Stephen Lawrence Winwood (born 12 May 1948) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter whose genres include

blue-eyed soul Blue-eyed soul (also called white soul) is rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music performed by white artists. The term was coined in the mid-1960s, to describe white artists whose sound was similar to that of the predominantly-black Motown and St ...

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed p ...

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

, and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

. Though primarily a keyboard player and vocalist prominent for his distinctive, soulful high

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors i ...

voice, Winwood plays other instruments proficiently, including drums, mandolin, guitar, bass, and saxophone. Winwood was an integral member of three seminal

musical ensemble A musical ensemble, also known as a music group or musical group, is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrumentalists ...

s of the 1960s and 1970s: the Spencer Davis Group,

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...

, and

Blind Faith Blind Faith were an English supergroup featuring Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. They were eagerly anticipated by the music press following on the success of each of the member's former bands, including Clapton ...

. Beginning in the 1980s, his solo career flourished and he had a number of hit singles, including " While You See a Chance" (1980) from the album '' Arc of a Diver'' and " Valerie" (1982) from '' Talking Back to the Night'' ("Valerie" became a hit when it was re-released with a remix from Winwood's 1987 compilation album '' Chronicles''). His 1986 album '' Back in the High Life'' marked his career zenith, with hit singles including " Back in the High Life Again", " The Finer Things", and the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one hit " Higher Love". He found the top of the Hot 100 again with " Roll With It" (1988) from the album of the same name, with " Holding On" also charting highly the same year. While his hit singles ceased at the end of the 1980s, he continued to release new albums up to 2008, when '' Nine Lives'', his latest album, was released. Winwood was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...

as a member of Traffic in 2004. In 2005, Winwood was honoured as a BMI Icon at the annual BMI London Awards for his "enduring influence on generations of music makers." In 2008, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' ranked Winwood No. 33 in its 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Winwood has won two

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

s. He was nominated twice for a

Brit Award The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsore ...

for Best British Male Artist: 1988 and 1989. In 2011, he received the Ivor Novello Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors for Outstanding Song Collection.

Early life

Winwood was born on 12 May 1948 in

Handsworth, Birmingham Handsworth () is a suburb and an inner-city area of Birmingham in the West Midlands. Historically in Staffordshire, Handsworth lies just outside Birmingham City Centre and near the town of Smethwick. History The name ''Handsworth'' origin ...

. His father Lawrence, a foundryman by trade, was a semi-professional musician, playing mainly the saxophone and clarinet. The 4-year-old began playing piano while interested in

swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing rid ...

and

Dixieland jazz Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

, and soon started playing drums and guitar. He was also a choirboy at St. John's Church of England,

Perry Barr Perry Barr is a suburban area in north Birmingham, England. It is also the name of a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. Birmingham Perry Barr is also a parliamentary constituency; its Member of Parliament is Khalid M ...

. The family moved from Handsworth to Kingstanding (Atlantic Road) Birmingham, where Winwood attended the Great Barr School, one of the first

comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is r ...

s. He also attended the

Birmingham and Midland Institute The Birmingham and Midland Institute (popularly known as the Midland Institute) (), is an institution concerned with the promotion of education and learning in Birmingham, England. It is now based on Margaret Street in Birmingham city centre. It ...

of Music to develop his skills as a pianist, but did not complete his course. During this time, he befriended future

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...

member Christine McVie. At eight years old, he first performed with his father and elder brother Muff in the Ron Atkinson Band. Muff later recalled that when Steve began playing regularly with them in licensed pubs and clubs, the piano had to be turned with its back to the audience to try to hide him, because he was so obviously underage.

Career

Early years

While still a pupil at Great Barr School, Winwood was a part of the Birmingham

scene, playing the

Hammond C-3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generate ...

and guitar, backing blues and rock legends such as

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade car ...

, B.B. King,

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined a ...

, and

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

on their United Kingdom tours, the custom at that time being for US singers to travel solo and be backed by pick-up bands. At this time, Winwood was living on Atlantic Road in Great Barr, close to the Birmingham music halls where he played. Winwood modelled his singing after

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

The Spencer Davis Group

At age 14, Winwood (then known as "Stevie" Winwood) joined the Spencer Davis Group along with older brother Muff, who later had success as a record producer, after Davis saw them performing as the Muffy Wood Jazz Band at a Birmingham pub called the

Golden Eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds ...

