By Darragh Doiron
“Get ready to rock and roll,” Edgar Winter howled.
It’s not a quote, it’s a promise.
The Beaumont-born musician and his brother, Johnny, rose to international fame in the 1970s in independent careers. Winter will be inducted into the Museum of the Gulf Coast’s Music Hall of Fame on Saturday, Jan. 19. He’ll come “home” to attend the concert, but isn’t scheduled to perform.
From his Beverly Hills home, Winter’s cool, steady voice sounded excited as he spoke over the phone about his upcoming visit. After chatting on this and that, and how this Texan considers himself a “Beverly Hillbilly,” Winter gave one final message to fans. It was the “get ready to rock and roll” warning that made his voice rise from conversational tones to a rousing rebel yell.
Winter said he’s honored to be inducted, but he won’t be playing any of the instruments he’s mastered because he couldn’t get his band together in time.
“If I had known more in advance, I would have loved to perform. We really didn’t have enough time. I’ll just be here,” Winter said.
Though he and his wife, Monique, expect to see Winter’s family while in the area, he said he hadn’t yet formed a list of must-make stops for food or entertainment.
“It’s so different now when I came back that I really don’t know where anything is anymore,” Winter said.
Winter was known as a child prodigy and has since worked in music, film and television. He’s written music for several genres and performed with his band, White Trash. In 1972 he formed the Edgar Winter Group that created the No. 1 “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.” “They Only Come Out at Night” peaked at the No. 3 position and stayed on the charts 80 weeks.
Winter invented a the keyboard body strap and was the first to feature a synthesizer as the main instrument in a song. He’s worked on more than 20 albums and toured with Ring Starr’s All-Starr Band.
He credits his Southeast Texas upbringing for exposure to great musical rhythms.
“I’d just like to say that I think it’s wonderful that the Museum of the Gulf Coast is helping to keep the musical tradition here, especially in Texas and Louisiana, alive and well. I’m really proud and humbled at the same time … proud to be a part of the great Gulf Coast Musical Heritage,” he said.
“The museum has illustrious inductees as Janis and of course my brother, Johnny Winter,” Winter said. “My big brother Johnny, of course, is really more of the blues band. I’ve always played a really wide variety of music from jazz to classical rock.”
Winter said it’s important keep the music playing.
“I think it’s really important that we not lose this and that there is a great musical tradition here. It’s something that we need to be aware of. It belongs to us and it’s hours. It’s generation to generation, such heart and soul,” he said.
The Music Hall of Fame concert will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center on the Lamar State College-Port Arthur campus, 1800 Lakeshore Drive.
Edgar Winter and The Clique will be inducted into the Music Hall of Fame at the show. Performers will include the Beat Daddys from Mississippi Mitrovich and 98 in the Shade.
Advance general admission tickets are $20 at the following locations until noon, Friday, Jan. 18, at The Museum of the Gulf Coast in Port Arthur, A&S; Music in Nederland, Swicegood Music in Beaumont and the Penny Record in Bridge City. General admission tickets will be available the date of the show at the Multipurpose Center for $22. Children 12 and younger, accompanied by an adult, will be admitted free.
The event raises funds for the Gulf Coast Music Hall of Fame exhibit at the Museum of the Gulf Coast which showcases memorabilia of area artists including Janis Joplin, Tex Ritter, George Jones, Mark Chesnutt, Tracy Bird and The Fabulous Boogie Kings.
For information on the concert, call Don Ball at 722-3699.
Contact this reporter at ddoiron@panews.com.
