In my previous book report on Cheetah Chrome’s autobiography I mentioned it’s amazing that he’s still alive to tell his story. Well, that goes double for Johnny Winter. Cheetah is an insane rock & roll wildman but I bet he could’ve picked up a few useful pointers from Johnny on partying, guitar playing and day to day mayhem.
Johnny Winter was born in 1944 and caught the rock & roll bug when the music was still in its infancy. By the age of 15 he was leading his own bands in Beaumont, TX and became an eager student and apprentice of the blues. Armed with fiendish talent and a huge set of balls, he got to sit in with B.B. King and managed not to embarrass himself. After spending years on the road and cutting singles for shady local record he got a big break and was signed to Columbia Records. Playing Woodstock in 1969 helped catapult Johnny into superstardom.
Author Mary Lou Sullivan met Johnny Winter in 1984 and was fascinated by the crazy life he’d led and decided to write his autobiography, against the wishes of Johnny’s manager at the time. Eventually she spent a years worth of Saturday nights interviewing Johnny at his home and on the phone. Once she got his version of the story, she started talking to dozens of people in his life including his mother, brother Edgar and his wife. Key collaborators like Rick Derringer, Tommy Shannon and Uncle John Turner told their tales alongside numerous other friends, record producers and industry people. You get a well rounded view of the man’s life. Johnny is brutally honest and never tries to make himself the hero when he wasn’t. And when his memory differs from others, both sides are presented.
The tales from the glory years of the 1960’s and 70’s are just as wild as you would expect. There’s plenty of sex (Johnny loved to get naked and show everyone his white pubic hair if anyone doubted he was truly albino), drugs (you won’t believe the amount he’s done) and, of course, rock and roll. Working with his hero Muddy Waters led to some of the greatest music both men ever produced and Johnny loves talking about the albums they made together. If you’re a blues fan, these chapters will make you very happy.
Towards the end of the 1980’s Johnny began to have some management issues that caused huge problems for him that lasted many years. The portrait painted of ex-manager Teddy Slatus is not a pretty one and a great lesson out there for anyone who wants to know what really happens in the entertainment business. His actions negatively impacted Johnny’s mental and physical health, finances and, ultimately, his music. Johnny’s affairs are now handled the right way and word has it his playing is regaining its fiery brilliance.
Raisin’ Cain is one of the better rock biographies I’ve read (and I’ve read A LOT of them). The research, dedication and excellent writing make this a must for anyone with a pair of eyes that has a good pair of ears.
--Woody
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Buy from Amazon: Raisin' Cain: The Wild and Raucous Story of Johnny Winter (Book)
