Johnny Winter

Texas guitarist/blues genius Johnny Winter found fame with the debut of his self-titled album in the late 1960s. Starting out with a rock-guitar sound, Winter eventually tuned his musical tastes to a more bluesy note. Originally playing as a trio, Winter formed Johnny Winter And when he added a fourth member, guitarist Rick Derringer of the McCoys, to the line-up. The band hit gold with top-selling album Live/Johnny Winter And in '71 and returned in '73 with Still Alive and Well. In the late '70s Winter collaborated with Muddy Waters, producing and playing on a number of acclaimed records, and was a potent influence on artists including Chris Whitley and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Following a few re-releases and best-of albums, Winter released I'm a Bluesman in 2004.