Texas blues icon Johnny Winter, who rose to fame in the late 1960s and '70s with his energetic performances and recordings that included producing his childhood hero Muddy Waters, has died. He was 70.

His representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday that Winter died in a hotel room in Zurich a day earlier. The statement said his wife, family and bandmates were all saddened by the loss of one of the world's finest guitarists.

He had been on an extensive tour this year that brought him to Europe for his last performance Saturday at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria.

His tour schedule also included Canadian dates. Winter was scheduled to perform in Picton, Ont., and Victoriaville, Que., next week.