George Winston

George Winston was an American pianist known for his contemporary instrumental music, particularly his solo piano recordings, achieving significant commercial success. After releasing his debut album, ‘Piano Solos,’ on Takoma Records in 1972, George Winston went on to become a commercially successful American pianist known for his contemporary instrumental music. His career gained significant momentum in 1979 when he signed with Windham Hill Records, leading to his 1980 album, ‘Autumn,’ which quickly became a best-seller for the label. Winston solidified his signature ‘rural folk piano’ style with subsequent releases, including the platinum-selling ‘Winter into Spring’ (1982) and the highly successful triple-platinum album ‘December’ (1982).

Over his prolific career, Winston released 16 solo albums, achieving remarkable sales of over 15 million records worldwide. Expanding his influence in the music industry, Winston founded his own label, Dancing Cat Records, in 1983, primarily to champion Hawaiian slack-key guitar artists. Demonstrating his versatility, he composed the score for the 1984 project ‘The Velveteen Rabbit,’ collaborating with Meryl Streep and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Children’s Music Album. A significant career highlight arrived in 1988 when he provided music for the acclaimed TV miniseries ‘This Is America, Charlie Brown.’ Winston achieved a major milestone in 1994, winning a coveted Grammy Award for Best New Age Album for his critically lauded album ‘Forest.’ Winston continued his prolific recording career with albums that further explored his distinctive sound.

This commitment culminated in the 2017 release of ‘Spring Carousel: A Cancer Research Benefit,’ with all proceeds directly supporting City of Hope Hospital. His later album releases included ‘Restless Wind’ in 2019 and ‘Love Will Come: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2’ in 2020. George Winston’s final album, ‘Night,’ released in 2022, continued his legacy of evocative piano music.