Steve Winwood

Stephen Laurence ("Steve") Winwood (born May 12, 1948 in Great Barr, Birmingham, England) is a British singer, songwriter, and musician who, in addition to his solo career, was a member of the bands the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith.

Career

Winwood was a part of the Birmingham rhythm and blues scene from a young age, playing the Hammond organ and guitar, backing blues singers like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Howlin' Wolf, B. B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Eddie Boyd, Otis Spann, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley on their United Kingdom tours (the norm at that time being for US singers to travel solo and be backed by 'pick-up' bands).

Related Topics:
Rhythm and blues - Hammond organ - Guitar - Blues - Muddy Waters - John Lee Hooker - T-Bone Walker - Howlin' Wolf - B. B. King - Sonny Boy Williamson II - Eddie Boyd - Otis Spann - Chuck Berry - Bo Diddley - United Kingdom

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Winwood became a member of the Spencer Davis Group at 15 with his older brother 'Muff' (who later had much success as a record producer), and had hit singles with "Keep On Runnin'". Steve wrote and recorded "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm A Man" before leaving to form Traffic with Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason.

Related Topics:
Spencer Davis Group - Muff - Gimme Some Lovin' - Chris Wood - Jim Capaldi - Dave Mason

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During the late sixties Winwood and Mason became close friends of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix first heard "All Along the Watchtower" at a party he was invited to by Mason, they recorded the Hendrix version later that night in a London recording studio. Winwood played on 5 Hendrix LP's including organ on Electric Ladyland in 1968, he played the powerful Hammond organ riffs on Voodoo Child.

Related Topics:
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower - London - Electric Ladyland - Hammond organ - Voodoo Child

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In 1969, Winwood once again gave a powerful organ expression on Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends, he has later played keyboards on albums as diverse as Toots & The Maytals Reggae Got Soul and Howlin' Wolf's The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.

Related Topics:
1969 - Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends - Toots & The Maytals - Reggae Got Soul - Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions

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He formed Blind Faith in 1969, but the band was short-lived, breaking up that August after completing a US tour. Traffic re-formed when Winwood became stalled while recording a solo album, prompting him to again enlist the help of Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi. The solo album instead became Traffic's John Barleycorn Must Die.

Related Topics:
1969 - US

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Constant artistic differences and personnel changes led to Traffic's final break-up and Winwood's release of his eponymous first solo album in 1977. This was followed by his 1980 hit Arc Of A Diver and Talking Back To The Night in 1982 (both albums recorded at his home in Gloucestershire with Winwood playing all instruments). He enlisted the help of a coterie of stars to record Back In The High Life (1986) in the US, and again he was rewarded with a hit album. All were released on Island Records. In 1986, he topped the Billboard Hot 100 with "Higher Love".

Related Topics:
1977 - 1980 - 1982 - Back In The High Life - 1986 - Billboard Hot 100 - Higher Love

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At the peak of his commercial success, Winwood moved to Virgin Records and released Roll With It and Refugees Of The Heart. He recorded another album with Jim Capaldi released under the Traffic name, Far From Home, then resumed his solo career with his final Virgin album Junction Seven.

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In 2003, Winwood released a new studio album, About Time on his new record label, Wincraft Music. 2004 saw his 1982 song 'Valerie' sampled by DJ Eric Prydz, in a song called 'Call On Me'. It spent five weeks at Number 1 on the UK singles chart.

Related Topics:
2003 - 2004 - 1982 - Eric Prydz

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In the 2005, Soundstage Performances DVD was released, featuring his recent work from the album About Time along with his classic hits including "Why Can't We Live Together" and "Back in the High Life". Winwood also performs hits from his days with Traffic (recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) as well as current recordings that represent a tapestry of tastes woven after 40 years in music.

Related Topics:
2005 - Traffic - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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He is currently working on his new studio album for the 2006, and is preparing a live album from his American 2005 tour.

Related Topics:
2006 - 2005

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