Johnny Winter, along with his brother Edgar Winter, were nurtured at an early age by their parents in musical pursuits. Both he and his brother, who were born with albinism, began performing at an early age. When he was ten-years old, Winter appeared on a local children's show, playing ukelele and singing Everly Brothers songs with his brother.
His recording career began at the age of fifteen, when his band Johnny and the Jammers released "School Day Blues" on a Houston record label. During this same period, he was able to see performances by classic blues artists such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Bobby Bland. In the early days Winter would sometimes sit in with Roy Head and The Traits when they performed in the Beaumont, Texas area, and in 1967, Winter recorded a single with The Traits: "Tramp" backed with "Parchman Farm" (Universal Records 30496). In 1968, he released his first album The Progressive Blues Experiment, on Austin's Sonobeat Records.
Winter caught his biggest break in December 1968, when Mike Bloomfield, whom he met and jammed with in Chicago, invited him to sing and play a song during a Bloomfield and Al Kooper concert at the Fillmore East in New York. As it happened, representatives of Columbia Records (which had released the Top Ten Bloomfield/Kooper Super Session album) were at the concert. Winter played and sang B.B. King's "It's My Own Fault" to loud applause and, within a few days, was signed to reportedly what was then the largest advance in the history of the recording industry–$600,000.
Winter's first Columbia album, Johnny Winter was recorded and released in 1969. It featured the same backing musicians with whom he recorded The Progressive Blues Experiment, bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Uncle John Turner, plus Edgar Winter on keyboards and saxophone, and (for his "Mean Mistreater") blues legends Willie Dixon on upright bass and Big Walter Horton on harmonica. The album featured a few selections that became Winter signature songs, including his composition "Dallas" (an acoustic blues, on which Winter played a steel-bodied, resonator guitar), John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's "Good Morning Little School Girl", and B.B. King's "Be Careful With A Fool".
The album's success coincided with Imperial Records picking up The Progressive Blues Experiment for wider release. The same year, the Winter trio toured and performed at several rock festivals, including Woodstock. With brother Edgar added as a full member of the group, Winter also recorded his second album, Second Winter in Nashville in 1969. The two-record album, which only had three recorded sides (the fourth was blank), introduced a couple more staples of Winter's concerts, including Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited".
In 1984, Winter began recording for several labels, including Alligator Records and Point Blank Records, where he has focused on blues-oriented material. He continues to perform live, including festivals throughout North America and Europe. Winter has headlined such prestigious events as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Swedish Rock Fest, Warren Haynes X-mas jam, and Europe’s Rockpalast. He also performed with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan on the 40th anniversary of their debut. In 2007 and 2010, Winter performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals. Two guitar instructional DVDs have been produced by Cherry Lane Music and the Hal Leonard Corporation. The Gibson Guitar Company released the signature Johnny Winter Firebird guitar in a ceremony in Nashville with Slash presenting.
In 2004, Winter received a Grammy nomination for his I’m a Bluesman album. Backing him are guitarist Paul Nelson, bassist Scott Spray, and drummer Vito Liuzzi. Beginning in 2007, a series of live Winter albums titled the Live Bootleg Series and a live DVD have all entered the Top 10 Billboard Blues charts. In 2009, The Woodstock Experience album was released, which includes eight songs that Winter performed at the 1969 festival. Johnny Winter is signed to Megaforce Records, who will release a new studio album titled Roots on September 27, 2011. It will include Winter's interpretation of eleven early blues and rock 'n' roll classics and feature several guest artists.
Winter produced three Grammy Award-winning albums by Muddy Waters, Hard Again (1977), I'm Ready (1978), and Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live (1979). Several Winter albums were also nominated for Grammy Awards. In 1980, Winter was on the cover of the first issue of Guitar World and in 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.
Bad News
Johnny Winter Lyrics
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Bad news travels like a wildfire
And good news travels slow
They call my your Wildfire
Every place I go
'Cause I'm bad news
Oh Lord always gettin' in trouble
Leavin' little girls who hate to see me go
(Bad news, bad news)
(Bad news, bad news)
I've picked peaches down in Georgia
Lumberjacked up in Maine
I've been hired and jailed
In every state you can name
'Cause I'm bad news
Every place I go, oh oh now
Because I'm always gettin' into trouble
And I'm leavin' little girls who hate to see me go
(Bad news, bad news)
(Bad news, bad news)
Lord they tried to hang me down in Oakland
And they did in San Frisco
But I wouldn't choke
And I broke their rope
And they had to let me go
'Cause I'm bad news
Every place I go, every place I go
You know I'm always gettin' into trouble
And I'm leavin' little girls who hate to see me go
(Bad news, bad news)
(Bad news, bad news)
Because I'm bad news
Oh you better believe it
Oh I'm bad news... I tell it like it is
I got to tell you Lord, I'm bad news
Yeah I'm bad news
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song "Bad News" paint a picture of a man who has a reputation as being a troublemaker wherever he goes. The first verse sets the tone as he compares his notoriety for causing problems to that of a wildfire, stating clearly that bad news travels much faster than good news. He goes on to explain that he is known as "Wildfire" because of his reputation, perhaps implying that he is also hard to control, like a wildfire. The chorus repeats the phrase "bad news" several times, driving the point home that this man is known for nothing but trouble.
The second verse continues to describe the man's wanderings from state to state, holding jobs and getting in trouble at each location. He seems resigned to the fact that he will continue to get into trouble, leaving a trail of hurt feelings behind him as he moves on to the next adventure. The final verse is the most telling, as it explains that the man has been tried and nearly hanged for his troubles, but he is tough and manages to survive. He does not deny that he is bad news, in fact he embraces it, stating that he tells it like it is and that he is proud to be known as bad news.
Overall, the song "Bad News" seems to be a cautionary tale about what can happen to a person who refuses to abide by the rules of society. It also speaks to the idea that reputation is difficult to shake, and once a person gets a certain label, it can be hard to change. Johnny Winter's gritty, bluesy delivery adds an extra layer of authenticity to the song, helping to make the listener believe that this man really is bad news.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad news travels like a wildfire
Negative information spreads quickly and easily from one person to another.
And good news travels slow
Positive information takes more time to spread from one person to another.
They call me your Wildfire
The singer is known as a wildfire, meaning he can be unpredictable and cause destruction wherever he goes.
Every place I go
This line is repeated throughout the song and emphasizes that the singer's negative reputation follows him wherever he goes.
Because I'm bad news
The reason for the singer's reputation is because he tends to cause trouble.
Leavin' little girls who hate to see me go
The singer tends to move on from relationships quickly, leaving behind people who are often upset to see him leave.
I've been hired and jailed
The singer has had a number of jobs and has also been in trouble with the law.
You know I'm always gettin' into trouble
The singer's tendency to cause trouble is reiterated.
Lord they tried to hang me down in Oakland
The singer was almost executed in Oakland, which further emphasizes the danger he poses.
And they did in San Frisco
The singer may have been executed in San Francisco but was able to escape somehow.
But I wouldn't choke
The singer refused to give up or give in.
And I broke their rope
The singer was able to escape from the execution or hanging.
I got to tell you Lord, I'm bad news
The singer wants to emphasize that he really is a dangerous person.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID C LARUE, EDWARD Z EPSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind