Johnny Winter: Blues musician who inspired John Lennon, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards dies aged 70

His wife, family and bandmates are all saddened by the loss of their loved one and one of the world’s finest guitarists, » it read. « An official statement with more details shall be issued at the appropriate time. »

He had been on an extensive tour that included Europe. He did his final performance on Saturday (12 July) at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria.

Born 23 February 1944, Winter went onto inspire musicians such as John Lennon, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger – all of whom wrote songs in celebration of him. He also helped revive the careers of the legendary Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker through his collaborations.

Johnny Winter and Janis Joplin

Winter began his recording career at the age of just 15 with his band Johnny And The Jammers, when he released “School Day Blues”. His big break came in December 1968 when Mike Bloomfield invited…