. The group made their debut at the Eagle and subsequently had a Monday-night residency there. Winwood's distinctive high tenor singing voice and vocal style drew comparisons to Ray Charles. In 1964, they signed their first recording contract with

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, an ...

. Producer and founder

Chris Blackwell Christopher Percy Gordon Blackwell (born 22 June 1937) is an English businessman and former record producer, and the founder of Island Records, which has been called "one of Britain's great independent labels". According to the Rock and Roll H ...

later said of Winwood, "He was really the cornerstone of Island Records. He's a musical genius and because he was with Island all the other talent really wanted to be with Island." The group's first record, a single, was released 10 days after Winwood's 16th birthday. The group had their first number one single at the end of 1965, with " Keep on Running"; the money from this success allowed Winwood to buy his own

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...

. Winwood co-wrote and recorded the chart-topping hits " Gimme Some Lovin'" and " I'm a Man" before leaving the Spencer Davis Group in 1967.

Eric Clapton and Powerhouse

Winwood joined forces with guitarist Eric Clapton as part of the one-off group

Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse was a British blues rock studio group formed in 1966. They recorded three songs, which were released on the Elektra Records compilation ''What's Shakin in 1966. A possible fourth song remained unreleased. H ...

. Songs were recorded for the

Elektra Electra was a daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra in Greek mythology. Electra or Elektra may also refer to: Greek mythology *Electra (Pleiad), one of the Pleiades * Electra, one of the Danaids, daughter of Danaus and Polyxo * Electra (Oc ...

label, but only three tracks made the 1966 compilation album, '' What's Shakin'''.

Traffic, Blind Faith, and Ginger Baker's Air Force

Winwood met drummer Jim Capaldi, guitarist

Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock m ...

, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Wood when they jammed together at The Elbow Room, a club in Aston, Birmingham. After Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group in April 1967, the quartet formed

. Traffic Biography

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

Soon thereafter, they rented a cottage near the rural village of Aston Tirrold, Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), to write and rehearse new music. This allowed them to escape the city and develop their music. Early in Traffic's formation, Winwood and Capaldi formed a songwriting partnership, with Winwood writing music to match Capaldi's lyrics. This partnership was the source of most of Traffic's material, including popular songs such as " Paper Sun" and " The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys", and outlived the band, producing several songs for Winwood and Capaldi's solo albums. Over the band's history, Winwood performed the majority of their lead vocals, keyboard instruments, and guitars. He also frequently played bass and percussion, up to and including the recording sessions for their fourth album. While still in Traffic, Winwood was brought in by Jimi Hendrix to play organ for " Voodoo Chile" on the ''

Electric Ladyland ''Electric Ladyland'' is the third and final studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the final studio album released before Hendrix's death in 1970. A double album, it was the only record from the Experience produced by Hendrix. The ban ...

'' album. Winwood formed the supergroup

in 1969, with Eric Clapton,

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pio ...

, and Ric Grech. The band was short-lived, owing to Clapton's greater interest in Blind Faith's opening act

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends Delaney & Bonnie were an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg All ...

; Clapton left the band at the tour's end. Baker, Winwood, and Grech stayed together to form

Ginger Baker's Air Force Ginger Baker's Air Force was a jazz-rock fusion supergroup led by drummer Ginger Baker. History The band formed in late 1969 upon the disbandment of Blind Faith. The original lineup consisted of Ginger Baker on drums, Steve Winwood on org ...

. The line-up consisted of 3/4 of Blind Faith (without Clapton, who was replaced by Denny Laine), half of Traffic (Winwood and Chris Wood, minus Capaldi and Mason), plus musicians who interacted with Baker in his early days, including

Phil Seamen Philip William Seamen (28 August 1926 – 13 October 1972) was an English jazz drummer. With a background in big band music, Seamen played and recorded in a wide range of musical contexts with virtually every key figure of 1950s and 1960s Bri ...

, Harold McNair, John Blood, and Graham Bond. This project also turned out to be short-lived. Winwood soon went into the studio to begin work on a new solo album, tentatively titled ''Mad Shadows''. However, Winwood ended up calling in Wood and Capaldi to help with session work, which prompted Traffic's comeback album ''

John Barleycorn Must Die ''John Barleycorn Must Die'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1970 as Island ILPS 9116 in the United Kingdom, United Artists UAS 5504 in the United States, and as Polydor 2334 013 in Canada. It marked the ...

