Edgar Winter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edgar Winter
Winter performing in 2009
Background information
Birth name	Edgar Holland Winter
Born	(1946-12-28) December 28, 1946 (age 78) Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Southern rock pop jazz fusion blues rock blue-eyed soul boogie rock
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter singer record producer
Instruments	Vocals keyboards saxophone percussion
Years active	1969–present
Labels	Epic Airline

Edgar Holland Winter (born December 28, 1946) is an American musician. He is known for playing many instruments, including vocals, keyboards, saxophone, and percussion. He became very famous in the 1970s with his band, the Edgar Winter Group. Their most popular songs were "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride". Edgar is the younger brother of the late blues singer and guitarist Johnny Winter.

Early Life

Edgar Winter was born in Beaumont, Texas, on December 28, 1946. His parents were John Winter II and Edwina Winter. Both Edgar and his older brother, Johnny, were born with albinism. This is a condition that affects the color of skin, hair, and eyes. By the time he was a young man, Edgar had learned to play many different instruments. He also became skilled at reading and writing music.

Music Career

The Edgar Winter Group in 1975. From left to right: Chuck Ruff, Rick Derringer, Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter.

Edgar Winter has written and performed songs in many different music styles. These include rock, jazz, blues, and pop. His first album, Entrance, came out in 1970. It was praised by critics and showed his special way of mixing different music styles. His early song "Tobacco Road" also got a lot of attention. After Entrance, Edgar released two more successful albums.

In late 1972, Winter formed The Edgar Winter Group. The band included Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose, and Chuck Ruff. This group created big hits like "Frankenstein", which reached number one. Another hit was "Free Ride", sung by Dan Hartman. Their album, They Only Come Out at Night, was released in November 1972. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart and stayed on the charts for 80 weeks. The album sold millions of copies.

Early in his career, Winter invented the keyboard body strap. This invention allowed him to wear his keyboard. It gave him the freedom to move around on stage during his energetic performances.

After They Only Come Out at Night, Winter released Shock Treatment. For this album, guitarist Rick Derringer joined the band. This album had Winter's third hit song, "River's Risin'", also sung by Hartman. Over the years, Winter released many other albums. Some of these include Jasmine Nightdreams, The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer, and Rebel Road.

Winter also played on many other artists' songs. He played saxophone on Meat Loaf's "All Revved Up with No Place to Go". He also played on Tina Turner's "Simply the Best". He worked with artists like Johnny Winter, Todd Rundgren, and Michael McDonald.

Winter's music has been used in many movies and TV shows. These include Air America, Dazed and Confused, and My Cousin Vinny. His song "Dying to Live" was used in the movie Tupac: Resurrection. This movie was about the rapper Tupac Shakur. The song was sampled, which means parts of it were used to create a new song called "Runnin' (Dying to Live)". This new song featured vocals by The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Winter himself.

Edgar Winter with Ringo Starr in 2011

In 2003, Winter released a CD and DVD called Live at the Galaxy. It was recorded live at the Galaxy Theatre. It included popular songs like "Free Ride" and "Frankenstein". The DVD also had a short movie about Edgar Winter's life and music.

Winter has also toured with Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band several times. In 2017, The Edgar Winter Band opened for Deep Purple and Alice Cooper on their North American tour.

Personal Life

Edgar Winter lives in Beverly Hills, California, with his wife, Monique. They do not have any children. Winter has said that touring often makes it hard to have a family life.

Discography

Winter in 2006

Solo Albums

Edgar Winter Group Albums

Edgar Winter Compilation Albums

Albums with Other Artists

Producer Work

• 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

See also

In Spanish: Edgar Winter para niños