Steve Winwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Winwood
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Winwood in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Lawrence Winwood |
| Born | 12 May 1948 Handsworth, Birmingham, England |
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| Years active | 1961–present |
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Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born on May 12, 1948) is a famous English musician and songwriter. He is known for playing many types of music, like blue-eyed soul, R&B, blues rock, and pop. Steve is great at playing the guitar, keyboards, and singing with his special high voice. He can also play other instruments like drums, mandolin, and bass.
Steve Winwood became very well-known in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a key member of three big bands: the Spencer Davis Group (from 1964 to 1967), Traffic (from 1967 to 1969 and again from 1970 to 1974), and Blind Faith (in 1969).
In the 1980s, Steve started a very successful solo career. He had many hit songs, including "While You See a Chance" (1980) and "Valerie" (1982). His 1986 album, Back in the High Life, was a huge success. It featured hit songs like "Higher Love", which became a number one hit in the US. He also had another number one hit with "Roll with It" in 1988. Even though his big hit singles stopped after the 1980s, he kept releasing new albums. His latest album, Nine Lives, came out in 2008.
In 2004, Steve Winwood was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Traffic. He has won two Grammy Awards and an Ivor Novello Award. In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine named him one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Steve Winwood was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, on May 12, 1948. His father, Lawrence, was a part-time musician who played the saxophone and clarinet. Steve started playing the piano when he was just four years old. He loved swing and Dixieland jazz. Soon, he also learned to play drums and guitar. He even sang in the church choir.
When Steve was eight, he started performing with his father and older brother, Muff, in a band. Muff Winwood later said that Steve was so young, they had to turn the piano around so the audience couldn't see him playing in pubs and clubs! Steve also went to a music school in Birmingham to get better at piano. During this time, he became friends with Christine McVie, who later joined the band Fleetwood Mac.
Music Career Highlights
Early Years and The Spencer Davis Group
While still in school, Steve was part of the blues rock music scene in Birmingham. He played the Hammond C-3 organ and guitar. He even played with famous blues and rock musicians like Muddy Waters and B. B. King when they toured the UK. Steve learned to sing by listening to Ray Charles.
When Steve was 14, he became the singer and keyboard player for the Spencer Davis Group. His older brother Muff played bass. The band became very popular. Steve's unique high singing voice reminded people of Ray Charles.
In 1964, the Spencer Davis Group signed with Island Records. The company's founder, Chris Blackwell, said Steve was like the "cornerstone" of Island Records because he was such a talented musician. The group had two number one hit songs in the UK: "Keep on Running" and "Somebody Help Me". Steve also helped write their big US hits, "Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm a Man". Both songs were in the Top 10 in the US and UK. Steve left the band in 1967.
Traffic and Blind Faith
After leaving the Spencer Davis Group, Steve met Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, and Chris Wood. They started a new band called Traffic in 1967. They moved to a quiet cottage in the countryside to write and practice new music.
Steve and Jim Capaldi worked together to write most of Traffic's songs. Steve wrote the music, and Jim wrote the lyrics. They created popular songs like "Paper Sun" and "Dear Mr. Fantasy". Steve sang most of the lead vocals and played keyboards and guitar for the band. Traffic released two albums, Mr. Fantasy and Traffic, before breaking up in 1969.
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After Traffic split up, Steve formed a "supergroup" called Blind Faith. He joined with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker from the band Cream, and Ric Grech from the band Family. Blind Faith released only one album, but it went to number one in both the UK and US. It included the song "Can't Find My Way Home". The band didn't last long because Eric Clapton wanted to work with another group.
In 1970, Steve planned to make a solo album. But he ended up calling Jim Capaldi and Chris Wood to help, and they reformed Traffic. They released a new album called John Barleycorn Must Die. Traffic continued to make five more albums until 1974. Steve then decided to take a break from touring and recording.
Other Music Projects in the 1960s and 1970s
Steve also worked with many other musicians. In 1968, he played organ for Jimi Hendrix on the song "Voodoo Chile" from the Electric Ladyland album. After Blind Faith, Steve worked with Ginger Baker again in a band called Ginger Baker's Air Force.
In 1972, Steve sang the part of Captain Walker in a special orchestral version of The Who's rock opera Tommy. He also played on albums for other artists like Marianne Faithfull.
Solo Career Success
In 1977, Steve released his first solo album, also called Steve Winwood. In 1980, he released Arc of a Diver, which had his first solo hit song, "While You See a Chance". His next album, Talking Back to the Night (1982), included "Valerie", which became a big hit later on. Steve recorded both of these albums at his home, playing all the instruments himself!
In 1986, Steve went to New York City to record Back in the High Life. Many famous musicians helped him. This album sold millions of copies in the US. Its first song, "Higher Love", became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Steve won two Grammy Awards for this song. After a big tour, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, with his new wife, Eugenia Crafton.
