Kip Winger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kip Winger
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Kip Winger performing at Avalon in Santa Clara, California, March 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Frederick Winger |
| Born | June 21, 1961 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician |
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| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Frontiers |
Charles Frederick Winger (born June 21, 1961), better known as Kip Winger, is an American singer and bass player. He is famous for being the lead singer of the rock band Winger and for his work as a solo artist. He first became well-known as a bass player for the famous rock singer Alice Cooper. He played on Cooper's albums Constrictor (1986) and Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987).
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Music
Kip Winger was born in Denver, Colorado. His parents were both musicians, so he grew up surrounded by music. When he was 16, he started studying classical music. He was inspired by famous composers like Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky.
As a teenager, Kip played in a band called Blackwood Creek with his brothers, Nate and Paul, and their friend Peter Fletcher. The band broke up in 1980. The brothers and Fletcher also played in bars around Denver in a band called Colorado.
In 1982, Winger moved to New York City to study music composition, which is the art of writing music.
Rise to Fame
Kip Winger got his first big break in 1984. He helped write the song "Bang Bang" for the band Kix. At the time, he was working with record producer Beau Hill, playing bass and singing on different albums.
While working at Atlantic Records, Winger met guitarist Reb Beach. The two started writing music together. In 1985, Winger joined Alice Cooper's band. He toured and recorded two albums with Cooper. In 1987, he left the band to start his own.
Winger and Beach formed a new band with keyboardist Paul Taylor and drummer Rod Morgenstein. At first, they called themselves Sahara. But Alice Cooper suggested they change the name to Winger. The band released three popular albums: Winger (1988), In the Heart of the Young (1990), and Pull (1993).
Solo Music Career
After the band Winger took a break, Kip Winger moved to New Mexico. There, he focused on making music by himself. He recorded three solo albums: This Conversation Seems Like a Dream, Down Incognito, and Songs from the Ocean Floor.
Later, he moved to Nashville, a city famous for music. He released his fourth solo album, From the Moon to the Sun, in 2008.
Winger Band Reunion
In 2006, the band Winger got back together. They recorded a new album called IV and went on tour. They also released a live album and DVD called Winger Live in 2007.
In 2009, Winger released another album, Karma, which many fans and critics called their best work. The band has continued to tour and make music together.
Classical Music and Ballets
Besides rock music, Kip Winger also writes classical music. He composed a 30-minute piece for an orchestra called "Ghosts." It was written for a ballet performance. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra first performed it in 2009. A famous choreographer named Christopher Wheeldon created a ballet to the music. The ballet was a big success.
Winger also composed a piece about the famous ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. The album, called C.F. Kip Winger: Conversations with Nijinsky, was recorded by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. It reached the top of the classical music charts on Billboard. It was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition.
Get Jack, A Musical Thriller
Kip Winger also wrote the music for a musical thriller called Get Jack. The story is about the five female victims of the historical figure Jack the Ripper. In the musical, they come back to find Jack and get revenge. The show was performed as a concert in New York in 2019.
Other Projects
Winger has been involved in many other musical projects. He has performed at the Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, where everyday people get to play music with rock stars. He even appeared on an episode of the TV show Pawn Stars helping the host at the camp.
In the early 1990s, the guitar company Jackson Guitars created a special Kip Winger Signature Bass guitar.
On the TV show Beavis and Butt-Head, the character Stewart Stevenson often wears a Winger T-shirt. This is different from the AC/DC and Metallica shirts worn by the main characters.
Discography
Studio albums
- This Conversation Seems Like a Dream (1997)
- Down Incognito (1999)
- Songs from the Ocean Floor (2001)
- From the Moon to the Sun (2008)
- Ghosts – Suite No. 1 (2010)
- Conversations with Nijinsky (2016)
with Winger
- Winger (1988)
- In the Heart of the Young (1990)
- Pull (1993)
- IV (2006)
- Karma (2009)
- Better Days Comin' (2014)
- Seven (2023)
with Alice Cooper
- Constrictor (1986)
- Raise Your Fist and Yell (1987)
- Trash (1989)
- Welcome 2 My Nightmare (2011)
See also
In Spanish: Kip Winger para niños
