Johnny Winter in 1979

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Johnny's management paid for a full white page with a message from Johnny.

Centered in the middle of the page : "Thanks for all my friends for making 1978 a great year. Wishing you the best for 1979". Johnny's signature was following this message. That year, if I'm not wrong, Johnny won best Blues Guitar Player in the Guitar Player annual poll awards. I think he won 3 times.

his DVD offers a remarkable collection of archival footage showcasing Johnny Winter’s performances from the 1970s. It features live shows from Danish TV (1970), London’s Royal Albert Hall (1970), Germany’s Beat Club (1970), and more iconic venues. Additionally, it includes interviews from Detroit Tubeworks (1970). The DVD captures the essence of Winter's musical journey throughout the decade, making it a definitive document of his career in the '70s.

Band: Johnny Winter Vocals and Guitars, Jon Paris Bass, Bobby Torello Drums.

From the Rockpalast Archives:

Then came Johnny Winter. A few days earlier, we had shown him our recordings of the Rockpalast Concert with Muddy Waters. (Muddy Watersleft his guitar amps over here, Johnny Winter took them and still uses them today). That made him feel so sure of himself that he basically saw no reason at all for them to have to rehearse (We are basically just a three-man band). The rehearsal was also very short. Johnny went on-stage and wanted to play only blues for two hours, but let himself get carried away by the audience and really let go and rocked. After 90 minutes, his tour manager looked at Peter (fascinated and standing on the right side of the stage) questioningly and asked: "Can he continue playing?" The answer was always: "Yes."

Johnny Winter, American singer and star guitarist, today already belongs to the legendary rock stars. The Rockpalast staff are happy about the fact that they were once again able to get him to appear in Europe for a large audience. In recent times, Johnny Winter worked together quite often with the father of the blues, Muddy Waters, whom he greatly respects. Johnny Winter comes from Texas. Because of an article in the Rolling Stone, he was discovered by a New York Club owner, Steve Paul, in 1969 and at the same time, received a lucrative record contract. As a child, he received his first musical impressions listening to the black radio stations. The blues from the Mississippi delta belong to that too. You do not need to say much about his history. There were some short breaks thanks to his health and heroin problems. Otherwise, Johnny Winter lives the blues nowadays.

Setlist:
• 1. Hideaway 9:37
• 2. Messin’
• 3. With The Kid 8:05
• 4. Walking By Myself 8:34
• 5. Mississippi Blues 18:52
• 6. Divin Duck 5:25
• 7. Johnny B. Goode 7:40
• 8. Suzie Q. 13:51
• 9. Whipe Out (Drum Solo) 5:00 with a brief guest appearance of Patti Smith on clarinet
• 10. I'm Ready(Jon Paris on guitar, Johnny Winter on bass) 6:00
• 11. Rockabilly Boogie(Jon Paris on lead Guitar, instruments changed while playing) 6:18
• 12. Medley 15:16
• 13. Jumpin' Jack Flash 4:29

This Rock Palast concert generated four unofficial albums: Johnny B.Goode ( CD) , Live in Essen ( CD) and A Blues Lives Here ( 2LP), Leavin Blues and one official live 2-CD Set: "Blues Rock Legends Vol 3" Although Johnny Winter and his management never authorized a re-broadcast of this TV show, you may find the Rockpalast show being offered on VHS-tape or DVD.

Johnny Winter - Live Rockpalast 1979- Johnny Winter's most memorable Live concert in Europe with the great Bobby Torello on Drums, long awaited and now finally available on DVD and Youtube.

Johnny Winter - Live At Rockpalast 1979 (Full Concert Video):

The concert started much later than announced, but the waiting was made worthwhile by a three hour concert by Johnny and his band.

Johnny Winter opened with the instrumental "Hide Away" of Freddie King, followed by "Messin with the kid", "Walkin by myself" (with Jon Paris playing both bass and harp), and Diving Duck. "Missisipi Blues" of Willie Brown, was followed by a long version of "Suzie Q", to complete the blues part of the concert.

The second part of the concert was rock and roll: "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Let's have a part".

The audience loved the show and after our hands got blue from the hand clapping, the band finally returned to complete the unforgettable evening with: “It's all over now”

In an interview with the Danish newspaper Aktuelt, just before his concert at The Falkoner Theatre in Copenhagen on 9 May 1979, Johnny Winter, the colourful albino guitarist known for his skillful blues playing, reflected on his career and thoughts on music.

Winter candidly admits, "I have never been satisfied with my work until Muddy Waters and I found success together. The last couple of years have been my best—at last, I can play the blues without being booed off stage." He goes on to discuss the resurgence of blues, comparing it to the scene in the late '60s. "Something strange happened in the early '70s—all the blues musicians disappeared, and I don’t know where to. But the blues is back again. A lot of blues people have regained their faith. If Muddy can do it, so can we."

When asked about his rock period with Rick Derringer, Winter explains, "I guess that was what I wanted to do at that time. I always had a special feeling for the blues, but I knew I had to do something different on stage." Today, he feels most confident with his current band, featuring Bob Torello on drums and Jon Paris on bass. "They can play something different all the time—blues, rock—and the freedom I’ve got with that band, I just love it."

While Muddy Waters didn’t join Winter on this tour, Johnny assures fans that the Johnny/Muddy combination will return to Europe soon.

Regarding modern music, Winter is frank: "To be honest, I can't stand modern music. I stopped listening to the radio a long time ago. These days, it's nice to have a good record collection, and I've got that."

Winter, now 34 years old, started playing clarinet at the age of six and formed his first band at 14 with his brother Edgar. He worked hard through the 1960s, but after disappearing from the scene between 1971 and 1973, he faced personal struggles, including drug problems. "For two years, I stopped because of drug issues. I was locked up in a hospital for nine months with no contact with the outside world—the only thing I had was a guitar. I could have killed myself at that time, despite loving my life."

On the dynamics of his band, Winter admits, "I'm a dictator. I can't work with musicians who want to decide too much. All that band meeting stuff—that's not me. But anyway, the two others will write some stuff for the next album." He also confesses, "I'm not a composer. I have to force myself to write music. It's better to play others' music in an original way than to serve up some homemade junk!"

Johnny Winter is set to bring his fiery energy to the stage tonight, captivating the audience with his raw blues sound.

Johnny Winter will play tonight at The Falkoner Theatre Copenhagen 9-5-79.

Synopsis: The Rockpalast Festival brought together iconic acts like J. Geils Band, Patti Smith Group, and Johnny Winter, offering fans a unique chance to experience and compare top-tier rock performances. Behind the scenes, extensive technical preparations by WDR and Tasco ensured the event's success. Johnny Winter’s emotionally charged guitar playing stood out, demonstrating the depth and maturity of his artistry. The festival, broadcast across Europe to millions, cemented Rockpalast’s importance in the rock scene, highlighting the power of musicians who have something meaningful to express.

Read The Full Article in English & German: Spotlight Rockpalast Review