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.
Mother-in-Law Blues
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was early in the mo'nin, I heard the rooster crow for days
I looked out my window and saw my baby walk away
I thought Lord, please stop her, ain't gonna get drunk no mo'
I thought Lord, please stop her, ain't gonna get drunk no mo'
I hollered out my window, "Come back baby please don't go"
I know she heard me callin', she looked back and waved her hand
I could hear her tell her mother, "That's one no good man!"
Well, I watched my baby leave, her mother had her by the hand
Well, I watched my baby leave, her mother had her by the hand
I'd give anything I have, just to see my little girl again
Johnny Winter's song "Mother-in-Law Blues" tells the heartbreaking story of a man who wakes up early in the morning, hearing the rooster crowing for days, only to see his lover and their child leaving him. In the song, he pleads with her to come back, but the woman has already made up her mind. As she is being led away by her mother, the man hears her insult him, calling him "no good."
The song's lyrics express the agony of losing a love, especially for a man who had already made the decision to change and stop drinking. The reference to the rooster crowing repeatedly suggests that the man had not been sleeping, setting an uneasy atmosphere for the listener. The urgency in his voice as he cries out to his lover further deepens the pain that he is feeling, as he watches them walk away.
The theme of this song is particularly relatable to those who have dealt with a heartbreak or the pain of an ended relationship. The narrative's emotion is heightened by Johnny Winter's unique guitar playing skill, which captures the sorrow and despair the singer is experiencing. The track brings an authentic blues atmosphere to the listener, thanks to its well-written lyrics and musicianship.
Line by Line Meaning
It was early in the mo'nin, I heard the rooster crow for days
I woke up early to the sound of the rooster crowing non-stop for days.
I looked out my window and saw my baby walk away
When I looked out of the window, I saw my partner leave me and walk away.
I thought Lord, please stop her, ain't gonna get drunk no mo'
I hoped that some higher power would make her stop leaving, promising to not drink anymore.
I hollered out my window, "Come back baby please don't go"
I shouted out of the window, pleading with my partner to return and not leave me.
I know she heard me callin', she looked back and waved her hand
I knew she heard me calling, as she turned back and waved her hand towards me.
I could hear her tell her mother, "That's one no good man!"
I overheard her telling her mom that I was not a good man.
Well, I watched my baby leave, her mother had her by the hand
I watched my partner leave with her mother holding her hand.
I'd give anything I have, just to see my little girl again
I would give up everything I have, just to see my partner and be with her again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON ROBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind