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.
Sugaree
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That she was comin' home today
I got a letter from my baby
That she was comin' home today
Yeah my baby wasn't lying
She was comin' home to stay
Sugaree, sugaree
Sugaree, sugaree
Don't you know I love you so
Got a pencil and some paper
I sat right down to write
I got a pencil and some paper
And I sat right down to write
I said I miss you in the day time
But I miss you more at night
Sugaree, sugaree
Sugaree, sugaree
Sugaree, sugaree
Don't you know I love you so
Oww!
(Instrumental)
Ow!
Yeah!
(Instrumental)
I met my baby at the station
She had a suitcase in her hand
I met my baby at the station
She had a suitcase in her hand
I said "hello pretty baby
I'll make you happy if I can"
Sugaree, sugaree
Sugaree, sugaree
Sugaree, sugaree
Don't you know I love you so!
(x2)
Oww!
In Johnny Winter's song Sugaree, the singer expresses his excitement and joy upon receiving a letter from his significant other announcing her immediate return home. This is the first paragraph of the song, and it provides an insight into the singer's state of mind. He is eagerly looking forward to the return of his beloved and ensures the listener that it's the truth. The chorus of the song follows, and it addresses the singer's feelings towards his partner, making it very clear that he loves her very much. He repeats the word "sugaree," which seems to be the nickname he has given to his lover, and emphasizes how much he loves her.
The second paragraph of the song talks about how the singer decides to reply to his lover's letter. He picks up a pencil and some paper to write a letter to her in response. Despite his eagerness to see her, he conveys that he misses her the most at night. This could mean that the singer is not able to sleep without his lover or that he misses cuddling with her in bed. The chorus briefly follows, once again expressing how much he loves her.
The last paragraph of the song is the climax where the singer meets his lover at the station, who arrives with a suitcase in her hand. He greets her warmly and informs her that he will make her happy if he can. Then he repeats the chorus, emphasizing his love and adoration for her.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a letter from my baby
My significant other wrote me a letter
That she was comin' home today
She informed me of her arrival home
Yeah my baby wasn't lying
She was telling the truth
She was comin' home to stay
She was coming home for good
Sugaree, sugaree
Affectionate nickname
Don't you know I love you so
I love you very much
Got a pencil and some paper
I obtained writing materials
I sat right down to write
I proceeded to write a letter
I said I miss you in the day time
I miss you during the day
But I miss you more at night
I miss you even more at night
I met my baby at the station
I greeted my significant other at the station
She had a suitcase in her hand
She had luggage with her
I said "hello pretty baby
I greeted my significant other in a caring manner
"I'll make you happy if I can"
I will attempt to bring joy to your life
Contributed by Peyton C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.