Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winteris an American rock and blues musician. He is known for being a multi-instrumentalist — keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist and percussionist — as well as a singer. His success peaked in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, and their popular songs "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride"...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth28 December 1946
CityBeaumont, TX
CountryUnited States of America
I believe that blues and jazz are the two uniquely American contributions into music.
When I did 'Frankenstein,' the record company said, 'Now you can do 'Dracula' and 'Wolf Man' and we'll call the whole thing Monster Rock!' and I said, 'No, that's not going to happen, I'm not going to do that.' I kind of enjoy defying categorization. I love music in and of itself. I love the beauty of harmony and rhythm.
I played Woodstock in '69, and it really changed my life. Without a doubt, it was the single event that really changed the way I felt about music. Up to that point, I hadn't really thought of myself as more serious musician, and I didn't really have that much interest in pop music.
I think The Doors are one of the classic groups, and I think we're all tempted to feel like the time in which we grew up was somehow special, but I really do believe that there were two golden eras in music: The Forties and Fifties of big band, jazz and swing, and the Sixties and Seventies of rock. To me, they're really unparalleled.
We started out when I was 6 years old. We played ukuleles and sang Everly Brothers songs.
The mountain is high, the valley is low, and you're confused on which way to go. So I've come here to give you a hand, and lead you into the promised land. So, come on and take a free ride, come on and sit here by my side, come on and take a free ride!
I'm primarily thought of as a rocker, and certainly 'Frankenstein' had a very dramatic power rock image. It was almost a precursor of heavy metal and fusion. But I also love jazz and classical and if there's one common thread that runs through all my music, it is blues.
The most profound, tangible influence in my life has been my wife, Monique. I don't know that I would even be alive were it not for her, and I certainly would not be the person that I am today.
I've always had a great love of music since childhood. It changes every day.. every time you write, it's a new experience. It's a self expression.
There's a bootleg album that was recorded when I was 14 or 15, a compilation of things live at different clubs. Songs like Girl from Ipanema and Cry Me A River. I don't know what the title of it is.
This year's Hippiefest tour is truly a 'Classic Rock 'n Blues Tour' - a landmark, historic, musical celebration of which my band and I are proud to be a part. It's going to be a Guitar Guru Gala of Gargantuan proportions. For me personally, it will simply be the Greatest! So, see you at one of the dates on the tour. Believe me, this is not one you want to miss. All I can say is Get Ready To Rock'n'Roll!!!
When you record for a label, they own that material in perpetuity, meaning that they can release, chose not to release , or repackage it any way they so choose... with or without the permission of the artist.
But when I played Woodstock, I'll never forget that moment looking out over the hundreds of thousands of people, the sea of humanity, seeing all those people united in such a unique way. It just touched me in a way that I'll never forget.
I love music more just in and of itself. I love harmony and rhythm.