John Winsor

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Austin musician John Winsor. John was a much loved player who contributed his considerable skills to bands like Sounds del Mar, Carry Illinois, Mike and the Moonpies, What Made Milwaukee Famous, and worked with many more as Sound Engineer at The Mohawk.

For those who would like to celebrate the truly brilliant life of one of the most talented individuals in our incredibly deep music community, the Winsor family invites you to congregate at The Mohawk on Red River in Austin, TX on Wednesday, March 30th at 2pm. Also, John's compadres in Carry Illinois will be playing this Sunday, April 3rd at The Sidewinder. Proceeds from this show will go to The Sims Foundation to help provide life-saving mental health services for Austin's music community.

"The John I knew took everything in stride, always found an opportunity to bring humor to every situation (no matter how ridiculous) & seemed to be impervious to the inevitable lows in life. John was an impressive human being & I admired him greatly. We are devastated by his loss, but also privileged to have known him & to have worked alongside him. We'll never forget you, buddy.
-Mohawk Austin

"If you knew him you loved him and you knew he sure loved you back. He had the sharpest wit, mind boggling licks, and the biggest heart we have ever had the pleasure of being loved by. We will cherish every minute we spent with him because they are some of the most fun, inspirational and real moments of our lives. John Winsor, we miss you dearly. You are gone but never forgotten and we are all better off for having known your beautiful smile. Rest in the everlasting peace you so deserve. We love you so much."
-Sounds del Mar

"John was one of the most generous people I've ever met. He was generous with his talent, and his expertise and his love. A lot of us are really good at making believe we know what we're doing, but John was the real deal. He could take apart your guitar, fix it, make it better and then play circles around you. He was the guy you'd want in your band to explain everything to the people that spoke the language of music. In that way he was irreplaceable. He could play every instrument. And well. And because of his humility, he never made you feel like a hack for not knowing the difference between a diminished and an augmented chord. He just picked it up and made sure everyone got it. The word professional is thrown around a lot, but John was nothing if not a professional. So much so that I feel like this town let him down and he was too good for us all. He played with everyone. And he lent his unique talent to everything he was involved with."
-Andy Bianculli

"You genius brilliant man who it is impossible not to admire, have a crush on, look up to... the list goes on. You are one of a kind. We are lucky to have had you in our lives. May you find the peace you had with music. I promise to continue in that light."
-Sarah Castro

"Days like this make me realize how lucky I am to have music be such a part of my life. It is a passion that has led me to so many great people and experiences. Throughout that journey, few people have influenced/moved/affected/inspired me as much as John Winsor. I met him so early on in my musical life, he then became a staple of every step of my musical education."
-Sammy Wags