At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony on March 15th, Traffic was honored for their contribution to rock and roll music in America. Dave Matthews presented the honor. Members of Traffic performed Dear Mr. Fantasy to the packed ballroom. Winwood also sat in on George Harrison's tribute performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and was part of the all-star finale performance of "Feelin' Alright."
In true rock legend style, Steve Winwood wasn't happy with the confines being placed around him in the music industry, so he changed the rules.
Artistic integrity is Winwood's first and most important ideology. Nothing should divert him from his agenda.
Winwood was 18 when he formed Traffic in 1967. His plaintive, high tenor voice attracted immediate attention. It was a trademark sound that took only a few measures to identify and once heard was hard to forget. Such songs as "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," "Colored Rain," "40,000 Headmen" and "(That Good Old Fashioned) Medicated Goo" ("a song about the '60s"), most of them written in collaboration with the drummer Jim Capaldi, were smart and wear well.