Edgar Holland Winter's first broadcast performance was at age four, singing with his brother Johnny on a local radio show. Nineteen years later, the Winter brothers shared the stage again—this time at Woodstock.​ Acclaimed as the creator of the iconic rock anthem “Frankenstein,” Edgar is a composer, vocalist, bandleader, and self-taught multi-instrumentalist whose work transcends musical genres.

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Edgar left college to play jazz professionally and later joined his brother when Columbia Records offered Johnny a major contract. After Johnny’s first two albums were released, Edgar formed his own rock band, White Trash, whose members included local musicians Jerry LaCroix and Bobby Ramirez. The band’s debut album appeared in 1971, followed in 1972 by Roadwork, which went gold. After White Trash disbanded in 1972, Edgar formed The Edgar Winter Group.

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Their debut album, They Only Come Out at Night (1973), reached Number Three on Billboard’s Hot 200 and stayed on the charts for 80 weeks, ultimately selling more than two million copies. Synthesizers were still in their infancy, and Edgar helped introduce them to rock music with this LP. He also invented the keyboard body strap, allowing him to move freely on stage while playing. The album’s single “Frankenstein” reached Number One on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first hit record to feature a synthesizer as the lead instrument and the most recent rock instrumental to reach Number One. “Frankenstein” was nominated for a Grammy, featured in film and television soundtracks, and—along with “Free Ride”—remains a classic rock staple.

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Among Edgar’s other notable songs are “Keep Playin’ That Rock and Roll,” “We All Had a Real Good Time,” “Dying to Live,” “Autumn,” the funk-driven “Give It Everything You Got,” and his acclaimed rendition of “Tobacco Road.” His saxophone solo is featured on Tina Turner’s classic “The Best,” and he has performed on albums by Meat Loaf, Todd Rundgren, Leon Russell, Michael McDonald, and B.B. King.

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Edgar wrote the title song “Way Down South” for My Cousin Vinny, “Keep on Rockin’” for the film Duets, and “Good Ol’ Shoe” for Wag the Dog. He received a Black Reel Award nomination for Best Song for “Runnin (Livin to Die)” from the documentary Tupac: Resurrection. His music has appeared in more than 15 film and television projects.​ To date, Edgar has released over 20 albums with his bands and collaborators and has toured almost continuously since 1970, including multiple tours with Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band.​ In addition to performing at Woodstock, Edgar and his bands have appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Les Paul Tribute Concert, the Apollo Theater, and the closing-night event at the Fillmore East.

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Edgar won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Brother Johnny, a tribute to his older brother and blues-guitar legend Johnny Winter. The album features nineteen rock and blues luminaries, including Ringo Starr, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons, Keb’ Mo’, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Derek Trucks, and includes two new songs written by Edgar.