Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In addition to his solo career, he was a member of the bands the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, and Go.

He was born in the town of Handsworth, close to the British city of Birmingham. He first became interested in swing and Dixieland jazz. He began playing drums, guitar, and piano as a child, and first performed with his father and older brother Muff in the Ron Atkinson Band at the age of eight.[1]

While still a pupil at Great Barr School[2] (which actor Martin Shaw also attended), Winwood was a part of the Birmingham rhythm and blues scene, playing the Hammond B-3 Organ and guitar, backing blues singers such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, Howlin` Wolf, B. B. King, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Eddie Boyd, Otis Spann, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley on their United Kingdom tours (the custom at that time being for US singers to travel solo and be backed by `pick-up` bands). At this time Steve was living in Erdington close to all the Birmingham music halls he used to play.

At the age of 15 Winwood became a member of the Spencer Davis Group[3] with his older brother `Muff` (who later had much success as a record producer). Steve co-wrote and recorded Gimme Some Lovin` and I`m a Man before leaving to form Traffic with Chris Wood, Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason. During this time, Winwood joined forces with guitarist Eric Clapton as part of the one-off group Eric Clapton`s Powerhouse. Songs were recorded for the Elektra label but only three tracks were released on the compilation album, What`s Shakin`.

During the late-1960s, Winwood and Mason became close friends of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix first heard All Along the Watchtower at a party he was invited to by Mason; they recorded the Hendrix version later that night in a London recording studio. Winwood actually only appeared on one track of Electric Ladyland, "Voodoo Chile". In 1969, Winwood once again gave a powerful organ performance on Joe Cocker`s With a Little Help from My Friends and later played keyboards on albums as diverse as Toots & The Maytals` Reggae Got Soul and Howlin` Wolf`s The London Howlin` Wolf Sessions.

In July 2007, Winwood shared the stage with Eric Clapton, in Clapton`s Crossroads Guitar Festival. Among the songs they played together were Presence of the Lord and Can`t Find My Way Home from their Blind Faith days. Winwood played several guitar leads in a 6 song set. The two old friends and bandmates continued their collaboration with a sold-out three night stand at Madison Square Garden in February 2008. On 19 February 2008 Winwood and Clapton released a collaborative EP through iTunes titled Dirty City.

Steve is now slated to tour with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers during Petty`s summer 2008 tour. He also has two concerts with his own band - Jose Neto (guitar), Richard Bailey (drums), Paul Booth (sax, flute and organ), Karl van den Bosch (percussion) - at the Blender Theatre, New York 4 May and Berklee College of Music 8 May. He will also be receiving an Honorary Doctorate there 10 May.

A new studio album, Nine Lives, was released 29 April 2008 on Columbia Records.[6] On 6 May 2008, Steve made a guest appearance on "Late Night with David Letterman," with a blistering rendition of "Dirty City," indeed giving the song a downright dirty sound. The next day, he s