Johnny Winter

Not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Eligible since: 1995

First Recording: 1969

Previously Considered? Yes  what's this?

Johnny Winter
HALL OF FAME INDICATORS
🔲Rolling Stone 500 Albums
🔲Rolling Stone 500 Songs
🔲Rolling Stone Cover
🔲Saturday Night Live
🔲Major Festival Headliner
🔲Songwriters Hall of Fame
🔲“Big Four” Grammys
Rolling Stone
100 Greatest Guitarists

Essential Albums (?)WikipediaYouTube
Second Winter (1969)
Johnny Winter (1969)
Captured Live! (1976)

Johnny Winter @ Wikipedia

Will Johnny Winter be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
"Musical excellence is the essential qualification for induction."
Yes: 
No :


Comments

22 comments so far (post your own)

RIP, Johnny Winter

Posted by Aaron O'Donnell on Thursday, 07/17/2014 @ 09:43am


RIP

A real blues player a real person

Posted by Happy on Thursday, 07/17/2014 @ 11:48am


I first saw Johnny play in 1970 during Easter break at a large music festival outside of Orlando Florida. This was the last of the big festivals with Woodstock and Atlanta happening in 1969. Playing in a rock and roll band for years I was, as well as my band members, all simply amazed at Johnny's technical skills and virtuosity as a guitar player.

Johnny never seemed to run out of ideas on the guitar’s neck - just when you thought he can’t possibly do any more – he did and he did it over and over. The only guitarist to come close to Johnny’s skill in our life time was Stevie Ray Vaughn who we also lost too soon.

The act before Johnny was introduced as a new band from Malcolm Georgia that had an album that the MC (Wavy Gravy) stated was to be released shortly – it turned out to be the Allman Brothers Band. They played their first album start to finish with no breaks for applause- Whipping Post was the close – they received a half hour standing ovation (no exaggeration).

I had read an article in Rolling Stone about the "Great White Wonder from Texas" but had never heard Johnny play; just when I thought the concert couldn’t get any better it did when Johnny walked out onto the stage around mid-night and leaning into the mike said softly “what’s happening” –then broke into Memory Pain - it was the last thing he said to the audience and proceeded to play for over 2 ½ hours into early Easter morning receiving an ever bigger standing ovation than did the Allman Brothers.

I have never again seen such a performance and will always remember it. Johnny simply smoked each and every other guitar player of his day and yes he made it look easy!

I had the privilege of seeing Johnny play over half a dozen times throughout the years. The last was at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano 4 years ago where he was obviously not well and very frail. My favorite memories of Johnny were at Winterland and twice at the Stone in San Francisco; do to the intimate size of the clubs.

One night at the Stone I was sitting at a table not 6 feet from the stage he played Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo - Johnny was playing two identical leads an octave apart (it is called counterpart) that the Allman Brothers made famous with two guitar players playing the same lead. Here right in front of me Johnny was doing this all by himself – no loop no tape! I could not believe it as NO other guitar player in the world could do what he was doing -None! I got up from my seat and started to applaud. Johnny looked over and in appreciation mouthed the words “thank you”. That night at the Stone (~1995) I met a few young guitar players and they asked when I had first heard Johnny play I told them 1970 - 25 years before - they had just become aware of Johnny and were simply in awe of his guitar playing skills.

This is Johnnny's legacy as he is the guitar players consumate guitar player.

Does Johnny Winter belong in the Hall of Fame of course he does as he has become both an Icon and inspiration to generations of guitar players.

Posted by J Weaver on Friday, 12/12/2014 @ 02:56am


I have pictures of Johnny Winter playing with Janis Joplin, Jimmi Hendrix playing bass for Johnny winter, and countless other pictures with numerous other Blues greats, over forty albums released and still no nomination. Wasn't he commercial enough for hall, only conclusion I can come to.

Posted by Rick s on Tuesday, 05/19/2015 @ 13:38pm


Johnny impressed me in my teens saw him about 4 times and he always delivered. Listen to Boney Maroni,Cheap Tequila, Hustled down in Texas. The covers like Dylans Hwy 61 revisited and Rain are just made for Johnny listen to them.
Played with so many Delta Bluesmen, Muddy Waters,
Howlin Wolf heard recordings of Johnny with Jimmi
Hendrix. Johnny's recordings are truly blues based rock, he has lightning gituar licks, amazing slide and genuine raw vocal sound.
In the school of Rock my kids learn about Johnny Winter.

Posted by Steve Schw[nn on Wednesday, 01/27/2016 @ 00:13am


Who decides who is nominated into Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame??? Sure, everyone has their favorites, but come on folks, some nominees, like JOHNNY WINTER, are ONLY LOGICAL. If they don't nominate the ones who were at the beginning, who were phenomenal artists, who are obviously GREAT, LIKE WINTER, then how does an institution have any credibility? They don't.

Posted by Lucinda on Sunday, 03/13/2016 @ 13:20pm


Another year comes up and Mr. Johnny Winter won't be recognised again?
I do not understand how an organisation supposedly promoting Rock and Roll, it's history, the legacy of performers, and hopefully their impact on current and future artists, can continue to ignore this man.

Posted by Benita on Tuesday, 10/18/2016 @ 16:26pm


He was still selling out venues around the world when he died at age 70. Played more than 100 shows a year up until the end. Poll how many guitarists list Johnny as an inspiration.

