Sad news to report this morning: Multiple sources are reporting that legendary Texas blues guitarist Johnny Winter passed away yesterday in Zurich, Switzerland. The news was broken by Jenda Derringer, wife of former Winter band mate Rick Derringer, via her Facebook account.

Winter was born John Dawson Winter III in Beaumont, Texas on February 23, 1944. Both he and his brother Edgar Winter, who would also go on to rock-stardom, suffered from albinism. Winter started playing guitar at a very young age and was recording by the time he was 15. In December of 1968, the guitarist gained widespread fame after friend Mike Bloomfield invited him to jam onstage at the Fillmore East. Johnny brought down the house and, as a result, Columbia Records signed him to what was at the time the largest advance ever paid to an artist ($600,000).