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 guess that I'm primarily thought of as a rocker, largely because of 'Frankenstein' being such a heavy song - you know, it was really hard rock, almost a precursor of heavy metal and just the image of the synthesizer. I happened to be the first guy to get the idea of putting a strap on the keyboard.
I really had little interest in becoming famous. When I write my book, it will be my guide to avoid becoming a rock star.
I just want to thank all my fans for their loyalty and support-for coming out to the shows and buying the CDs.
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.
I'm really indebted to Johnny. He was my first musical hero. Were it not for him, things would have happened quite differently. I can envision myself as maybe a starving jazz musician. I never had any inclination towards fame or stardom. I just love music. Johnny was more ambitious and outgoing. I was the weird and quiet guy who played all the instruments.