Sure, a new generation of rock fans may only know him through "Frankenstein" on "Guitar Hero II," but veteran rocker Edgar Winter has been serving up a unique and popular blend of blues, rock and jazz for almost 40 years.

Winter and his band play Friday at the Northern Lights Theater inside Potawatomi Bingo Casino along with special guest, "Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor. Showtime is 8 p.m. and general admission tickets are $20.

OnMilwaukee.com talked with Edgar about his storied career, his recent tour with Ringo Starr -- which also stopped in at the Northern Lights Theater this past summer -- and what fans can expect at the show Friday.

OnMilwaukee.com: Considering the breadth and depth of your musical career, does it bother you that many music fans think of you as that "Frankenstein" guy?

Edgar Winter: No, not at all. Part of what I've tried to do throughout my career is broaden musical horizons and make people aware of all the music that's out there. And although I'm primarily thought of as a "rocker," I love jazz and classical as well and I think throughout the years I've made pretty eclectic albums and tried to remain true to the music I believe in and to play a really wide variety of music.

That hasn't been necessarily a calculated crusader campaign on my part, it just happens to be what I naturally do.

I've heard so many classic rock artists talk about how different the music scene is today compared to what it was back in the '60s and '70s. I think that we're all tempted to feel that the era in which we grew up was somehow special, but I really do believe objectively that there were two golden eras in music -- the '40s and '50s for big band, jazz and swing -- and the '60s and '70s for rock. It was a magical time and era.

I've tried throughout my career to most of all play the music that I really believe in -- not to "sell out" and not to succumb to some of the commercial pressures that have exhibited themselves through the record companies -- which is just about over now. There is certainly a new day dawning.

I really feel that the artists are ultimately responsible for the integrity of their music and that's what I've tried to do -- to never forget that. I consider it an honor and a privilege to be able to do what I most love and to have people continue to come out and see my live performances and buy the CDs. I want to thank all my fans out there for their continued support -- I couldn't do it without you.

OMC: What accomplishments are you most proud of in your musical career?

EW: I started and really rose to prominence as a result of playing Woodstock with my brother, Johnny (legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter) in 1969, at the height of the civil rights and peace movement. Woodstock really changed my life. Up to that point, I had considered myself more of a "serious" musician and I think had it not been for Johnny I might have been a jazz guy. My first recording, "Entrance," was a blend of jazz, classical, rock and blues, but music was my own private escape world as a kid and I had an introverted take on music up to the point that I played Woodstock.

When I saw the hundreds of thousands of people united in that special way, it really made me realize that music wasn't just a personal thing and it went far beyond just entertainment -- but that music had the power to really bring people together and to change the world and make the world a better place.

It also made me realize that as a writer and not just a musician, in terms of writing songs that mean something and have a message -- that you can affect change. That is really what led me into the path that I followed thereafter. Woodstock was definitely a life-altering experience for me. With civil rights and the peace movement -- it was an amazing time that helped shape the music as well.

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