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.
Washington Times --“Mr. Winwood kept the rug firmly planted beneath his feet while demonstrating why he remains one of rock's bona fide legends.”
Philadelphia Inquirer --“…after several tunes, the worshipful, near-capacity crowd rewarded Winwood and his crew with standing ovations…”
Washington Post --“[Winwood] was bent over the neck of his guitar and wailing with the abandon of a kid in a music store, a performance that had grown men stomping their feet and screaming as if their team had just scored a touchdown.”
NY Times --“For a couple of hours on Thursday night at the Beacon Theater, Steve Winwood allowed his fans to imagine they lived in a gentler, more joyful world.”