The Johnny Winter Story
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Hey fellow JDW Fan!

It was so great to find your site after seeing Johnny on Friday nite @ the Carefree Theater in West Palm .

I have been a fan since the early "70"s when I was going to college around the Atlanta area and used to go there as often as possible to catch him at the Atlanta Civic Center and various other venues. What I remember most was not being able to hear for days after one of those nghts when he just seemed to never get enough of us and we of him.

The last time I saw Johnny before Friday night was at Janus Landing in 1987. I got there 2 hours early to make sure I had a front row position(standing). I have to tell you, It was almost like being back in Atlanta in 73 the way he just seemed to have everything he always had. I never left my spot at the front of the stage for the whole show and yes, I couldn't hear for days!

Friday night at the Carefree was different. I took my 14 year old son with me so he could see a legend of the guitar in person and just maybe get a glimpse of what I had been fortunate enough to have enjoyed for so many years. My son got a glimpse, maybe. I had all I could do to keep from crying as what appeared to be a little old man took the stage and attempted to do something that would inspire the crowd that had been waiting for weeks and stood outside with anticipation for the show to begin.

Many of them not having the good fortune of seeng Johnny in hs earlier years, many got up and walked out after the first couple of songs. Most of us though, made it through the feeble attempts at playing the things he used to and the at the end, rushed the stage to maybe get to touch him, our hero of the past, still alive, but not well, as we are all are not what we used to be, we are all just eager to do just one more show.

Long live the legend, long live the man, he is still great,

Sincerely Brian J. Griffith

Stumbled upon your Johnny Winter page and really enjoyed it. I play guitar and Johnny had a real affect on me back in the 70s. I still consider "Johnny Winter And Live" to be one of the greatest guitar albums of all-time. Was also delighted to see your Roy Buchanan link. Hadn't thought of him for ages, but I remember the brief flash of publicity he had back in the early 70s, which included a special on educational TV, if I remember correctly. I don't remember his music much, except that he had a song that started out with the line "There was a little place called the world", or something like that. Anyway, thanks for putting up the page.
Regards,
Rod Pennington

Kanemi

I am japanese girl who lives in S CA... I was holding Johnny's thicket for almost 4 years.... i really need to see him... I have gift for him too.... He is my soul for more than 20 years.... I can't live with out him. Please come play in S CA or I will come and see you some where...just let me know where...
Kanemi~

Caroll Davis I dont know where to begin,i have loved J.W.music since i was first turned on to him in 69.he is definetly one of the finest players of our time and someone whom i have followed my whole adult life.i guess i have seen JW in concert maybe fifteen times.the last time i saw him was in 75 at the omni here in Atl.

Brownsville Station opened the show[smoking in the boys room] boy what a show.Ol Johnny was at his best that night.i had pretty much given up on ever seeing him live again when what do i hear on the radio last weekend but a quick message saying he will be playing at a small hall here in Atl.this saturday night.

Man i am pumped.it is one oclock in the morning the day of the show and i am ready to go now.i feel like a kid again i cant wait to see that skinny white boy take the stage.to all the die hard Winter fans out there i wish you all could be there.hope he plays near you soon.well im gonna crank up Mean town blues and pump myself up even more.

I've been JW fan for the last 15 years (since 1982). First time I heard JW was on Muddy Waters album Hard Again. I felt really strange... who is this albino.. with amazing guitar playing skills?!?!?!

My best JW experience was in January 92 when I got in to his rehearsal sessions in SIR New York City. That's because I was working on a JW interwiev for Finnish music bulletin. Well, that never happened thanks to JW's management which is everything else but media oriented.

Well, anyway, that session was amazing! Johnny was there with Jeff Ganz and some drummer I didn't recognized. He played some stuff from "Hey where..." album and what was best, some gospel standards I didn't knew. Well that was a great night for me. I have seen Johnny three times live in Helsinki Finland. First time was (I think) 1983 and that wasn't so great consert. BUT, few years later Johnny was on tour with Uncel John and that was somthing different (after Serious business). Johnny visited Helsinki year after that (Third Degree) and that was a good one too.

I've been trying to get contact for Teddy Slatus (JW's manager) for a couple od times during last weeks but he doesn't get back with his voice mails.

Reason I've been working on this is that I working now as an executive producer for a Finnish music channel which is a co-production with Canadian Muchmusic. Which happen to be the best music television in the world.

But probably they dont wan't Johnny in media now... which I have understood from this homepage consert reviews. Well anyway. I wish good luck for all JW fans all around the world.

