This is Steve Winwood’s 60th year as a performing musician – an impressive feat for the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who celebrates his 68th birthday today. It is hard to imagine that an artist so talented and accomplished nearly gave up performing in 1977. The youngest and only surviving member of Traffic, Steve probably would have made the HOF anyway, but we’d have missed so much.

Stevie and Muff Winwood

Stephen Lawrence Winwood was born and raised in the suburbs of Birmingham, England. His father was a foundry manager and semi-professional musician. Stevie, as he was known then, began playing piano at 6, first performed with his dad and brother Muff in the Ron Atkinson Band at 8, and began guitar lessons at 9. Somewhere in there, he also learned to play the drums. Stevie sang in the church choir and was an avid Boy Scout. No surprise then that he grew to be soft-spoken, humble and genuinely good-natured.

In the early 60s, Stevie joined his brother’s Muff Woody Jazz Band, and at 13 was admitted part-time to the local music college. Muff taught Stevie the blues and Wes Montgomery/Oscar Peterson style jazz. Stevie quickly gained a reputation in the blues scene and was soon being hired as a side man backup for American bluesmen and rockers touring England, including B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, T-Bone Walker, Memphis Slim, John Hammond, Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Spann, Eddie Boyd.

The Spencer Davis Group

In 1963, Spencer Davis heard Stevie and Muff’s band and immediately wanted 15 year-old Stevie for the group he was forming. Problem was, Stevie was too young to drive. Muff came to the rescue, able to drive to gigs and switching to bass. The Winwood brothers were in the Spencer Davis Group. England was then enthralled with American blues and R&B, and the SDG took off. Playing in the band got Stevie kicked out of school for “unsavory activities” – he shrugged that one off. Stevie’s tenor voice was mature beyond his years, and his songwriting skills began to emerge as well. At 18, Stevie wrote, sang and played the Hammond B-3 organ on the group’s biggest hits “Gimme Some Lovin’” and “I’m a Man”. But, at the height of their success, Stevie was already bored. "I got tired of just copying blues records. I wanted to explore other avenues of music." (RS, 12/88). 

In 1966, Stevie, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Paul Jones and some others got together for an all-star studio side project called Powerhouse. They recorded 4 songs (including "Crossroads"), 3 of which can be found on the Elektra compilation album What’s Shakin’. Clapton formed Cream later that year.

Stevie left the SDG in early 1967. Muff left also and went on to become a record producer (Dire Straits), and head of A&R at CBS Records (UK). Stevie and friends Dave Mason, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood formed Traffic and retreated to a cottage in the English countryside to formulate their unique sound, incorporating folk, blues, rock and classical influences. The group released 3 albums, Mr. Fantasy, Traffic and Last Exit, before Dave Mason’s comings and goings wore everyone out.

Traffic: Stevie Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, Chris Wood (1968)

In 1968, Cream was also coming apart, and Clapton tried to recruit Stevie to join the group to act as a buffer between the perpetually feuding Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. Cream broke up before Stevie could decide. In 1969, Clapton, Winwood, Baker and Rick Grech formed the supergroup Blind Faith. The band released one album featuring 3 of Stevie’s songs: “Can’t Find My Way Home” “Sea of Joy” and “Had to Cry Today”. They broke up after one disastrous tour. Both Clapton and Winwood declined offers to join Crosby, Stills and Nash. Stills wanted Stevie badly, even flying to England with Dallas Taylor to find and cajole him. Clapton left Blind Faith, Stevie stayed on with Baker and Grech, joined by Chris Wood and others, in the short-lived Ginger Baker’s Air Force. 

Blind Faith: Stevie Winwood, Eric Clapton, Rick Grech, Ginger Baker (1969)

In 1970, Stevie went back into the studio to record a folk/rock solo album tentatively titled Mad Shadows. He invited Wood and Capaldi to play on the record and it prompted them to reunite Traffic. Their comeback album, re-titled John Barleycorn Must Die, went Gold. It was followed by the Platinum Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Shootout at the Fantasy Factory (Gold) and When the Eagle Flies (Gold). In 1972 and 1973, Stevie battled a life-threatening case of appendicitis that lead to peritonitis. The wake-up call forced him to re-examine his lifestyle and adopt healthier habits. He also became weary of the album/tour/album/tour treadmill, and in 1975 Traffic dissolved once more. 

Stevie played on 2 1976 albums with Go, a jazz fusion group, and in 1977, bowing to pressure from his record company, released a solo album, Steve Winwood. The record’s poor reception and sales nearly convinced him to quit performing live and return to studio work, possibly with Muff. That would have been nothing new. Stevie had already done session work and would continue to do so. He plays on “Voodoo Chile”, Electric Ladyland, and The Cry of Love  – Hendrix, About Face – David Gilmour, Berlin – Lou Reed, George Harrison – Harrison, The Bridge – Billy Joel, Two Hearts – Dave Mason, Shout! – Gov’t Mule, and many others, including several albums by Clapton, and Capaldi.

Feeling it to be make or break time, Steve came up with Arc of a Diver (1980). The #7 album with #3 single “While You See a Chance” saved his solo career. Interestingly, the famous keyboard solo/intro to the single happened by accident, when the other instrumental tracks were unintentionally erased. Ah, serendipity! Steve’s future was truly secured when Back in the High Life (1986) went 5X Platinum, won a Grammy for Record of the Year, and spawned 5 hit singles, including “Higher Love” “Back in the High Life Again” “Wake Me Up on Judgment Day” and “Freedom Overspill”.

Steve and Eugenia Winwood at Traffic's HOF induction (2004)

Steve has continued to release solo albums and tour. In 1994, he joined with Jim Capaldi in a Traffic reunion album, Far From Home, and a tour that included Woodstock ’94. Ten years later, Steve and Traffic were inducted into the rock HOF. In 2008-2009, Steve renewed his partnership with Eric Clapton. They played together and released Live From Madison Square Garden on CD and DVD, and subsequently toured the US and Japan. This Summer, Steve is touring with Steely Dan for 22 scheduled performances. 

Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton at Madison Square Garden

60 years of great music! Happy Birthday, Steve Winwood!

And, check out this beautiful version of “Higher Love” - Steve on piano and backing vocal with daughter Lilly Winwood, a fine musician in her own right.