Review (PDF) Raisin' Cain: The Wild And Raucous Story Of Johnny Winter (Book)
(Book). Author Mary Lou Sullivan sat with Johnny Winter for hours of exclusive, no-holds-barred interviews, covering the guitar slinger's entire career. From toughing it out in Texas to his appearance at Woodstock, his affair with Janis Joplin, his stadium-filling tours, and washing out on drugs and the temptations of the road before finally fulfilling his dream of becoming a 100-percent pure bluesman, resurrecting the career of Muddy Waters, and winning a Grammy Award for his effort, this is a raucous roller coaster of story. Rolling Stone magazine has called Johnny Winter one of the greatest guitar players of all time. Ripped off and beaten down by unscrupulous managers, strung out, living the extreme highs and extreme lows of an uncompromising musician, Johnny is a true rock 'n' roll survivor. Signing with Columbia in 1969 for the largest advance ever paid a musician (which led to his appearance at Woodstock, recently reissued in the deluxe Woodstock Experience box set) he has jammed with guitar heavies Hendrix, Clapton, and the Allman Brothers. He is a legend and an icon, paving the way for fellow Texas superstars Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top. Along the way he has gone from boom to bust and back again, but has never lost his lust for his own brand of blues. Still on the road, playing hundreds of gigs a year to his devoted, adoring fans, Johnny, like this book, is the real deal.
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Backbeat Books; Reissue edition (April 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0879309733
ISBN-13: 978-0879309732
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #465,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #13 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Sullivan #71 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Musicals #71 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Historical Period > Modern Popular
It took 25 years of Mary Lou Sullivan's persistence and passion to shed light on the true story of legendary blues musician Johnny Winter. In the face of a manipulative manager who felt the truth was better left hidden, the impediment of Winter's failing health, and his own fluctuating enthusiasm for her effort, Sullivan faced a task wrought with obstacles, seemingly endless travels, and relentless research.And boy did it pay off!But, how does one get the understated Johnny Winter to open up for an interview, much less a biography? Well, not easily at all, since the living legend is infamous for his one-word answers and lack of both focus and patience. Yet, somehow, Sullivan not only got the understated Winter to open up for comprehensive interviews, she was welcomed into his home to share his extensive recollections with explicit candor.Sullivan's "Raisin' Can: The Wild and Raucous Story of Johnny Winter" is nothing short of a triumphant depiction of Winter's roller-coaster life from his Texas childhood as a legally blind albino shunned by his schoolmates, a local up-and-coming guitarist searching for his own identity, an accomplished blues musician bucking the industry definition of what "success" is, all the way to finding true contentment as a touring elder statesman of the blues.Winter provides unabashed honesty about his relationships with heavy-hitting contemporaries like Joplin and Hendrix (and their failures to overcome their excesses), the ups and downs of his own addiction and recovery, his cavalier infidelities, the subversive agendas and eventual betrayals by his own management, and much more.
If you're a Johnny Winter fan this book is for you!!! The truth at last! So many great road stories. Very sad stories about how his management shafted him. Talk about the scum of the Earth!!! Good riddance is all I can say!!! They were almost as bad as Hendrix's management (see David Henderson's bio of Hendrix). Glad to hear Johnny is finally being well looked after now. While it's not as detailed as the Hendrix/Henderson bio it's still a very well presented account of Johnny's life. It reminded me a little bit of Randy Poe's bio of Duane Allman. Delighted I know the truth about Johnny now (especially given that Johnny is one of the most honest straight talking artists ever:).Message for Johnny Winter: If you're reading this review Johnny I hope you're happy and well. I play a cherry heritage standard SG with a 14 on the 1st and tuned to open E. I play live blues with my buddies every Sat night in our local pub. I use a "Duane/Coricidin" slide on my ring finger and can play Duane's slide on Statesboro Blues note for note (Fillmore version). I think you're the greatest white blues player ever, even better than Duane Allman and Derek Trucks. I think the bonus disc on 2nd Winter (Deluxe) is just as good as ABB at the Fillmore. I really felt your pain in the book when you met Tommy Shannon and Unc later in your life. You made such great blues with those guys. One element of consolation for you personally is that by letting Tommy & Unc go you inadvertently saved them from 20 years of hell with Steve Paul/Teddy Slatus. For that I admire you greatly. Turns out it was the right decision after all. Hope you sleep better at night looking at it that way Johnny :) When are you going to make an album or tour with Derek Trucks?????
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