Posted by Darlene Kubeck on Tuesday, 10/18/2016 @ 18:36pm


JOHNNY RIVERS. A man for all seasons

Posted by DIAMOND on Friday, 03/2/2018 @ 14:28pm


Why would the arguably greatest blues guitarists of the Golden Age Of R&R be put in the r&r hof?
Same Lowell George and Little Feat. ..
They just don't have the Magic of Kiss and Cheap Trick

Posted by David Rothkopf on Monday, 09/7/2020 @ 16:15pm


Johnny Winter was a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the most impactful and emotionally hard-charging blues/rock performers of the 1970's! Hands down...he should be in the Hall of Fame! This is an injustice to the rock music industry and a shameful oversight.

Posted by Dana Rowan on Sunday, 01/17/2021 @ 17:26pm


Johnny Winter was a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the most impactful and emotionally hard-charging blues/rock performers of the 1970's! Hands down...he should be in the Hall of Fame! This is an injustice to the rock music industry and a shameful oversight.

Posted by Dana Rowan on Sunday, 01/17/2021 @ 17:33pm


Johnny Winter was a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the most impactful and emotionally hard-charging blues/rock performers of the 1970's! Hands down...he should be in the Hall of Fame! This is an injustice to the rock music industry and a shameful oversight.

Posted by Dana Rowan on Sunday, 01/17/2021 @ 17:34pm


Johnny Winter was a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the most impactful and emotionally hard-charging blues/rock performers of the 1970's! Hands down...he should be in the Hall of Fame! This is an injustice to the rock music industry and a shameful oversight.

Posted by Dana Rowan on Sunday, 01/17/2021 @ 17:35pm


Johnny Winter was a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the most impactful and emotionally hard-charging blues/rock performers of the 1970's! Hands down...he should be in the Hall of Fame! This is an injustice to the rock music industry and a shameful oversight.

Posted by Dana Rowan on Sunday, 01/17/2021 @ 17:38pm


Johnny Winter was a blues guitar virtuoso and one of the most impactful and emotionally hard-charging blues/rock performers of the 1970's! Hands down...he should be in the Hall of Fame! This is an injustice to the rock music industry and a shameful oversight.

Posted by Dana Rowan on Sunday, 01/17/2021 @ 17:38pm


It's pathetic that Johnny Winter cannot even get consideration for induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. He has jammed with Hendrix- He is one of the greatest blues guitarists - He is MASTER CLASS- You guys are putting RAPPERS in ahead of one the greatest ever to pick up a guitar. Shameful. WAKE UP!!

Posted by Tom SZYMANSKI on Thursday, 04/8/2021 @ 02:16am


How can any organization be taken seriously that inducts performers who lip synch most of their material and DO NOT induct one of the greatest guitarist/performers/artists ever: John Dawson Winter III. Please, stop being absurd and put him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Clearly, none of the "powers that be" have ever gone to a Winter concert. He had more excitement in his little finger than the latest inductees can muster with their whole bodies (with exception of Tina Turner).

In 1980, Winter was on the cover of the first issue of Guitar World. In 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, the first non-African-American performer to be inducted into the Hall. He played with Hendrix and Clapton, produced Muddy Waters, and it is rumored that the Rolling Stones wrote "Silver Train" about him, but oh, no, they can't have someone who epitomizes rock and roll and blues with guitar fierceness in the Hall. That is way too logical!

I read somewhere that Winter got the one he wanted when he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and was excited and proud about that induction. He never really said much about the Rock and Roll Hall or his induction into the organization. So, he can truly RIP with the Blues Hall induction. It is mostly for his avid fans and acknowledgement of his fantastic raw concerts and career that he should be put into Rock and Roll Hall. Not having him as a member of the Rock and Roll Hall, just makes the Hall look unworthy and not deserving of the people's attention. Certainly not Johnny Winter. He is more than worthy and deserving of the fans' attention and to be put into a so-called Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Posted by Veneta on Monday, 05/10/2021 @ 15:47pm


The Rock&Roll
Hall of Fame demonstrates its total )irrelevance and craven commercial nature every year they leave the original ROCK STAR out. Year after year they induct mediocrity after mediocrity while true greatness is just ignored. Say after me, as loud as you can FUR&RHOF.

Posted by Theodore A Bechtold on Saturday, 11/20/2021 @ 22:52pm


You are talking about 2 albino brothers from Texas that played at Woodstock, Johnny , Before Stevie, Revived Muddy Waters , and most other Historic Blues Legends ,
Before Stevie, was the Storm out of Beaumont..
Why would you let a Rookie Musician into their Political,
I mean Musical Selections,
Stevie Ray And Jimmie Lee don't have a prayer of getting in!!!

Posted by Robert Clifton on Tuesday, 11/23/2021 @ 19:37pm


I am shocked that Johnny Winter is not already in the R&R Hall of Fame. I mean I'm having a hard time someone more Rock & Roll than Johnny. Get your act together people.

Posted by Duce on Sunday, 09/24/2023 @ 16:21pm


Played Woodstock, "bedded" Janis, jammed with Jimi, revived Muddy (and others) career, played the Stones better than the Stones, countless albums and shows over 60+ years, revered by every guitar player that ever heard him, and to let him pass on without giving him the trophy that wouldn't exist without his input, shameful.

Posted by Billy Gros on Wednesday, 11/22/2023 @ 18:12pm


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Future Rock Legends is your home for Johnny Winter and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, including year of eligibility, number of nominations, induction chances, essential songs and albums, and an open discussion of their career.


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