Rather than sign The Spencer Davis Group to his own, more ethnically focussed label, Blackwell arranges a record contract for them with the Fontana label. In June 1962 Chris Blackwell founded Island Records to popularise acts from his Jamaican homeland. ‘Blackwell is astonished to find a young English singer who sounds a little like Ray Charles.’ Blackwell is a white Jamaican. Although they may start out as a purist blues act, The Spencer Davis Group swiftly adopts a wider view, taking in not only the blues of John Lee Hooker, but the music of rhythm and blues-flavoured pop singers like Betty Everett.Ī turning point comes when Chris Blackwell catches a gig by The Spencer Davis Group. It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion…There was an emotion and power in that music that teenagers identified with.” The Spencer Davis Group scores a residency at a Birmingham pub, the Golden Eagle. “When I started playing in a blues band,” Steve Winwood says, “I just wanted to bring to a wider public who hadn’t really heard it …I really love the Americans and American musical roots. The act quickly changes its name to The Spencer Davis Group. The Spencer Davis Rhythm ‘N’ Blues Quartet consists of: Spencer Davis (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Steve Winwood (usually referred to as ‘Stevie’ because of his youth) (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Muff Winwood (bass) and Pete York (drums). “I went straight from boy scouts to rock ‘n’ roll, fancy that!” he exclaims. In August 1963, Davis invites the Winwood brothers to join him in a new enterprise. However, Spencer Davis also plays blues in local clubs. He and Muff Winwood occasionally appear with each other’s groups. Spencer Davis, a lecturer at Birmingham University, also has a traditional jazz band. Steve’s interests are broader than jazz, though: “I got thrown out of music school for listening to Fats Domino and Ray Charles.” Steve sometimes sits in with them, supplying piano and vocals. By this time, Steve’s elder brother has an eight-piece mainstream jazz group, The Muff Woody Jazz Band. Steve Winwood’s career in music takes off in 1961 when the 13 year old plays with a trombonist named Rico. He attends Great Barr School in Birmingham. Steve Winwood’s family moves from Handsworth to the semi-rural suburb of Kingstanding while he is ‘still young’. He recalls, “I was brought up a Christian in the Church of England…As a young boy, I was a choir boy and server, and in fact, many of my musical influences come from Hymnals, Psalters and organ music from the English church…In 1962, around the age of 14, I drifted away from the church, although I have always been interested in anything religious and spiritual.” There are other influences in Steve Winwood’s musical background. Soon after, Steve masters the drums and piano as well. When he is 8 he begins playing guitar alongside his brother, Muff, and their father in The Ron Atkinson Band. Steve Winwood becomes interested in swing music and Dixieland jazz as a boy. Steve has an elder brother, Mervyn ‘Muff’ Winwood (born 15 August 1943). Lawrence Winwood is a foundryman by trade but is also a semi-professional musician, playing saxophone and clarinet. He is the son of Lawrence Winwood and his wife, Lillian Winwood (nee Saunders). Stephen Lawrence Winwood is born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England. It does not encompass the lives and other recordings of the musicians Winwood works with in these groups. It includes his work with The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith as well as his solo recordings. It is Steve Winwood’s voice that first brings him to fame – but there is a lot more to him. He then goes on to notoriety as a songwriter and record producer as well. Steve Winwood quickly demonstrates that he is not just a singer he is a formidable keyboards player, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. In reality, the voice comes from a skinny white teenager from England. With eyes closed, he sounds like a middle-aged African-American rhythm and blues singer. The first thing that draws attention to Steve Winwood is his voice. “Well my pad is very messy / And there’s whiskers on my chin / And I’m all hung up on music / And I always play to win” – ’I’m A Man’ (Steve Winwood, Jimmy Miller)
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