Johnny featured in May issue of Guitar World

What's really happened to Johnny's life and career during the last several years? You've likely heard the rumors, but now you can get the real story in the current issue of Guitar World magazine.

This fascinating, in-depth article unearths answers to questions of more than a decade's worth of problems with health, business and music -- and it chronicles the rock and blues legend's stunning career comeback.

Can't wait to get to a newsstand? You can view the story by visiting livebluesworld.com.

Johnny heads for the Great White North...

Fresh off a great swing in snowy Massachusetts last weekend, Johnny & Co. will head to Canada this week. The six-show run kicks off in Quebec. A quick rundown of the schedule: Quebec City (3/22), Montreal (3/23), Ottawa (3/24), Toronto (3/26), London (3/27) and Thunder Bay (3/30).

Need ticket and venue info? Check out www.pollstar.com.

The last few weeks have been good ones for Johnny. Earlier this month, he played to a sold-out house in Albany, New York, following up that show with a rousing performance in Westbury, Long Island, New York, where he co-headlined a bill with Leon Russell. Those shows were Johnny's first gigs since a one-night stand March 3 in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

Johnny's comeback continues. His voice has been increasingly stronger and his guitar on fire both night after night, and the crowds have gone wild for two recent additions to Johnny's set: "Miss Ann," which he recorded on 1969's Second Winter, and the Bobby Womack-penned "It's All Over Now."

On the horizon: Once April arrives, look out! Johnny has some huge shows coming up in New Jersey with brother Edgar Winter and guitarist Rick Derringer. Mark these dates on your calendar: Friday, April 6, at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank; and Saturday, April 7, at the Patriot Theater at War Memorial in Trenton.

Johnny's February was a good one: Not only did he turn 63 years old (on Feb. 23), but he sold out nine of his 10 gigs, including two nights at Club B.B. in Mashantucket, Connecticut; three shows in Canada; and his last performance of the month, at New York South in Cocoa Beach, Florida. He also headlined the first night of the City of Clearwater's (Florida) Seafood & Blues Weekend. And speaking of which, that must have been a great time-other performers included Coco Montoya, Eric Sardinas, Chris Beard, Eric Lindell and Tinsley Ellis…

Upcoming shows: Tickets are now on sale for Johnny's June 15 performance at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana, California. They're $29.50 each… Johnny's August 24 show at the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonberry, New Hampshire, is nearly sold out…

Dave Rubin: The Winter of our Content...

LiveBluesWorld.com contributor Dave Rubin reviews Johnny Winter's Feb. 9 performance at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York City.

By Dave Rubin

Johnny Winter ascended the stage at B.B. King’s Blues Club near Times Square on February 9 like blues royalty. After 50 years of dedicating his life to the music while learning from and supporting first-generation Chicago blues legends, in particular Muddy Waters, he has been accorded the same honor and respect. His loyal subjects cheered his appearance and hung on his every note and utterance.

It has been one long, hard road back from the edge of physical and financial collapse that he was approaching following years of abuse and neglectful mismanagement, and the journey is not over yet. However, Johnny grows stronger in body and spirit with each engagement, for which he owes an incalculable debt of gratitude to his new vibrant manager, Paul Nelson. A ferocious and accomplished guitarist in his own right, equally at home playing the real blues or hip progressive rock, Nelson opened the show with Johnny’s regular rhythm section of bassist Scott Spray and drummer Wayne June, and blazed on his Strat to the obvious delight of the crowd. He would graciously retire to the wings when Johnny took his seat at the mike, but in a welcome change from previous shows, Nelson was brought back for a romping encore version of Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now.”

In between, Johnny presented his regular set, including “Hide Away,” “She Likes to Boogie Real Low,” “Blackjack,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Johnny Guitar” and “Tore Down,” with the welcome addition of “Miss Ann.” Time and tides may have diminished the explosive energy that once blew audiences away, but Johnny has replaced the pyrotechnics with tough, deep blues that burn like a banked coal fire, warming and lighting up everything and everybody they touch. The slow blues of Ray Charles’ “Blackjack,” coming after a series of bangin’ shuffles embellished with a textbook full of riffs, afforded Johnny the opportunity to reach way down in his soul for sensuous bends and shimmering vibrato as he crooned the gambler’s lament. One of the finest white blues singers of all time along with Gregg Allman, Johnny can still send a shiver down the spine when he leans into the mike and pours his heart out.

As always, the highlight of any Johnny Winter show occurs when his well-worn 1963 Firebird V is wheeled out to replace the utilitarian Erlewine Lazer that he favors the majority of the time. Its open D tuning was put to the test on Johnny’s own “Mojo Boogie” and Bob Dylan’s classic “Highway 61 Revisited,” which the Texas blues master can now rightfully claim as his own. Sizzling treble licks and growling bass runs skittered off his slider as he recounted Dylan’s take on the Old Testament parable about Abraham.

Though no official poll has been taken, it is likely from their reaction that Johnny’s fans would love to hear him play even more slide, including solo on a National Steel at which he once excelled. We can only hope. In the meantime, every note sung and played is a treat not to be missed.

MYSPACE

Yep, it's a official! Johnny has his own MySpace page now too... Click here >> to check it out!