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.
The Sky Is Crying
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
The sky is crying,
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
I've been looking for my baby
And I've been wondering where can she be
I my baby early one morning
I my baby early one morning
She was walking on down the street
You know it hurt me, hurt me so bad
It made my poor heart skip a beat
I got a real, real fine feeling
That my baby she don't love me no more
I got a real, real fine feeling
That my baby she don't love me no more
You know the sky's been crying
Can see you see the tears roll down my door
The lyrics of "The Sky Is Crying" by Johnny Walker mourns a lost love. The tears rolling down the street are a personification of the heaven's grief of the broken-hearted bluesman. The song is a lament of the absence of the singer's lover. The lyrics recount how he had early one morning seen his baby walking down the street, and now he can't at all. The pain of it is so bad that it makes his heart skip a beat. The expression of love, passion, and devotion are all evident in the tone of the song.
The crying sky metaphor works as both an image and an emotional crutch for the singer. The rain and tears offer a comforting hand, and there is a certain somber and calming effect of the gentle rain in the poem. The sky shedding tears for the singer's lost love shows how significant and vital the relationship was. The image of the tears adds a touch of melancholy, which adds to the song's overall emotional depth. Essentially, the singer is telling they are still pining for love that is lost forever, and there is nothing they can do about that.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is crying,
It's raining very heavily and the sky seems to be crying.
Can you see the tears roll down the street.
The rain on the street looks like tears rolling down.
I've been looking for my baby
I have been searching for my lover.
And I've been wondering where can she be
I am wondering where my lover has gone.
I met my baby early one morning
I saw my lover early in the morning.
She was walking on down the street
My lover was walking on the street.
You know it hurt me, hurt me so bad
It pained me so much to see my lover walking away.
It made my poor heart skip a beat
Seeing my lover leaving caused my heart to palpitate.
I got a real, real fine feeling
I have a strong intuition.
That my baby she don't love me no more
I suspect my lover doesn't love me anymore.
You know the sky's been crying
The rain is a symbol of my sadness and heartache.
Can see you see the tears roll down my door
The rain is so heavy that it looks like tears are rolling down my door.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elmore James
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
RC IP 12
RIP Johnny
Another six stringer down.
I remeber seeing Johnny in 1977 at ASU rockin it out
with his hot riffs and smoking blues leads! I miss
Johnny already. Two of my all time favorites gone in a year,
we lost J.J Cale last July. Keep the Blues Alive!
Cheers cya on stage
RIP Brotha Johnny
Robert Gelinas
This is a sad sad time. Johnny was a master blues man , there was never anyone in his league. Man, I could listen to his music all fuckin day and then some. This is his prime and what I remember of all the times I've seen this genius, Ill never forget how excited all of my friends and I were when "Captured Live" came out, I still get blown away by it! Others came like SRV etc.. but none ever came close to his capture of raw blues emotion and speed and perfect intonation. I'm very sad. You are and will be missed John Dawson Winter lll R.I.P. and thank you for sharing your gift.
This guys cryin
xkecoupe
well said,Thank you.
DirkjeA
The world is crying, for it lost another blues legend. I grew up with "Schoolgirl" and "Hoochie Goochie" etc. I hope he rocks in heaven with other great musicians that went before him.
RIP Mr. Winter.
Stephen Smith
Johnny Winter was one of very few truly exceptional blues guitarists...
Jeff Blanton
Thanks for the music Johnny!!! Rest In Peace!!!
Jeffrey Hicken
The sky is really crying today, RIP Johnny.
xkecoupe
yes.very sad..Johnny shall be part of our hearts.Greatest guitar player.
stan proctor
Johnny was my favorite blues guitarist, hands down! He lived the blues every day of his life at a level most of us can't begin to imagine...
william white
I was lucky enough to have seen JW 40 times... starting in 71/72.. great seeing him on the T-Bird
It's me It's me Earnest T.
What memories William. Happy for you.