'' in 1970. In 1972, Winwood recorded the part of Captain Walker in the highly successful orchestral version of

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are conside ...

's ''Tommy''. He recorded a 1973 album with

Remi Kabaka Remi Kabaka (born 27 March 1945) is an Afro-rock avant-garde drummer. He worked with John Martyn, Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and comp ...

and Abdul Lasisi Amao, as Third World, ''Aiye-Keta''. Later, after the reggae group

Third World The term "Third World" arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the Nor ...

had formed, the album was re-released and identified as being just by the band members' names. In 1976, Winwood provided vocals and keyboards on ''Go'', a concept album by Japanese composer Stomu Yamashta. In 1976, Winwood also played guitar on the Fania All Stars' ''Delicate and Jumpy'' record and performed as a guest with the band in their only UK appearance, a sold-out concert at the Lyceum Theatre, London.

Solo career

Weariness with the grind of touring and recording prompted Winwood to leave Traffic and retire to sessioning for some years.Black, Johnny (May 1997)
Feature: Steve Winwood
, '' Mojo''. Under pressure from Island Records, he resurfaced with his self-titled first solo album in 1977. This was followed by his 1980 hit '' Arc of a Diver'' (which included his first solo hit, " While You See a Chance") and '' Talking Back to the Night'' in 1982. Both albums were recorded at his home in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

with Winwood playing all instruments. He continued to do sessions during this period, and in 1983, he co-produced and played on Jim Capaldi's top 40 hit "

That's Love ''That's Love!'' is a British television sitcom about the domestic problems of a young married couple, lawyer Donald (Jimmy Mulville) and designer Patsy (Diana Hardcastle). The programme was produced by TVS and first broadcast on ITV between 1 ...

" and co-wrote the Will Powers top 20 hit " Kissing with Confidence". In 1986, he moved to New York. There he enlisted the help of a coterie of stars to record '' Back in the High Life'' in the US, and the album was a hit. He topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with " Higher Love" and earned two

s: Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Winwood embarked on an extensive tour of North America in support of the album. All these albums were released on

. However, at the peak of his commercial success, Winwood moved to

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman. It grew to be a worldw ...

and released '' Roll with It'' and ''

Refugees of the Heart ''Refugees of the Heart'' is the sixth solo studio album by Steve Winwood, released in 1990. The album contained the hit single, "One and Only Man", which topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and saw the return of former Traffic (band), Traffi ...

''. The album ''Roll with It'' and the title track hit No. 1 on the USA album and singles charts in the summer of 1988. Another album with Virgin, ''

Far from Home Far from Home may refer to: Film and television * ''Far from Home'' (1975 film), a 1975 Iranian film * ''Far from Home'' (1989 film), a 1989 American thriller * '' Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog'', a 1994 American adventure film * ...

'', was officially credited to Traffic, but nearly all the instruments were played by Winwood. Despite lacking a significant hit, it broke the top 40 in both the UK and USA. His final Virgin album '' Junction Seven'' also broke the UK top 40. A new studio album, '' Nine Lives'', was released 29 April 2008 by Wincraft Music through Columbia Records. The album opened at No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, his highest US debut ever. In 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cou ...

to add to his honorary degree from

Aston University Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston''. for post-nominals) is a public university, public Research university, research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School ...

, Birmingham. On 28 March 2012 Winwood was one of

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

's special guest stars for "An Evening with Roger Daltrey and Friends" gig, in aid of the

Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. ...

at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

. In 2013, Winwood toured North America with

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

as part of the "Live the Life" tour. In 2014, Winwood toured North America with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. In January 2020, a North American summer tour was announced with Steely Dan. On 17 February 2020, Winwood participated in "A Tribute to Ginger Baker", which took place at Eventim Apollo Hammersmith in London. Other participants were Ron Wood, Roger Waters, and Eric Clapton. The concert was held in honour of Ginger Baker, his former band member in Blind Faith, who had died the previous year.

Group work

In 1994, Capaldi and Winwood reunited Traffic for a new album, ''Far From Home'', and a tour, including a performance at Woodstock '94 Festival. That same year, Winwood appeared on the ''A Tribute To Curtis Mayfield'' CD, recording Mayfield's " It's All Right". In 1995, Winwood released "Reach for the Light" for the

animated film Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

'' Balto''. In 1997, Winwood released a new album, '' Junction Seven'', toured the US, and sang with Chaka Khan at the VH-1 Honors. In 1998, Winwood joined Tito Puente,

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became hi ...