Steve had been with Island Records since 1964. But at the height of his success, he moved to Virgin Records. He released the albums Roll with It (1988) and Refugees of the Heart (1990). The album Roll with It and its title song both reached number one in the US in 1988.
Traffic Reunion and Recent Work
In 1994, Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi reformed Traffic for a new album called Far from Home. They also toured that year and performed at the Woodstock '94 Festival.
In 1995, Steve sang "Reach for the Light" for the animated movie Balto. His last album with Virgin Records, Junction Seven, came out in 1997.
In 2003, Steve released a new album, About Time, on his own record label. In 2004, a DJ named Eric Prydz used parts of Steve's 1982 song "Valerie" to create a new song called "Call on Me". Steve liked it so much that he re-recorded parts of his song for Eric to use. This remix was number one on the UK Singles Chart for five weeks!
In 2007 and 2008, Steve performed with Eric Clapton. They played songs from their Blind Faith days, like "Presence of the Lord" and "Can't Find My Way Home". They even released an album and DVD of their shows together.
Steve's latest studio album, Nine Lives, was released in 2008. It was his highest-charting album debut in the US.
Recent Activities
Steve Winwood continues to perform. In 2013, he toured North America with Rod Stewart. In 2014, he toured with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
In 2020, Steve took part in a concert to honor Ginger Baker, his former bandmate from Blind Faith, who had passed away. In May 2023, Steve performed his hit song "Higher Love" at the Coronation Concert for King Charles III at Windsor Castle. In 2024, he toured North America with the Doobie Brothers.
Songwriting Style
Steve Winwood doesn't often talk about the exact meaning of his songs. He believes that explaining a song is like explaining a joke – it doesn't make the song any better.
Legacy and Awards
Steve Winwood was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 as a member of Traffic. In 2005, he was honored as a BMI Icon for his lasting influence on music. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time in 2008. He has won two Grammy Awards and an Ivor Novello Award for his amazing collection of songs.
Personal Life
Steve Winwood was married to Nicole Weir from 1978 to 1986. She sang background vocals on some of his early solo songs.
Steve's main home is a 300-year-old house in England, where he also has a recording studio. He also has a home in Nashville, Tennessee, with his current wife, Eugenia Crafton, whom he married in 1987. They have four children together.
One of Steve's daughters, Lilly, is also a singer. She has performed duets with her father, including "Higher Love" for a commercial. She has also opened for his tours and sung backup for him.
Discography
Solo Albums
- Steve Winwood (1977)
- Arc of a Diver (1980)
- Talking Back to the Night (1982)
- Back in the High Life (1986)
- Roll with It (1988)
- Refugees of the Heart (1990)
- Junction Seven (1997)
- About Time (2003)
- Nine Lives (2008)
- Greatest Hits Live (2017)
Albums with The Spencer Davis Group
- Their First LP (1965)
- The Second Album (1966)
- Autumn '66 (1966)
Albums with Traffic
- Mr. Fantasy (1967)
- Traffic (1968)
- Last Exit (1969)
- John Barleycorn Must Die (1970)
- Welcome to the Canteen (1971)
- The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys (1971)
- Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory (1973)
- On the Road (1973)
- When the Eagle Flies (1974)
- Far from Home (1994)
Album with Blind Faith
- Blind Faith (1969)
Album with Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood
- Live from Madison Square Garden (2009)
Album with Ginger Baker's Air Force
- Ginger Baker's Air Force (1970)
Album with Third World
- Aiye-Keta (1973)
Albums with Go
- Go (1976)
- Go Live from Paris (1976)
Selected Session Work (Guest Appearances)
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland, 1968
- Joe Cocker – "With a Little Help from My Friends", 1968
- B. B. King – B.B. King in London, 1971
- Howlin' Wolf – The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions, 1971
- London Symphony Orchestra – Tommy, 1972
- Lou Reed – Berlin, 1973
- Robert Palmer – Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley, 1974
- Marianne Faithfull – Broken English, 1979
- David Gilmour – About Face, 1984
- Billy Joel – The Bridge, 1986
- Talk Talk – The Colour of Spring, 1986
- Phil Collins – ...But Seriously, 1989
- Paul Weller – Stanley Road, 1995
- Eric Clapton – Back Home, 2005
- Miranda Lambert – Four the Record, 2011
- Bettye LaVette – LaVette!, 2023
Images for kids
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Winwood in 2009
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Winwood on organ with Spencer Davis Group (Amsterdam, 1966)
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Winwood with Blind Faith (1969)
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Winwood on stage with Traffic (1973)
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Winwood in Knoxville, Tennessee (2005)
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The Steve Winwood band in 2009 on tour
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Winwood at the Hangout Music Festival, May 2012
See also
In Spanish: Steve Winwood para niños
