Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 28, 1992 TAG: 9203280090
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: LINDA MATYS O'CONNELL THE STAMFORD ADVOCATE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In fact, Winter, a native Texan, picked up stakes about two years ago, abandoning the concrete canyons of Manhattan for sunny California. "We got the skyscraper blues," says Winter, explaining his move to Beverly Hills, Calif., with wife Monique.
She says they moved for "the tranquillity"; he says he was feeling the time for a change, and indeed saw opportunities for his music in Hollywood.
Winter brought the blues-rock sounds of his corner of the South to the nation in the early '70s with a group of Louisiana and Texas musicians known as White Trash. But he says his interests have always run beyond his performing persona.
He has a background in both classical music and jazz, and cut his childhood musical teeth playing ukuleles with brother Johnny - also a musical force - and singing Everly Brothers songs.
"I write a lot of songs that people wouldn't expect to hear a blues-rocker like me do, like black blues and pretty ballads. My manager suggested that I get a publishing deal to make use of some of these songs, and I did," he said.
Winter's association with Windswept Pacific led to the "Cousin Vinny" deal. "There's a lot of competition," he says. "I'm sure they listened to hundreds of songs before they picked mine."
Even though his name is being splashed across the silver screen, Winter says he still loves to perform live. Commenting on his current touring appearances he breaks into what seems to be a signature suppressed stage-shout to announce, "You'll hear everything you ever expected to hear from Edgar Winter," including vintage material from White Trash.
The real treat is that Winter and his backup band are planning to get into the studio beginning in April and are performing material destined for those recording sessions live.
"We're writing songs on the bus and rehearsing them at sound checks - and we'll be presenting them live. They'll be rock 'n' roll road-tested, Winter says. "We didn't want to do a wimpy studio album."
Will success spoil the boy? Winter says performing to a live audience is in his blood. "I'll be doing it till the day I die, whether it's Madison Square Garden or the club on the corner." he says.
"There's no reason to quit. You get some exercise - you get to jump around and sweat."
by CNB