Johnny Winter is an American blues guitar player, singer, and producer. He is the first son of John and Edwina Winter who were responsible for Johnny’s and his younger brother’s, Edgar Winter’s, early music knowledge.
He began performing at a young age with Edgar. His recording career began at the age of 15, when their band Johnny and the Jammers released “School Day Blues” on a Houston record label. During this same period, he could see performances by classic blues artists such as Muddy Waters, B. B. King and Bobby Bland.
Texas guitar celebrity Johnny Winter became a seeming overnight star in 1968 with the release of his first album on Columbia records. Winter was and remains an incendiary guitarist and a gruff, authoritative vocalist. An extremely fluid and dynamic soloist on both standard and slide guitar, his records in the 70’s tended towards rock excess, but by the end of that decade he had returned to a much more pure blues approach which continues today.
In 1968, Johnny began playing in a trio with bass player Tommy Shannon and drummer Uncle John Turner. An article in Rolling Stone magazine written by Larry Sepulvado helped generate interest in the group. The album Johnny Winter was released near the end of that year. In 1969 they performed at numerous rock festivals including Woodstock. Contrary to urban legend, however, Johnny did not perform with Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison on the infamous Hendrix bootleg recording “Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead” done at New York City’s Scene Club.
In 1973, after struggling with a drug problem, he returned to the music scene in standard form with Still Alive and Well, a song written by Rick Derringer saluting Winter for overcoming his dependence.
In 1977, he produced the Muddy Waters album Hard Again, and in 1980, Muddy’s final effort, King Bee. Their partnership produced a number of Grammy-winning recordings throughout, and he recorded the album Nothing but the Blues with members from Muddy Waters’ band.
In 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.
He was on the cover of the first Guitar World in 1980
There are few Johnny Winter albums that are considered “non official.” A part of these albums were produced by the late Roy Ames, proprietor of Home Cooking Records/ Clarity Music Publishing. According to a Houston Press article dated Aug 28, 2003, Johnny Winter left town for the express purpose of getting away from him. Roy Ames died on August 14, 2003 of natural causes at age 66. As Ames left no obvious heirs, the ownership rights of the Ames master recordings remains unclear.
Along the way Winter was instrumental in helping the career rebirth of Muddy Waters, producing and playing on a number of celebrated records. Winter was an important influence on a entire generation of musicians, counting Chris Whitley and Stevie Ray Vaughn
( T. Heyman and wikipedia )

The undisputed king of the blues, B.B. “Blues Boy” King will go down in history as one of the most important electric guitarists and blues singers ever. King’s vocals are smooth and rich as they emote wailing cries and good-hearted humor, while every sound he plays on the guitar is instantly recognizable by his distinct vibrato, vocal guitar style and authorship of hundreds of the most classic blues riffs. Drawing on the single-note playing of T-Bone Walker, King’s style has influenced several of the greatest rock, blues and jazz artists of the latter half of the twentieth century, including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others. Most important is the fact that, with one note, B.B. King can tell a story that touches the deepest roots of your soul.
- Jessy Terry

Big Joe Turner, not to be confused with the great piano player by the same name, could bring a house down with his earth-shaking power vocals. His voice spanned generations — he was an important figure singing Boogie Woogie and Jump-Blues, later rocking audiences with classic early rock ‘n’ roll classics like “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”
- Jessy Terry

Instantly recognizable with his wandering acoustic style and coarse, emotive singing, Lightnin’ Hopkins remains one of the giants of country blues. His career as a bluesman started as far back as the 1920s, jamming with Blind Lemon Jefferson and eventually working as his personal guide, but it wasn’t until the big folk blues boom of the ’60s that he enjoyed any real recognition, cutting hundreds of songs for as many labels and selling-out college coffeehouses all over the country. A nimble craftsman with language, Lightnin’s deeply personal lyrics could be both hilariously funny and starkly harrowing depending on his mood. He was famous for making words up on the spot to fit the occasion, making his live recordings unpredictable and of particular interest. With a staggering body of work that spans from the ’60s right up to his death in the ’80s and includes such classic narrative blues as “Bald Headed Woman” and the eerie “Black Ghost Blues,” Lightnin’ Hopkins is an essential figure in the history and appreciation of the blues.
- Mike McGuirk