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As
a solo artist, Steve Winwood is primarily associated with
the highly polished blue-eyed soul-pop that made him a star
in the '80s. Yet his turn as a slick, upscale mainstay of
adult contemporary radio was simply the latest phase of
a long and varied career, one that's seen the former teenage
R&B shouter move through jazz, psychedelia, blues-rock,
and progressive rock. Possessed of a powerful, utterly distinctive
voice, Winwood was also an excellent keyboardist who remained
an in-demand session musician for most of his career, even
while busy with high-profile projects. That background wasn't
necessarily apparent on his solo records, which established
a viable commercial formula that was tremendously effective
as long as it was executed with commitment.
Stephen Lawrence Winwood was born May 12, 1948, in the Handsworth
area of Birmingham, England. First interested in swing and
Dixieland jazz, he began playing drums, guitar, and piano
as a child, and first performed with his father and older
brother Muff in the Ron Atkinson Band at the age of eight.
During the early '60s, Muff led a locally popular group
called the Muff Woody Jazz Band, and allowed young Steve
to join; eventually they began to add R&B numbers to
their repertoire, and in 1963 the brothers chose to pursue
that music full-time, joining guitarist Spencer Davis to
form the Spencer Davis Group. Although he was only 15, Steve's
vocals were astoundingly soulful and mature, and his skills
at the piano were also advanced beyond his years. Within
a year, he'd played with numerous American blues legends
both in concert and in the studio; in 1965, he also recorded
the solo single "Incense" as the Anglos, crediting
himself as Stevie Anglo. Meanwhile, the Spencer Davis Group
released a handful of classic R&B-styled singles, including
"Keep on Running," "I'm a Man," and
the monumental "Gimme Some Lovin'," which stood
with any of the gritty hardcore soul music coming out of
the American South
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