Winger (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 in New York City, United States |
| Defunct | 1994; 2003 |
| Fate | Disbanded in 1994 and 2003; reunited in 2001 and 2006; farewell tour planned for 2025 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Winger was a hard rock group originating from New York City in 1987. They rose to fame during the late 1980s and early 1990s with two platinum-certified records, Winger and In the Heart of the Young, which included popular tracks such as "Seventeen", "Headed for a Heartbreak", and "Miles Away". In 1990, the band received a nomination for the American Music Award in the category of "Best New Heavy Metal Band". With the emergence of grunge music in the early 1990s, their popularity waned following their third album, Pull released in 1993. The band dissolved in 1994.
In 2001, Winger regrouped for multiple tours. By 2006, the lineup from their 1993 tour—minus Paul Taylor but including John Roth—reassembled to produce IV, marking their first studio effort after more than a decade, which was followed by tours through 2008. Later albums comprised Karma (2009), Better Days Comin' (2014), and their most recent release, Seven (2023). The band has announced plans for a farewell tour in 2025, after which they intend to retire.
1980: Initial use of the Winger name
The earliest recording under the Winger name was a live performance of "Wizard of the Key" at Denver’s Rainbow Music Hall, featured on the compilation KAZY Thunder on the Mountain in 1980. This ensemble included brothers Kip, Nate, and Paul Winger alongside Peter Fletcher, who later became part of L.A.'s Pigmy Love Circus. Paul Taylor and Kip Winger crossed paths during sessions and tours with Alice Cooper.
1987–1994: Peak years and dissolution
Atlantic Records released Winger's self-titled debut album on August 10, 1988. The record earned platinum certification in the United States and gold status in both Japan and Canada. It reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 chart and stayed listed for 63 weeks. Notable singles from this album were "Madalaine," "Seventeen," "Headed for a Heartbreak," and "Hungry." In 1990, Winger secured an American Music Award nomination for Best New Heavy Metal Band.
Their sophomore effort, In the Heart of the Young, achieved one-and-a-half times platinum sales in the U.S. and gold certification in Japan. It featured hit singles like "Can't Get Enuff," "Miles Away," and "Easy Come Easy Go." Following its release, Winger embarked on a global tour lasting thirteen months with over 230 performances, sharing stages with acts such as Kiss, Scorpions, ZZ Top, Extreme, and Slaughter. Exhaustion led to Paul Taylor's departure after this demanding schedule.
The third studio album, Pull, produced by Mike Shipley, was recorded between 1992 and 1993 as a trio. Initially named Blind Revolution Mad, Kip Winger changed it to Pull anticipating negative critical reception. Although its commercial performance lagged behind earlier records, it garnered favorable reviews. John Roth joined as Taylor’s replacement for touring purposes. The timing of this release coincided with grunge's ascendancy, which overshadowed melodic pop-metal styles like Winger’s.
Throughout the 1990s, Winger frequently became a target of satire on MTV’s animated show Beavis and Butt-Head. Creator Mike Judge later dispelled rumors suggesting Kip Winger had requested that jokes about the band be avoided. The character Stewart was often seen wearing a Winger t-shirt during both the original series and its revival.
Following their split in 1994, Kip Winger embarked on a solo career while guitarist Reb Beach toured with Dokken and Alice Cooper before securing a permanent role with Whitesnake in 2002. Other members returned to work as session musicians.
2000–2019: Reunion
In 2001, the original lineup came together once more to record "On the Inside" for The Very Best of Winger. The following year, the group embarked on a U.S. and Canadian tour alongside Poison. Kip Winger highlighted the importance of involving all five original members for this notable reunion. However, in 2003, the band's activities were temporarily halted due to Reb Beach's engagements with Whitesnake, his solo project "Masquerade," and collaborations with The Mob.
On July 16, 2005, Kip Winger took the stage as lead vocalist for the Alan Parsons Live Project during the Common Ground Music Festival. By May 2006, Winger reassembled without Paul Taylor to produce new material and tour across Europe. Their album IV was launched in Europe in October, followed by a tour covering nine countries.
Winger performed on February 25, 2008, at a benefit concert supporting survivors of the Station nightclub fire, which was later aired on VH1 Classic. Toward the end of 2009, they announced plans to record their fifth studio album, Karma, accompanied by a tour.
In April 2014, the band unveiled their sixth studio release, Better Days Comin', which was promoted through previews posted on Kip Winger’s official website and their Facebook page.
2020–present: Seven and farewell tour
As of 2023, Winger remains active, performing in theaters and clubs throughout the United States. During a 2021 interview, guitarist Reb Beach confirmed that work was underway on their seventh album. On March 10, 2023, they revealed plans for the release of Seven, scheduled for May 5, along with debuting the single "Proud Desperado".
The band initiated their farewell tour in 2025, culminating on August 31 at the Rainbow Bar and Grill located in Los Angeles.
Style and influences
Kip Winger characterized the band's sound as one that resonates with musicians, remarking that they were akin to a 'hair band' version of Dream Theater.
Members
- Kip Winger – lead vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards
- Reb Beach – guitar, backing vocals, harmonica
- Rod Morgenstein – drums, percussion, backing vocals, piano
- Paul Taylor – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
- John Roth – guitar, backing vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
- Cenk Eroğlu – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals
Touring substitutes
- Donnie Wayne Smith – guitar, backing vocals
- Howie Simon – guitar, backing vocals
- Timeline
<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:80 top:10 right:0 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1987 till:31/08/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy
Colors =
id:lvocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals,_acoustic_guitar id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards,_piano id:lines1 value:black legend:Studio_album
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:4 start:1987 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1987
BarData =
bar:Kip text:Kip Winger bar:Reb text:Reb Beach bar:John text:John Roth bar:Paul text:Paul Taylor bar:Cenk text:Cenk Eroğlu bar:Rod text:Rod Morgenstein
PlotData=
width:13 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Kip from:start till:01/01/1994 color:keyboards width:3 bar:Kip from:start till:01/01/1994 color:bass width:7 bar:Kip from:start till:01/01/1994 color:lvocals bar:Kip from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2003 color:bass width:3 bar:Kip from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2003 color:lvocals bar:Kip from:01/01/2006 till:end color:keyboards width:3 bar:Kip from:01/01/2006 till:end color:bass width:7 bar:Kip from:01/01/2006 till:end color:lvocals bar:Reb from:start till:01/01/1994 color:guitar bar:Reb from:start till:01/01/1994 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Reb from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2003 color:guitar bar:Reb from:01/01/2001 till:01/01/2003 color:bvocals width:3 bar:Reb from:01/01/2006 till:end color:guitar bar:Reb from:01/01/2006 till:end color:bvocals width:3 bar:Rod from:start till:end color:dru ms
</timeline>
Discography
- Albums in Studio
- Winger (1988)
- In the Heart of the Young (1990)
- Pull (1993)
- IV (2006)
- Karma (2009)
- Better Days Comin' (2014)
- Seven (2023)
External links
- Articles with short description
- Winger (band)
- American musical quartets
- American progressive metal musical groups
- Atlantic Records artists
- Frontiers Records artists
- Glam metal musical groups from New York (state)
- Hard rock musical groups from New York (state)
- Musical groups from New York City
- Musical groups established in 1987
- Musical groups disestablished in 1994
- Musical groups reestablished in 2001
- Musical groups disestablished in 2003
- Musical groups reestablished in 2006