“His wife, family and bandmates are all saddened by the loss of their loved one and one of the world’s finest guitarists,” his spokeswoman, Lori Haynes, said. Two of the three finale numbers featured false starts, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind.Īdapting to change seemed part of the tribute.(CNN) - American blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter died Wednesday in a hotel room in Switzerland, his representative said Thursday. To close the evening all the performers gathered on stage for a finale that included the Rolling Stone’s “Jumping Jack Flash,” (“Johnny always loved the Stones,” said Edgar), a rocking rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61,” (Johnny Winter covered it in 1969) and “Rock ‘n Roll Hoochie Koo,” (first recorded by Johnny and bandmate Rick Derringer in 1970.) ![]() And Vanilla Fudge, sometimes credited with coming out of the psychedelic era to launch the heavy metal genre, not only recreated its classic cover of the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” but performed an evocative four-part gospel rendition of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” dedicated to Johnny Winter. Detroit native Peter Rivera, Rare Earth’s vocalist, belted out “Big Brother,” Losing You,” “Get Ready” and “I Just Wanna Celebrate” from behind the drums, his voice undiminished by the decades. Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown warmed up the crowd with four songs showcasing his guitar mastery. What followed was not imitation of Winter’s style, but a celebration of music generally, and blues specifically. Thursday, emcee Gary Graff, the former Detroit Free Press rock writer now with the Oakland Press, told the crowd, “We’re going to have a celebration of the life and music of Johnny Winter.” Crossing genre lines among rock, blues, jazz and pop, his bands, Edgar Winter and White Trash and Edgar Winter Group, had hits including ‘Free Ride’ and ‘Frankenstein.’ Indeed, when Rolling Stone magazine compiled its list of the 100 best guitar players ever, Johnny Winter was on it.Įdgar, meanwhile, learned to play bass guitar, drums, piano, Wurlitzer organ, vibes, four kinds of saxes, trumpet and trombone. “I played for a month or so, before it became apparent that (Johnny) was going to be the guitar player in the family.” The Winters’ father showed Johnny and Edgar some guitar chords, and both began to play, Edgar said. The brothers were well known for their matching, flowing white hair, as well as the impaired eyesight that came with their inherited condition.Įdgar Winter dedicated his second song to Johnny - a rousing version of the ‘Tobacco Road’ they played together and recorded in 1970.Įdgar Winter told the Daily News in an interview several years ago that when the boys were growing up in Beaumont, Texas, their mother played piano and their father sang in both a barbershop quartet and a choir, and played alto saxophone, guitar and banjo. Among other things, Edgar said, “He showed me that being an albino could be cool, and I love him for that.” ![]() “Johnny was not only my brother but my hero, and not just in music but in life,” said Edgar Winter. But the audience made up in intensity and appreciation what it lacked in numbers. “Thank you,” he told the crowd before launching into an appropriate “Johnny Be Goode,” “for coming out to help me through this.”Ĭome out they did, but the crowd was scant, many pavilion seats empty and just a scattering of people on the hillside on a fine summer evening. “The moment has come,” said Edgar Winter as he took the inherited role of headliner, “as I knew it would.” Thursday’s show launched the third annual Rockin’ Blues Fest tour, and it clearly was a bittersweet opener.
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