Rich Sigberman Art & Illustration

This one will be slight digression from my usual writings about my art. Today’s newspaper had an obituary on Johnny Winter, the great slide-playing guitarist, blues man, and Texas albino. Can you imagine what it must have been like to grow up a cross-eyed (no less!) albino in a rural part of Texas?

I got to see him perform twice, both times at Albany State University in New York, the first time being so memorable that 45 years later, it’s still vivid. I watched the entire concert from a platform that held a spotlight, high above the stage (the “theater” was a converted gymnasium), and Johnny was dressed from his neck down to his feet in a flowing black robe that contrasted sharply with his skin and long white hair. He slinked around on the stage all night, playing his beautifully fluid slide guitar, and looking like some avenging angel. The fact that I had ingested a small amount of a hallucinogen didn’t hurt, either. He was great!

Not long after that, I purchased his “Second Winter” album, at least in part based on the fabulous cover photography. It’s still the only “double album” I know of that had only 3 sides of lp, with one remaining blank!

A few years ago, I happened to hear an interview with him, and was struck by how soft-spoken and modest he seemed. He stuck to his roots, played the blues and rock n’ roll ’til the end.

R.I.P., Johnny Winter!