fan. Happy birthday Johnny for last year