Steve Winwood Biography

Fast Facts

• Became interested in music early on and quickly took up the drums, guitar, piano and organ after learning from his father, a part-time musician, who played the saxophone and clarinet
• Quote: "I would still play if no one listened․"
• Quote: "[On switching gears as he got older] "Although I think there was a perceived changed in direction, I was still doing what I had always done, trying to incorporate jazz, rock and folk into the music․""
• Quote: "[Regarding his time with Traffic] "It wasn't our mission to bring drugs to the world, we were there to bring music to the world․ We worked very hard and all we wanted to do was make music․""
• Began working with Eric Clapton by the late '60s and would soon form Blind Faith by '69
• After becoming weary of constant travel for group tours, he set out on a solo career by the mid-70s and relocated to New York a decade later to work under Island Records and later Virgin Records
• After leaving Spencer Davis Group, he would form Traffic in 1967 shortly after meeting Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason and Chris Wood
• Joined the Spencer Davis Group at 14-years-old and earned enough money to buy his own Hammond organ not long after