Posted by (+3157) 3 months ago
George Winston, who was a best-selling musician by playing soothing piano instrumentals in a style that was often described as new age but that he called “rural folk piano,” died on Sunday. He was 74.
George, who grew up in Miles City, attended Edna Stamp’s pre-school and learned to play piano at Esther Benson’s Conservatory. He released his first album, “Ballads and Blues,” in 1972, that includes the song “Miles City Train.” However it was “Autumn,” released in 1980 that propelled his career and his 1994 release, “Forest,” won a Grammy Award for best new age album and he was nominated four other times.
Those nominations were evidence of the range of his musical interests. Two — for “Plains” (1999) and “Montana: A Love Story” (2004) and he was also nominated for best recording for children for “The Velveteen Rabbit” (1984). A band that profoundly affected George and his music was the Doors. An excellent example of his piano and the influence the music of the Doors had upon him is his 2002 album “Night Divides The Day-The Music Of The Doors.”
He grew up in Mississippi, Florida and Montana. He always said that his years in Montana were instrumental in instilling the profound appreciation of nature and the changing seasons that later inspired his music. Even after he left Montana to live in other places, including on the West Coast, he would return occasionally to be re-energized. He recently sold his lot and cabin here in the Pine Hills Ranch Association, his get away where he occasionally stayed when re-energizing.
George Winston was a friend and an extremely nice person whose absence will be missed by all who knew him and especially by all who appreciate fine piano.
[Edited by Hanson (6/8/2023 3:09:47 PM)]
George, who grew up in Miles City, attended Edna Stamp’s pre-school and learned to play piano at Esther Benson’s Conservatory. He released his first album, “Ballads and Blues,” in 1972, that includes the song “Miles City Train.” However it was “Autumn,” released in 1980 that propelled his career and his 1994 release, “Forest,” won a Grammy Award for best new age album and he was nominated four other times.
Those nominations were evidence of the range of his musical interests. Two — for “Plains” (1999) and “Montana: A Love Story” (2004) and he was also nominated for best recording for children for “The Velveteen Rabbit” (1984). A band that profoundly affected George and his music was the Doors. An excellent example of his piano and the influence the music of the Doors had upon him is his 2002 album “Night Divides The Day-The Music Of The Doors.”
He grew up in Mississippi, Florida and Montana. He always said that his years in Montana were instrumental in instilling the profound appreciation of nature and the changing seasons that later inspired his music. Even after he left Montana to live in other places, including on the West Coast, he would return occasionally to be re-energized. He recently sold his lot and cabin here in the Pine Hills Ranch Association, his get away where he occasionally stayed when re-energizing.
George Winston was a friend and an extremely nice person whose absence will be missed by all who knew him and especially by all who appreciate fine piano.
[Edited by Hanson (6/8/2023 3:09:47 PM)]