Johnny Winter is considered one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time. Winter signed a lucrative record deal with Columbia Records, which included a huge advance. He went on to record albums as a solo artist, with his brother Edgar and with the Rick Derringer led McCoys. Winter also produced albums for legendary blues artists Muddy Waters which reestablished Waters and helped him financially. Winter is a known as a man of few words. He is as humble as he is talented.
Thom Jennings: It’s Great to chat with you today, could we start out by talking about your current project? I understand you are just putting the finishing touches on it.
Johnny Winter: Yep, it’s finished.
TJ: Could you talk about it some more?
JW: It has songs from my roots on it.
TJ: What songs did you choose to record?
JW: We got a Jimmy Wayne song, A Muddy Waters song, T-Bone Walker, Bobby Blue Bland song and a Chuck Berry song. Some others too.
TJ: When will it be released?
JW: September 27
TJ: How many songs will you be playing from the album on your current tour?
JW: Three songs.
TJ: OK, well would you mind sharing some memories from Woodstock?
JW: It was awful. There was a lot of mud around and it got nasty.
TJ: Did you meet any of the other artists that played that day?
JW: Nope, we had a helicopter take us out right after we played.
TJ: You are probably most famous for your work with Muddy Waters.
JW: I really enjoyed that.
TJ: What kind of relationship did you have with Muddy?
JW: We were close friends. I went to his house a few times and he cooked dinner for me.
TJ: What influence did he have on your playing?
JW: I listened to his records since I was twelve, he was very important to me.
TJ: You produced three of his albums. Was he easy to work with?
JW: I was excited to work with him, he was easy to work with.
TJ: Your current album is produced by your guitarist Paul Nelson. Having been a producer yourself, how is it working with another producer?
JW: I would have liked to have been a little more involved in the production end of it.
TJ: What about with Muddy Waters, how much were you involved with the music?
JW: Not much, he knew what he was doing. I just did production stuff. I didn’t have to do much, he knew what he was doing.
TJ: Is there any artist you wished you could have worked with?
JW: Elvis.
TJ: You signed a huge record contract in the seventies, and you are known for having your work fleeced and not getting any royalties for it. Can you relate to what artists are going through with regard to music being ripped off on the internet?
JW: Not really, it’s different.
TJ: Have you resolved the issues surrounding your early recordings?
JW: Most of them have been resolved.
TJ: Finally, you worked a lot with Rick Derringer, and I know both of you overcame struggles with substance abuse. Have you and Rick ever discussed your struggles?
JW: Not really. I see him from time to time but it doesn’t come up.
TJ: Well thanks, and I read you were a man of few words, that seems to be true.
JW: Yeah, I not much of a talker.
TJ: Well you are a great guitarist and I am looking forward to seeing you in Niagara Falls.
JW: Thanks, I’ll see you then.
Backstageaxxess.com would like to thank John Lappen for setting up the interview with Johnny Winter. For more information on Johnny and his upcoming shows, please go to: http://www.johnnywinter.net/.
Stay tuned on Backstageaxxess for an exclusive giveaway of 2 tickets and 2 meet and greet passes for his show at the Bears Den Casino on August 20, 2011.
