Stephen Lawrence Winwood, born in 1948 in Birmingham, established himself as a versatile English musician through the influential bands of the 1960s and 1970s. Primarily a keyboard player and guitarist with a distinctive high tenor voice, his career evolved from backing blues legends to fronting the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith.
Early Musical Foundations
Winwood began playing piano at age four, influenced by swing and Dixieland jazz. His father, a semi-professional musician, encouraged his early development. By age eight, he performed with his father and brother Muff in the Ron Atkinson band. As a teenager attending Great Barr School, he participated in the Birmingham blues rock scene, supporting visiting American artists including Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and B.B. King.
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In 1963, Winwood joined the Spencer Davis Group as lead vocalist and keyboardist. The band signed with Island Records in 1964. They achieved significant success in the UK with the chart-topping singles Keep on Running and Somebody Help Me. Winwood later co-wrote their American breakthrough hits Gimme Some Lovin' and I'm a Man before departing the group in April 1967.
Traffic and Blind Faith
Following his departure from the Spencer Davis Group, Winwood formed Traffic with Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, and Chris Wood. The quartet focused on songwriting in a rural Berkshire cottage. Following Traffic's initial disbandment in 1969, he formed the supergroup Blind Faith with Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. The band released one self-titled album that reached the number one spot in both the UK and US charts before dissolving later that year.
Solo Success and Honors
Winwood reached a professional zenith in the 1980s as a solo artist. His 1986 album Back in the High Life produced the US Billboard Hot 100 number one hit Higher Love. He repeated this chart-topping success with Roll with It in 1988. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Traffic. In 2025, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
Fast facts
- Born: 12 May 1948, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Primary Instruments: Hammond C-3 organ, piano, guitar, saxophone, flute
- Member of: The Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, Go, Ginger Baker's Air Force
- Grammy Awards: 2
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction: 2004 (with Traffic)
- Notable 1980s Solo Hits: Higher Love, Roll with It, While You See a Chance
- Most Recent Studio Album: Nine Lives (2008)
- Appointment: Member of the Order of the British Empire (2025)
Questions readers ask
Which bands did Steve Winwood belong to during the 1960s?
He was a member of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith.
What was the highest-charting solo single for Winwood in the US?
He achieved two number one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100: Higher Love in 1986 and Roll with It in 1988.
Achievements
- Instruments: bass guitar, voice and guitar
- Genres: blue-eyed soul, rock music and blues rock
