Edgar Winter

Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American multi-instrumentalist, working as a vocalist along with playing keyboards, saxophone, and percussion. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band the Edgar Winter Group and their popular songs "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride" which remain staple tracks of classic rock radio. He is the brother of blues singer and guitarist Johnny Winter, who died in 2014.

Early life Winter was born to John Winter II and Edwina Winter on December 28, 1946, in Beaumont, Texas. Both he and his elder brother Johnny were born with albinism. By the time he left the family home, Winter had mastered numerous instruments and reading and writing music.

Career The Edgar Winter Group, Oct.1, 1975- L to R: Chuck Ruff, Rick Derringer, Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter. Winter composed and performed songs of numerous genres, including rock, jazz, blues, and pop. released the studio album Edgar Winter's White Trash, in 1971. It reached No. 111 on the charts, and 1972's follow-up album (partially recorded at New York's Apollo Theater) Roadwork achieved gold status. and "Free Ride" (with lead vocals by its writer Hartman). Released in November 1972, They Only Come Out at Night, and double platinum in November 1986.

Winter invented the keyboard body strap That album contained Winter's third and final Top 40 single "River's Risin, Later albums included Jasmine Nightdreams, The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer, Together, Recycled, a reunion with White Trash, Standing on Rock, Mission Earth, Live in Japan, Not a Kid Anymore, The Real Deal, Winter Blues and Rebel Road.

Winter also kept busy doing session work, playing saxophone on Meat Loaf's "All Revved Up with No Place to Go", Dan Hartman's solo hit "Instant Replay", Tina Turner's "Simply the Best" and David Lee Roth's remake of "Just a Gigolo", as well as appearing on material by Rick Derringer, Johnny Winter, Ronnie Montrose, Todd Rundgren, Michael McDonald and many others.

Major national television and radio campaigns have used Winter's music to advertise their products. Winter has also made frequent television appearances, both to promote his music and to give his opinions, on shows such as Politically Incorrect. Winter also starred with George Hamilton in a commercial for Miller Lite beer. He appeared in the film Netherworld and the TV shows The Cape, Late Show with David Letterman, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Winter's music has been used in many film and television projects, including Netherworld, Air America, Dazed and Confused, My Cousin Vinny, Encino Man, Son in Law, What's Love Got to Do with It, Wayne's World 2, Starkid, Wag the Dog, Knockabout Guys, Duets, Radio, The Simpsons, Queer as Folk, and Tupac: Resurrection. sampled Winter's song "Dying to Live" as "Runnin' (Dying to Live)," incorporating vocals by the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Winter himself. "Runnin peaked at number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Sales chart and the soundtrack was No. 1 for 8 consecutive weeks. Blues performer Jonny Lang also covered "Dying to Live" around this time. Winter performed the song solo at the piano on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Winter's 2003 CD and DVD titled Live at the Galaxy was recorded live at the Galaxy Theatre for Classic Pictures. It features the songs, "Keep Playing That Rock and Roll", "Turn on Your Love Light", "Free Ride", "Texas", "Show Your Love", "New Orleans", "Frankenstein" and "Tobacco Road". In addition, the DVD includes a 30-minute documentary, Edgar Winter: The Man and His Music. The band's 2010–11 tour featured the reunion of Winter and Rick Derringer. From August to early-September 2017, The Edgar Winter Band toured as the opening act for both Deep Purple and Alice Cooper as they performed several North American tour dates as part of The Long Goodbye Tour.

In 2017, Cherry Red released a remastered four-CD compilation of all of the Edgar Winter solo albums from 1970 until 1980, entitled Tell Me in a Whisper: The Solo Albums 1970–1980. In 2018, Cherry Red also released a remastered six-CD compilation of Winter's White Trash band and the Edgar Winter Group band albums entitled I've Got News for You: Featuring the Edgar Winter Group & Edgar Winter's White Trash 1971–1977.

Mission Earth Winter also produced, arranged, and performed on the 1986 album Mission Earth. This album's lyrics and music were written by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Hubbard is said to have left detailed instructions and audio tapes for the musicians and producers to follow when making the album. Winter described Mission Earth as "both a return to rock's primal roots and yet highly experimental." Winter wrote, "Ron's technical insight of the recording process was outstanding." Winter also described Hubbard's delineation of counter-rhythm in rock as something "which was nothing short of phenomenal, particularly in as much as it had then been entirely unexplored and only later heard in the African-based rhythms of Paul Simon's work, some five years after Ron's analysis." live in Beverly Hills, California. He is a scientologist.

Discography

Solo albums Year NameUS Top 200 1970 Entrance 196 1975 Jasmine Nightdreams 69 1979 The Edgar Winter Album – 1981 Standing on Rock – 1989 Mission Earth – 1994 Not a Kid Anymore – 1996 The Real Deal – 1999 Winter Blues – 2003 Live at the Galaxy – 2004 Jazzin' the Blues – 2008 Rebel Road –2022Brother Johnny – "–" denotes releases that did not chart.

Edgar Winter's White Trash albums Year Name Peak chart positions NotesUS Top 200 1977 Recycled – – "–" denotes releases that did not chart.

Edgar Winter Group albums Year Name Peak chart positions NotesUS Top 200 Can Top 100 1972 They Only Come Out at Night 3 28 4 US: 2× Platinum 1970 "Tobacco Road" – – – – – –Entrance 1971 "Where Would I Be" 128 – – – – –Edgar Winter's White Trash "Give It Everything You Got" – – – – – – "Keep Playin' That Rock 'n' Roll" 70 – 51 – – – 1972 "I Can't Turn You Loose" 81 – – – – –Roadwork "Round & Round" 108* – – – – –They Only Come Out at Night 1973 "Frankenstein" 1 19 1 39 10 18 US: Gold – – – – – –Single only 1989 "Cry Out" – – – – – –Mission Earth 2000 "Texas" – – – – – –Winter Blues "–" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. "Above & Beyond" reached 94 on the US Dance chart in 1979. US Charts are Billboard unless otherwise noted. * Record World Singles Chart.

Producer Open Fire – (1978) (Ronnie Montrose) producer, piano, harpsichord Crazy from the Heat – (1985) (David Lee Roth)

Awards Brother Johnny – (2023) Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album 65th Annual Grammy Awards