, Ed Calle, and other musicians to form the band "Latin Crossings" for a European tour, after which they split without making any recordings. Winwood also appeared in the film '' Blues Brothers 2000'', as a member of the Louisiana Gator Boys, appearing on stage with

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songw ...

, Eric Clapton, and

KoKo Taylor Koko Taylor (born Cora Anna Walton, September 28, 1928 – June 3, 2009) was an American singer whose style encompassed Chicago blues, electric blues, rhythm and blues and soul blues. Sometimes called "The Queen of the Blues", she was known ...

at the battle of the bands competition. In 2003, Winwood released a new studio album, '' About Time'', on his new record label, Wincraft Music. In 2004,

Eric Prydz Eric Sheridan Prydz (, ; born 19 July 1976), also known by his many aliases including Pryda () and Cirez D (), is a Swedish DJ and music producer. He rose to fame with his 2004 hit single " Call on Me", and saw continued chart success with " Pr ...

sampled Winwood's 1982 song " Valerie" for the song " Call on Me". After hearing an early version, Winwood not only gave permission to use his song, he re-recorded the samples for Prydz to use. The remix spent five weeks at No. 1 on the UK singles chart. In 2005, his Soundstage Performances DVD was released, featuring the recent ''About Time'' album, with solo hits including "Back in the High Life", and he also performed hits from his early days with Traffic. That same year, he appeared on Grammy Award winner Ashley Cleveland's album ''Men and Angels Say'', a mix of rock, blues, and country arrangements of well-known hymns, including " I Need Thee Every Hour", which featured a vocal duet and organ performance. On her 2006 record '' Back to Basics'',

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice o ...

featured Winwood (using the piano and organ instrumentation from the ''John Barleycorn Must Die'' track "Glad") on her song "Makes Me Wanna Pray". Steve Winwood Band

In May 2007, Winwood performed in support of the Countryside Alliance, an organisation opposed to the

Hunting Act 2004 The Hunting Act 2004 (c 37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales, subject to some strictly limited exemptions; the ...

, in a concert at Highclere Castle, joining fellow rock artists

Bryan Ferry Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry and ...

, Eric Clapton, Steve Harley, and

Kenney Jones Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones (born 16 September 1948) is an English drummer best known for his work in the groups Small Faces, Faces, and the Who. Jones was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of Small Faces/Face ...

. In July 2007, Winwood performed with Clapton in the latter's Crossroads Guitar Festival. Among the songs they played were "Presence of the Lord" and " Can't Find My Way Home" from their

days, with Winwood playing several guitar leads during a six-song set. The two continued their collaboration with three sold-out nights at

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...

in New York City in February 2008. On 19 February 2008, Winwood and Clapton released a collaborative EP through iTunes titled ''

Dirty City "Dirty City" is a rock song by Steve Winwood from his album '' Nine Lives'', released on February 19, 2008. The song features Eric Clapton on guitar and reached number one on Adult Album Alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, ...

''. Clapton and Winwood released a CD and DVD of their Madison Square Garden shows and then toured together in the summer of 2009.

Personal life

Between 1978 and 1986, Winwood was married to Nicole Weir (d. 2005), who had contributed background vocals to some of his early solo work. The two married at Cheltenham Register Office. Winwood's primary residence is a 300-year-old

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals with ...

in the

Cotswolds The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Ju ...

, England, where he also has a recording studio. Winwood also has a home in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

, with his wife, Eugenia Crafton, a

Trenton, Tennessee Trenton is the county seat and fourth largest city of Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,264 at the 2010 census, down from 4,683 in 2000. History Trenton was established in 1824 as a county seat for the newly-created ...

native whom he married in 1987. They have four children. Both were patrons of the Cheltenham Festivals of music and literature between 2007 and 2015. Winwood's eldest daughter, Mary Clare, in 2011 wedded businessman Ben Elliot, who later became the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. The couple have two sons. Winwood's daughter Lilly Winwood is a singer; she was featured with him performing a duet of his song "Higher Love" in a

Hershey Hershey may refer to: People * Hershey (name), a list of people with the surname, given name or nickname Places * Hershey, Nebraska, a village * Hershey, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community, home to the chocolate company * Hershey, Cuba, ...

commercial. She was the opening act and sang backup on multiple songs during her father's 2018 Greatest Hits Live tour.