What are the roumours of new live album?

Hope this gets passed along, Johnny, white boy from Pensacola, who listened to yer music since age 13,... thats back in the early 69-70''s. My son has been playin guitar since Easter, 97,has alot of talent, trying to turn him on to yer stuff, first album I learned yer stuff from, (Johnny Winter), double blue.

etc....later other guitaris (rick, and that album, nice), then alive and well...

Your are a talent that is not yet recognized. Go for it man.

Johnny, I've been a HUGE fan of yours since the first time I heard "2nd Winter" with only 3 sides of music on a double album. When you came out with "Johnny Winter And, Live" it was a new level of excitement! I've seen you about 6 times, some of the best shows where at Winterland, SF. (quite possibly Bill Graham named the place after you)

For the last 2 or 3 years, I have a Sunday morning ritual, I go straight to the Calendar section to see if your playing anywhere, and hoping to find something. It's been a long dry spell!! It would be absolutely the greatest, if I openned the paper and saw that not only you were playing, but you were playing at The House of Blues, here in LA. (The house that Johnny helped build)

I hope you'll come and visit us soon!!!!!!

I was in a recordshop a year ago and I just couldn't help myself. There it was: "Captured Live". I (of course) bought the vinyl back then but I had to have the CD as well. Well, finally way back home I loaded the CD and cranked up the volume.

Ladies and gentlemen....... Johnny Winter.......

And then the show begins.......

What a way to start a concert!!!! Johnny didn't leave the responsibility to the band, effects, videoscreens (they were perhaps a little bit hard to find at the time though) or anything at all. He was the star, it was his band and he pulled it all off. After a couple of rounds he leaves the first solo to Floyd (Radford). And after another rounds "It's me this time", Johnny catches up Floyds solo..........

What a show!! What a drag!!!

Could someone in the world tell me where to find this today??? Skilled musicians doing their thing!!! Not a guy giddering to a drum machine. Anyone can do that!!!

Let me answer my own question. This doesn't exists today!!! Noone have the craftmanship to pull this off today!!! It's to much programming, sampling, stealing and that sort of things..... Have all fantasy passed out?? Doesn't anybody play instruments anymore?? Is a MacIntosh, Cubase/SoundTools, a few samplers and a jiddering voice all that it takes??

Well not to forget Yngwie Malmsteen. He's holding the guitar flag of the world top high.....

But aside from Mr Malmsteen... What has happened????

This is my first time on the web. What a great page! Johnny Winter is my all-time guitar hero! He has been for over 30 years. His playing has inspired me to play guitar for the same time period.

First and foremost, thanks for the page on Johnny. Behind Frank Zappa, Johnny was my favorite ... My favorite concert of all time was Johnny Winter in 1981 in Colorado Rainbow Theater where he did FIVE encores and played until 2:30. It was awesome.

Thanks

Robert

It sounds like the quality of Johnny's shows are kind of hit & miss these days doesn't it? I hope the Indy gig is a good one. The things I'm hearing and reading remind me of Miles Davis when he emerged from "retirement." Miles had a hard time playing again but he re-emerged and stayed on the scene for several years until his death in 1993. Perhaps those shows earlier this year may have been just been a matter of Johnny shaking off some rust. Also, he's older now, I wouldn't expect him to be hopping around all over the place like he did back in the 70's. Perhaps he's more interested in musicianship than showmanship. The last time I saw Johnny was in 1973, Still Alive & Well tour. You know, he had to be helped on and off stage back then as well but he did jump around a lot on stage. He was WAY too loud for the Denver Coliseum - I have NEVER seen so many amplifiers in one place and I've seen a lot of shows in my time. The sound was terrible due to lousy acoustics. He had two drummers at that point which I didn't seem to make much sense to me. He also had Randy Jo Hobbs on bass and there was a woman on stage as well, perhaps his wife? This show took place in the hey day of glitter rock. Johnny was dressed in a pair of gold overalls with cowboy fringe and the woman was in a similar getup but it was sparkle blue. It wasn't what I expected at all. But in spite of that, I still continued to listen, nobody can blister a fret board like Johnny Winter. I listen to a lot of guitar players (I also play guitar), mostly jazz players like Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Pat Metheny. It's funny, I can usually pick apart what those guys are doing but there is some stuff that Johnny does and I just can't get a handle on what he's doing. He is so incredible.

"The Johnny Winter Story" internet site is a wonderful tribute to a true icon in American music. Thanks for all the hard work.

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