| Kip Winger |
|
| Background information |
| Birth name |
Charles Frederick Kip Winger |
| Born |
June 21, 1961 (1961-06-21) (age 48)
Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Genres |
Experimental rock, rock, classical, glam metal, hard rock, heavy metal |
| Occupations |
Musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments |
Vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, mandolin |
| Years active |
1978 – present |
| Associated acts |
Alice Cooper
Winger |
Kip Winger (born Charles Frederick Kip Winger, June 21, 1961, Denver, Colorado) is an American rock musician, both a member of the hard rock band, Winger, and a solo artist.
Biography
Early days
Kip Winger was born to parents who were both jazz musicians.
He grew up playing in a band named Blackwood Creek, with his brothers Nate and Paul plus friend Peter Fletcher (currently in Pigmy Love Circus). Blackwood Creek broke up in 1980, but have since reformed and are currently ready to release a new album. Kip, his brothers, and Fletcher also played the Denver area bar scene while calling themselves Colorado.
At age 16, Winger began studying classical music after hearing the works of composers such as Debussy, Ravel, and Stravinsky in ballet class. At that time he sent a demo tape to Alan Parsons, from whom he received a personal reply. Years later, when Winger was chosen to be the lead singer of The Alan Parsons Project, he presented Parsons with that letter from 30 years prior.[1]
In 1982, he moved to New York City and waited tables while studying composition with Edgar Grana.[2]
Success
Winger's first commercial break came in 1984, when he co-wrote a song for KIX's third album, Midnite Dynamite. During that time he was working closely with the record producer, Beau Hill, recording bass and vocals on various records. While Reb Beach was working on Fiona Flannigan's Beyond The Pale record at Atlantic, Winger and Beach were introduced to each other, and later began recording demos. Later, in 1985, Winger joined Alice Cooper's band. After making two albums with Cooper, Winger left in March 1987 to focus on his own band.
Winger returned to New York to work on songs with Reb Beach. They were joined by drummer Rod Morgenstein and keyboard player Paul Taylor. They initially performed under the name Sahara, but eventually changed their name to Winger, at Alice Cooper's suggestion.
The band Winger released three of its nine albums (Winger (1988), In the Heart of the Young (1990), and Pull (1993)) before they each moved on to have successful solo careers.
Solo career
Kip Winger then moved to New Mexico to work on his solo career, and study with Richard Hermann at the University of New Mexico. Tragedy struck Winger in 1996 when his first wife, Beatrice, was killed in an automobile accident. He worked and recorded three solo records in Santa Fe, New Mexico: This Conversation Seems Like a Dream, Down Incognito and Songs From The Ocean Floor.
In 2002 Winger moved to Nashville, Tennessee and began working on his fourth solo record, From the Moon to the Sun (2008), which he co-produced with Cenk Eroglu.
In September 2006, Kip reformed Winger, with the Pull era line-up, to record the band's fourth studio album, IV, and to go on tour[3] to support it. During this tour, Winger recorded Winger Live which was released on CD and DVD in 2007. They also released an album of rare tracks and early recordings, Demo Anthology (2007), as well as an autographed limited edition album, Seventeen: The Demos, where only 300 copies were made.
Recent times
Following the release of From the Moon to the Sun, Winger completed a twenty minute symphonic piece, "Ghosts," written for strings, piano, and harp for a ballet commission. The British choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon worked on "Ghosts", the world premiere of which will be with the Tucson Symphony on November 14-15, 2009.
Winger was honored by the United States Government and Military by being presented with an honorary plaque and a historic United States of America flag. He was recognized for his musical composition, "Blue Suede Shoes", honoring the service and sacrifice of the United States armed forces and their families. In a surprise presentation ceremony during the taping of the PBS television program, Legends & Lyrics,[4] General Harold Cross praised Winger for his work on IV.
Winger's new album, 'Karma' is scheduled for release in October 2009. His music will be featured in the upcoming film, Four Month's set for release in 2009.
He has participated, and performed, as head counselor in the Rock Fantasy Camp with other musicians including Roger Daltry, Steven Tyler, Todd Rundgren, Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, Bruce Kulick, Bill Leverty, Steve Lukather, Duff McKagan, Mark Slaughter, Carmine Appice, and Rudy Sarzo.
Most recently, he played with the Sin City Sinners in Las Vegas, Nv.[5]
Personal life
Winger dated the actress Rachel Hunter before she married Rod Stewart. Winger lost his first wife in a car accident in 1996. He has since remarried to Paula Winger and they currently reside in Nashville, Tennessee.
Discography
Albums
Winger
Solo
Other
Videos/DVDs
- Alice Cooper - The Nightmare Returns Tour (1986)
- Winger - The Videos, Vol. 1 (1989)
- Winger - In the Heart of the Young, Vol. 1 (1990)
- Winger - In the Heart of the Young, Vol. 2 (1991)
- Winger - Live in Tokyo (1991)
- Winger - The Making of Pull (1993)
- Various artists - VH1 Metal Mania Stripped Across America Tour Live (2006)
- Winger - "The Making of Winger IV" (2007)
- Winger Live (2007)
- Winger DVD - "Then & Now: The Making of Pull & Winger IV" (2009)
Reviews/Interviews
References
External links