Discography

Solo

Steve Windwood toy2, Hangout Music Festival 2012

*1977: '' Steve Winwood'' *1980: '' Arc of a Diver'' *1982: '' Talking Back to the Night'' *1986: '' Back in the High Life'' *1988: '' Roll with It'' *1990: ''

'' *1997: '' Junction Seven'' *2003: '' About Time'' *2008: '' Nine Lives'' *2017: ''Greatest Hits Live''

Spencer Davis Group

*'' Their First LP'' (1965) *'' The Second Album'' (1966) *'' Autumn '66'' (1966)

Traffic

see ''

Traffic discography This is the discography of the band Traffic. Albums Studio albums Live albums Compilation albums * '' Last Exit'' – 1969 US #31, CA #19 * ''Best of Traffic'' – 1969 US #48, AUS #12 * ''Heavy Traffic'' – 1975 US #155 * ''More ...

Blind Faith

*1969: ''

Ginger Baker's Air Force

*1970: ''

Third World

*1973: ''Aiye-Keta''

Go

*1976: '' Go'' *1976: '' Go Live from Paris''

Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood

*2009: '' Live from Madison Square Garden''

Session work

The Jimi Hendrix Experience James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

– ''

'', 1968 *

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

– "

With a Little Help from My Friends "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and sung by drummer Ringo Starr (as Sgt. Pep ...

", 1968 *

BB King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

– '' B.B. King in London'', 1971 * McDonald and Giles – '' McDonald and Giles'', 1971 - organ, and piano solo on "Turnham Green" * Jimi Hendrix – '' The Cry of Love'', 1971 *

– '' The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions'', 1971 - organ and piano * Shawn Phillips – ''Faces'', 1972 – Organ on ''Parisien Plight II'' *

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

– ''Tommy – As Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra & Chamber Choir'', 1972 * Jim Capaldi – '' Oh How We Danced'', 1972 *

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

– '' E.H. in the U.K.'' (Atlantic), 1973 With Chris Squire, Alan White and Tony Kaye *

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

– ''

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

'', 1973 * John Martyn – ''

Inside Out Inside Out may refer to: *Backwards (disambiguation) or inverse Books * '' Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd'', by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason * ''Inside Out'', Christian book by Larry Crabb * ''Inside Out'', novel by Barry Eisler ...

'', 1973 * Jim Capaldi – '' Whale Meat Again'', 1974 *

Robert Palmer Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful, soulful voice and wikt:sartorial, sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining Soul music, so ...

– '' Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley'', 1974 * Vivian Stanshall – ''

Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead ''Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead'' is the 1974 debut solo album by the very English musician, writer, poet and comedian Vivian Stanshall. Releases The initial LP pressing was deleted by Warner Bros. Records soon after release, having sold only ...

'', 1974 * Jim Capaldi – '' Short Cut Draw Blood'', 1975 * Jade Warrior – ''

Waves Waves most often refers to: * Waves, oscillations accompanied by a transfer of energy that travel through space or mass. *Wind waves, surface waves that occur on the free surface of bodies of water. Waves may also refer to: Music *Waves (band ...

'', 1975 * Toots & the Maytals – ''

Reggae Got Soul ''Reggae Got Soul'' is an album by the Jamaican reggae group Toots and the Maytals, released in July 1976 by Island Records. Critical reception Reviewing in '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981), Robert Christga ...

'', 1976 * Sandy Denny – '' Rendezvous'', 1977 * John Martyn – '' One World'', 1977 *

Pierre Moerlen's Gong Pierre Moerlen's Gong was an instrumental jazz fusion band led by French drummer Pierre Moerlen which developed as an offshoot of the psychedelic progressive rock band Gong founded and led by Daevid Allen. It was notable for the prominent use o ...

– ''

Downwind Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...

'', 1978 * Vivian Stanshall – '' Sir Henry at Rawlinson End'', 1978 * Jim Capaldi – ''Daughter of the Night'', 1978 * George Harrison – '' George Harrison'', 1979 *

Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...

– ''

Broken English Broken English is a name for a non-standard, non-traditionally spoken or alternatively-written version of the English language. These forms of English are sometimes considered as a pidgin if they have derived in a context where more than one l ...

