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{{Main article|The Spencer Davis Group}}
[[File:SpencerDavisGroup1966RonKroon2.jpg|thumb|Winwood on organ with Spencer Davis Group (Amsterdam, 1966)]]
At age 14, Winwood (then known as "Stevie" Winwood) became singer and keyboardist of [[the Spencer Davis Group]],<ref>{{cite web |title=It's 'About Time' for Steve Winwood |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/music/2003/07/steve_winwood.shtml |access-date=19 August 2007 |archive-date=29 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229135746/http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/music/2003/07/steve_winwood.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> with his older brother [[Muff Winwood]] on bass, [[Spencer Davis]] on guitar, and [[Pete York]] on drums. Davis had been impressed by the Winwood brothers after he saw them performing as the Muffy Wood Jazz Band at the [[Golden Eagle, Birmingham|Golden Eagle]] in Birmingham.<ref name="Lockley">{{cite news |last1=Lockley |first1=Mike |title=Will legendary Spencer Davis Group reunite for one last gig in Birmingham? |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/legendary-spencer-davis-group-reunite-11614830 |access-date=15 October 2018 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=17 July 2016 |archive-date=16 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016032531/https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/legendary-spencer-davis-group-reunite-11614830 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Spencer Davis Group made their debut at the Eagle and subsequently had a Monday-night residency there.<ref name="H+T">{{cite web |title=Spencer Davis Group / 1965 / Smallbrook Queensway |url=http://www.havillandtravis.com/product/spencer-davis-group-1965-smallbrook-queensway/ |website=Havill & Travis |access-date=15 October 2018 |archive-date=16 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016032614/http://www.havillandtravis.com/product/spencer-davis-group-1965-smallbrook-queensway/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Winwood's distinctive high tenor singing voice and vocal style drew comparisons to Ray Charles.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Greatest Singers of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24161972/page/33 |magazine=Rolling Stone |quote=(Winwood exploded onto the London music scene as a teenager with his powerful, soulful tenor). "I thought he had the greatest voice," said [[Billy Joel]], "this skinny little English kid singing like Ray Charles." |access-date=28 October 2017 |archive-date=23 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723104724/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/24161972/page/33 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 1964, the Spencer Davis Group signed their first recording contract with [[Island Records]]. Producer and founder [[Chris Blackwell]] later said of Winwood, "He was really the cornerstone of Island Records. He's a musical genius and because he was with Island all the other talent really wanted to be with Island."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYU9U4Kw8KI|title=Bono Inducts Chris Blackwell into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|date=13 February 2008 |via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=26 February 2019|archive-date=23 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523081301/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYU9U4Kw8KI|url-status=live}}</ref> The group's first single "[[Dimples (song)|Dimples]]" was released 10 days after Winwood's 16th birthday.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-spencer-davis-group/uk |title=The Spencer Davis Group Discography – UK |website=45cat.com |access-date=18 April 2020 |archive-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220024116/http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-spencer-davis-group/uk |url-status=live }}</ref> The group had two UK [[record chart|No. 1]] singles in late 1965 and early 1966 with "[[Keep on Running]]" and "[[Somebody Help Me]]";<ref>{{Pop Chronicles|52|4}}</ref> the money from this success allowed Winwood to buy his own [[Hammond organ]].<ref name="soul" /> Winwood co-wrote the band's breakthrough hits in America, "[[Gimme Some Lovin']]" and "[[I'm a Man (The Spencer Davis Group song)|I'm a Man]]", both of which went Top 10 in the US and UK in late 1966 and early 1967.<ref>{{cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= 19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited| location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5| page= 143}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| last = Whitburn| first = Joel| authorlink = Joel Whitburn| year = 1991| title = Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990| location = Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin| publisher = [[Record Research]]| isbn = 0-89820-089-X}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/i'm-a-man/ |title=Official Singles Chart Results Matching: I'm a Man |publisher=Official Charts Company}}</ref> Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group in April 1967.
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Winwood met drummer [[Jim Capaldi]], guitarist [[Dave Mason]], and multi-instrumentalist [[Chris Wood (rock musician)|Chris Wood]] when they jammed together at [[The Elbow Room]], a club in [[Aston, Birmingham|Aston]], Birmingham.<ref name="brumbeat">{{cite web|url=http://www.brumbeat.net/traffic.htm|title=Traffic|access-date=4 March 2008|website=Brumbeat.net|archive-date=19 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319095312/http://www.brumbeat.net/traffic.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite AV media notes|title= Traffic Mr. Fantasy 1999 CD liner notes}}</ref> After Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group in April 1967, the quartet formed [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]].<ref name=AMG>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5681/biography|pure_url=yes}} Traffic Biography] [[AllMusic]]</ref> Soon thereafter, they rented a cottage near the rural village of [[Aston Tirrold]], Berkshire (now [[Oxfordshire]]), to write and rehearse new music.<ref name="brumbeat"/><ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00srj7k |title="Steve Winwood: English Soul", BBC4, broadcast 25 February 2011 |publisher=BBC |access-date=2011-09-13}}</ref> This allowed them to escape the city and develop their music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.winwoodfans.com/aston.htm|title=The Traffic Cottage at Aston-Tirrold at winwoodfans.com|access-date=29 September 2014|archive-date=28 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928000557/http://www.winwoodfans.com/aston.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>
Early in Traffic's formation, Winwood and Capaldi formed a songwriting partnership, with Winwood writing music to match Capaldi's lyrics. This partnership was the source of most of Traffic's material, including popular songs such as "[[Paper Sun]]", "No Face, No Name, No Number", "Dear Mr. Fantasy", and "[[The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys (song)|The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys]]", and outlived the band, producing several songs for Winwood's and Capaldi's solo albums. Over the band's history, Winwood performed the majority of their lead vocals, keyboard instruments, and guitars (the latter more so after Mason's departure in 1968). Traffic disbanded in early 1969 after two albums, ''[[Mr. Fantasy]]'' (1967) and ''[[Traffic (Traffic album)|Traffic]]'' (1968), with a third album, ''[[Last Exit (Traffic album)|Last Exit]]'', being issued later that year.
[[File:Blind Faith (1969).jpg|thumb|left|Winwood with Blind Faith (1969)]]
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== Song writing ==
Winwood has spoken very little, publicly, about the origin or meaning of the songs he has written. He has said that "
<ref>p150, {{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/behindmusepoproc0000dema|title=Behind the muse : pop and rock's greatest songwriters talk about their work and inspiration|first=Bill|last=DeMain|date=16 April 2001|publisher=Cranberry Township, PA : Tiny Ripple Books|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>
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