Johnny Winter, RIP

Blues legend Johnny Winter has died.

”Texas blues icon Johnny Winter has passed away on July 16th, 2014, in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland,” read an official email from Winter’s PR company, Kid Logic Media. “His Wife, family and bandmates are all saddened by the loss of one of the world’s finest guitarists.”

The email promised an official statement at the appropriate time.

In 1968, he released his first album, The Progressive Blues Experiment, and after a now-famous performance at The Fillmore East, he was signed to Columbia Records with what was reported to be the largest advance ever made to an artist.  After his mammoth deal, Johnny immediately laid out the blueprint for his fresh take on classic blues, according to his official biography, which was a prime combination for the legions of fans just discovering the blues through the likes of Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. His first album with Columbia was Johnny Winter, with Willie Dixon playing stand up bass. Winter continued to gain widespread critical acclaim with his innovative blues stylings and in 1970, Winter released his commercially acclaimed ”Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo”, before struggling with heroin addiction for several years, seeking treatment, and emerging with a renewed lease on life.