Stephen Lawrence Winwood, born in 1948, is an acclaimed English musician and songwriter known for his work in blue-eyed soul, rhythm and blues, blues rock, and pop rock. Renowned for his distinctive high tenor voice, he is also a skilled guitarist, keyboardist, and multi-instrumentalist. Winwood rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s as a key member of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith. His solo career took off in the 1980s with hit singles such as While You See a Chance, Valerie, and the US number one songs Higher Love and Roll with It. In 1986, his album Back in the High Life became a major success. Though his chart successes slowed after the 1980s, Winwood has continued to release new music, including his most recent album, Nine Lives. His song Valerie was notably sampled in the UK chart-topping track Call on Me in 2004. Winwood was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Traffic, has won two Grammy Awards, and received an Ivor Novello Award. In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him among the greatest singers, and in 2025, he was named a Member of the British Empire for his contributions to music.