NEWTON — Johnny Winter hasn’t been in the spotlight in some time, but during his decade-plus long hiatus, he didn’t even realize anything was wrong. It took new manager Paul Nelson’s fresh set of eyes — and a great deal of detox — to get one of the top-100 guitarists of all time back into prime form.
“He’s a living Hendrix,” Nelson said of Winter, who he recently helped beat a 30-plus year methadone addiction. “They both did the same stuff; if Jimi was alive today, this is where he’d be.”
Now that Winter is sober for the first time in nearly half a century, even he admits, “Wow, I was really out of it for a while.”
In his new, clear-headed mind set, the blues man even released a new album, "Roots," and embarked on a nationwide tour — which will stop at Newton Theater on Sept. 13.
“It was like chains coming off him,” Nelson said of the detoxification from methadone. While the drugs have taken their toll and Winter has to sit for most of his shows, he adds, his guitar playing is better than it’s ever been and his voice is as good as ever.
“I just keep getting better,” Winter said during a recent phone call from a tour stop in Canada. Gaining a band mate, manager and friend in Nelson has done a lot to rectify a “really bad” situation, he added.
“It (being clean and sober) definitely makes things better,” Winter said.
Back to his ‘Roots’
Winter’s newest album, "Roots," pays homage to 11 classic blues tracks that inspired Winter as a musician. In turn, nearly all of the tracks include a guest performance from a musician who Johnny inspired.
“He really is an icon,” Nelson said, “so it’s a no-brainer to get people. I just matched them up.”
Guests on the album include Warren Haynes, John Popper, Susan Tedeschi, Vince Gill, Derek Trucks and Winter’s brother Edgar. "Roots II," which is in the works and due out by Christmas, includes a highly-anticipated guest performance from Eric Clapton.
“I’ve gotten to work with some really good people,” Winter said.
At the Sept. 13 Newton Theater show, fans can expect “a lot of old stuff with two or three songs off the 'Roots' album,” Winter said.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. show range from $29 to $39 and can be purchased online at thenewtontheater.com or by calling the box office at 973-383-3700.