Singer, multitalented instrumentalist and songwriter Steve Winwood was born 50 years ago today in Birmingham, England. Rock 'n' roll has been his life since about the time he learned to walk. Winwood played piano as a child and became a guitarist, bassist and drummer in his early teens. At 15, he joined his brother Muff's jazz band and shortly after the two joined the Spencer Davis Group. Steve Winwood co-wrote and sang lead vocals on such Spencer Davis Group classics as "Gimme Some Lovin' " and "I'm a Man." In 1967, he formed Traffic, the on-again-off-again blues-rock-jazz combo. Despite enjoying hits with their first two albums, Traffic contained much friction, mainly between Winwood's jazz leanings and guitarist Dave Mason's pop style. After Traffic disbanded, Winwood joined Eric Clapton, drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Rick Grech to form the short-lived supergroup Blind Faith. When Blind Faith disbanded after one album, Winwood considered going solo, but instead he recorded the most successful Traffic album, John Barleycorn Must Die, in 1970, with remaining bandmembers Chris Wood (sax and flute) and Jim Capaldi (drums). The album was one of the first releases to become a constant on the emerging progressive FM radio stations. Traffic had one more major success with The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (1971), the title track of which was another FM-radio favorite. After a few less-popular albums, Winwood decided to concentrate on a solo career in 1974.

He spent 1976 working with Japanese percussionist Stomu Yamashta and German synthesizer whiz Klaus Schulze and released his self-titled, solo debut album in 1977. But it was the follow-up, Arc of a Diver (1980), that made a big splash. Propelled by the single "While You See a Chance," the album -- on which Winwood played every instrument -- was certified platinum. In 1982, Talking Back to the Night was less of a success. But four years later Winwood hit paydirt when Back In The High Life became a 3 million-seller and its Grammy-winning "Higher Love" topped the U.S. singles chart. Back In The High Life's momentum pushed Winwood's next release, Roll With It (1988), to #1; the latter's title track also topped the singles chart, all despite less-than-enthusiastic reviews. After the comparatively lukewarm response to Refugees of the Heart (1990), Winwood's solo career began to slow down, moving him to reform Traffic with Capaldi in 1994. But the resulting album (Far From Home) and tour were less successful than anticipated. So it was back to the solo life for Winwood. Despite much advance hoopla though, Winwood's Junction Seven (1997) failed to get critics or the public excited and vanished quickly from the charts.

Other birthdays: Burt Bacharach, 69; Ian Dury, 56; Billy Swan, 54; James Purify (James & Bobby Purify), 54; Ian McLagan (Small Faces), 53; Billy Squier, 48; and Billy Duffy (ex-Cult), 39.