'', 1979 * Jim Capaldi – ''The Sweet Smell of... Success'', 1980 * Jim Capaldi – ''Let the Thunder Cry'', 1981 *

– ''

Dangerous Acquaintances ''Dangerous Acquaintances'' is the eighth studio album by English singer Marianne Faithfull. It was released on 1 September 1981 by Island Records. The album was seen by reviewers as a disappointing follow-up to Faithfull's '' Broken English'', ...

'', 1981 * Jim Capaldi – '' Fierce Heart'', 1983 * David Gilmour – '' About Face'', 1984 * Christine McVie – '' Christine McVie'', 1984 *

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the " Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since th ...

– ''

The Bridge The Bridge may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Art * ''The Bridge'' (sculpture), a 1997 sculpture in Atlanta, Georgia, US * Die Brücke (''The Bridge''), a group of German expressionist artists * ''The Bridge'' (M. C. Escher), a lithograph ...

'', 1986 *

– '' Two Hearts'', 1987 *

Talk Talk Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles "Talk Talk" (1982), " It's My Life", and " S ...

– ''

The Colour of Spring ''The Colour of Spring'' is the third studio album by English band Talk Talk, released on 17 February 1986. Written by Mark Hollis and producer Tim Friese-Greene, the album combines elements of jazz and art pop in an effort by Hollis to embr ...

'', 1986 * Jim Capaldi – ''Some Come Running'', 1988 *

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (born December 25, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, and businessman. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffe ...

– "My Barracuda", 1988 *

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

– '' ...But Seriously'', 1989 *

Soulsister Soulsister is a Belgian music band consisting of Jan Leyers and Paul Michiels that initially existed from 1986 to 1995 and, after a split, reunited in 2007. Soulsister is often designated as SoulSister, the Soul Sisters or Leyers, Michiels an ...

– ''Heat'', 1990 *

Davy Spillane Davy Spillane (born 1959 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish musician, songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle. Biography Irish music At the age of 12, Spillane started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him an ...

– '' A Place Among The Stones'', 1994 *

Paul Weller Paul John Weller (born John William Weller; 25 May 1958) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Weller achieved fame with the punk rock/ new wave/ mod revival band the Jam (1972–1982). He had further success with the blue-eyed soul m ...

– ''

Stanley Road ''Stanley Road'' is the third solo album by Paul Weller, released by Go! Discs in 1995. In 1998 ''Q'' magazine readers voted it the 46th greatest album of all time. The album took its name from the street in Woking where Weller grew up. ...

'', 1995 * Kathy Troccoli – ''

Corner of Eden ''Corner of Eden'' is the eighth studio album by Christian singer-songwriter Kathy Troccoli, released on October 13, 1998 on Reunion Records. The album won a Dove Award for Inspirational Album of the Year given to Troccoli and the album's producer ...

'', 1998 * Eric Clapton – '' Back Home'', 2005 * Eric Clapton – '' Clapton'', 2010 *

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...

– ''

Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is an American song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooti ...

'' ''Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame'', 2010 * Miranda Lambert – '' Four the Record'', 2011 * Eric Clapton – ''

Old Sock ''Old Sock'' is the nineteenth solo studio album by Eric Clapton. It includes the two new compositions "Gotta Get Over" and " Every Little Thing", as well as covers. Several notable musicians were involved in the album, including Steve Winwood ...

'', 2013 * Gov't Mule – ''

Shout! Shout or Shouts may refer to: * Shout (sound), a loud vocalization Films and television * '' The Shout'', a 1978 film by Jerzy Skolimowski * '' Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe'', 1986 television movie about the Australian singer * ''Shout ...

'', 2013

References

External links

Official website

Albums that Winwood guested on and/or produced

Steve Winwood & Eric Clapton live@ Bucharest (review)
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Winwood, Steve 1948 births British Christians Living people English keyboardists English male singer-songwriters English male guitarists English record producers English rock guitarists English organists English songwriters Columbia Records artists Island Records artists Virgin Records artists Blind Faith members Ginger Baker's Air Force members Traffic (band) members Grammy Award winners Musicians from Birmingham, West Midlands British rhythm and blues boom musicians British soft rock musicians People from Great Barr People from Handsworth, West Midlands People from Aston Tirrold The Spencer Davis Group members Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse members