Johnny Winter was a pioneer of blues-rock on the late 60s when people were questioning whether white men can actually play the Blues. He signed to Columbia records in 1969, which is considered the largest solo artist deal of its time. People enjoyed his fresh take on classic blues, which was popularized by artists like Jimmy Page and Clapton. When he is playing, Winter constantly shifts between simple country blues to electric guitar slide blues rock. Later on in his life, he signed another deal with Alligator Records and wanted to play nothing but authentic blues. He released an album called “Guitar Slinger” there, earning him a Grammy nomination. Winter also headlined prestigious events, which also contributed to his developing fame such as the New Orleans Jazz and heritage Festival, Chicago Blues Festival and many more.

Unfortunately, very recently on July 16, 2014, Winter passed away at age 70. He struggled with a drug problem for some time but managed to keep performing and recording until the day he passed away. That summer, Winter was on a tour in Europe and he died in his hotel room in Switzerland. His last album called “Step Back” was released last month.