Texas blues great passed away Wednesday while on tour in Europe at 70 yo. Saw him several times in Austin at the Armadillo. RIP.
I was way underage when my older brother, who was best friends with the Shiva's Head Band drummer, would sneak me into The Vulcan Gas Company on South Congress to see the likes of Winter and Freddie King. That was Eddie Wilson's dive replete with Jim Franklin's artwork before the Armadillo. I practically grew up in the latter. RIP
RIP...Another Texas legend gone. To me, he was the greatest. Saw him at least 10 times between 1976-1999, including at the Austin Opera House in September 1981. Stevie Ray Vaughan opened. Unbelievable set, never to be forgotten. The Link
I saw Johnny Winter in 1984. I appreciated it, but at the time, I had seen Stevie Ray Vaughan locally a few times, and that was my standard, so I had an artificially high standard. Winter certainly gave his life to rock 'n roll.
Johnny was one of the first concerts I ever went to. It was either '69 or '70 at the State Fair Music Hall. I was an eighth grader. It was really smoky, and come to think of it, it smelled kind of funny in there. Much like Stevie Ray, he was a great live player, but you had to be in the mood for a sonic beating. I left some of my hearing at those shows.
