Edgar Winter: Beaumont’s Multi-Instrument Maverick

Today is the birthday of Edgar Winter. He is 80 today.

Edgar Winter was born in Beaumont, Texas on December 28, 1946 — younger brother of Johnny Winter, also born in Beaumont. The Winter brothers were the most musically gifted siblings the Texas Gulf Coast ever produced. Edgar played keyboards, saxophone, guitar, and drums with professional fluency on all of them. He moved to New York and formed the Edgar Winter Group in 1972. The band played a ferocious mix of rock, blues, jazz, and funk that didn’t quite fit any single radio format and didn’t care.

Frankenstein’s Monster Hit

“Frankenstein” hit No. 1 in 1973 and became one of the defining rock instrumentals of the era. Winter played a synthesizer strapped around his neck and ran it through the same rig as his saxophone — nobody had quite done that before. “Free Ride” became a radio staple the same year. His 1975 album Jasmine Nightdreams showed how far beyond the hits his musical interests ran. He has worked in film scoring, classical composition, and gospel throughout his career. Beaumont made two of Texas rock’s most important figures and barely got credit for either. Learn more on Wikipedia.