Steve Winwood – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Steve Winwood Biography

Blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock are some of the musical subgenres that Stephen Lawrence Winwood is known for creating. Winwood is an English musician, singer, and composer. Winwood is best known for his skills as a keyboard player and vocalist, but he is also an accomplished musician of a variety of other instruments, including the drums, mandolin, guitar, bass, and saxophone. His distinctive, soulful high tenor voice has made him famous.

On May 12th, 1948, Winwood was born in the Handsworth neighborhood of Birmingham. The youngster, then only 4 years old, began playing the piano after becoming interested in swing and Dixieland jazz. Soon after, he also began playing the drums and the guitar. In addition to that, he sang in the choir at St. John’s Church of England in Perry Barr. After moving from Handsworth to Kingstanding (Atlantic Road) in Birmingham, Winwood’s family enrolled him in the Great Barr School, which was one of the earliest comprehensive schools in the city. In addition, in order to hone his talents as a pianist, he enrolled in classes at the Birmingham and Midland Institute of Music; nevertheless, he did not finish his program.

In the Ron Atkinson Band, he made his debut when he was only eight years old, performing alongside his father and his older brother Muff.

Winwood was a crucial member of three seminal musical ensembles of the 1960s and 1970s: the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. Starting from the 1980s, his solo career blossomed and he had several hit singles, including “While You See a Chance” (1980) from the album Arc of a Diver and “Valerie” (1982) from Talking Back to the Night (“Valerie” became a hit when it was re-released with a remix from Winwood’s 1987 compilation album Chronicles). His 1986 album Back in the High Life marked his career, with hit singles including “Back in the High Life Again”, “The Finer Things”, and the US Billboard Hot 100 number one hit “Higher Love”. He made it to the top of the Hot 100 again with “Roll With It” (1988) from the album of the same name, with “Holding On” also charting highly during the same year. Even though he didn’t have any more hit singles after the end of the 1980s, he kept putting out new albums up until 2008, when Nine Lives came out.

As a member of Traffic, Winwood was honored with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the year 2004. At the annual BMI London Awards in 2005, Winwood was recognized as a BMI Icon for his “enduring influence on generations of music makers.” This honor was bestowed upon him. Winwood came in at number 33 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 greatest singers of all time in the year 2008. Winwood has been awarded a pair of Grammys in the past. Both in 1988 and 1989, he was put forward for consideration for the Brit Award in the category of Best British Male Artist. In 2011, he was honored by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors with the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection. This award recognizes outstanding song collections.

Steve Winwood Discography

Nine LivesSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
About TimeSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Junction SevenSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Refugees of the HeartSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Roll with ItSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Back in the High LifeSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Talking Back to the NightSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Arc of a DiverSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Steve WinwoodSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Was Steve Winwood Best Selling Album?

Steve Winwood’s best selling album is Back in the High Life. It was released in 1986 and features the hit singles “Higher Love” and “Back in the High Life Again”. The album was a commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and selling over five million copies in the United States.

How Many Top Ten Hits Did Steve Winwood?

Steve Winwood has had multiple top ten hits throughout his musical career. Some of his most popular songs include “Higher Love,” “Roll with It,” and “Back in the High Life Again.” He has also been a member of several successful bands, including Traffic and Blind Faith.

What Is Steve Winwood’S Most Successful Song?

“Higher Love” is Steve Winwood’s most successful song. It was a number one hit in the United States in 1986, and won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Most Searched For Steve Winwood Songs

ValerieSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Higher LoveSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Back In The High Life AgainSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
While You See A ChanceSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Roll With ItSpotifyAppleYouTube
Can’t Find My Way Home – Live from Madison Square GardenSpotifyApple
Arc Of A DiverSpotifyAppleYouTube
The Finer ThingsSpotifyAppleYouTube
Freedom OverspillSpotifyApple
While You See A ChanceSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon