August Winkler was born to Johan Winkler and his wife (name not found), and grew up for the most part in Graz, Austria. It is hard to imagine that living in Austria during a period of musical revival in the 1880s and 1890s he would not have been exposed to many musical forms. It also seems likely he had the normal lessons in piano and music theory as well, but this is not known for sure. At some point a few years into the new century August spent some time as a resident of Shanghai, China, where a number of Austrian and German expatriates made their home (some continue to into the 21st century). He first arrived in the United States on August 29, 1908, having come over as a waiter working on the S.S. Rotterdam for the Holland-America line. Listing no relatives in the United States, it is unclear what his initial goal was, but Gus soon ended up in Chicago. (Note that there was another Gus Winkler in Chicago in the 1920s, but he was a gangster and should not be confused with this composer.)

In 1912 Winkler year saw the publication of his first pieces, including two songs and one rag, all published in Chicago. Midnight Rag is among his best known pieces, and many copies still exist, indicating it as a brisk seller. It even saw its way to an orchestrated version for period dance orchestras. There is an indication of a Midnight Waltzes as well, but whether it was actually published is still uncertain. The following year saw the publication of a song with soon-to-be famed lyricist Richard Whiting, and his unique Banana Peel Rag, a work which belies his Eastern-European origins in both style and content. For a 1913 trip back to Austria, Winkler listed his occupation as "Music Publisher," indicating that he likely had a staff position with a Chicago publisher — possibly Forster at this time — either arranging, grading or playing music. He may very well have been a song demonstrator since he was often listed as a pianist. Another song appeared in 1915, a moderate hit with a positive message, After the Rain Always Look for the Sunshine. One more appeared during the First World War, and one listing shows a 1919 orchestral arrangement of a piece named Fandango, also published as Fandango: Characteristic Rag, a one-step or two-step.

In mid-1917 Gus was shown on his draft card to be married with two children, and working for the publishing house of Shapiro, Bernstein & Company. He was considered a Declarist, meaning that although he was not a U.S. Citizen, he declared allegiance to the country for the sake of fighting in the war. This is curious since it would have found him fighting against Germany who entered the war in support of Austria when Russia declared against them, but many allegiances were a bit clouded during that time. It is not certain whether Gus actually fought or not, but the appearance of a 1918 composition helps make that seem less likely. In 1920 Winkler was shown to have three children, August F. Jr. (1914), Marie (1916), and Hildegard Lydia (7/12/1917). At some point during the mid-1910s he had met German-born Marie Schmied While Marie and Gus are clearly shown as parents for Hildegard, they nonetheless appear in Chicago records as being married on June 29, 1918, at least a year following her birth. It appears that Marie and August F. originally had a different father, and they were born in Virginia, so they were his stepchildren. Given the context of the situation, the marriage appears to be more about legality than renewing vows, so their status prior to that time remains uncertain. One family tree suggests a 1913 marriage, but no evidence was found to support that contention. On July 11, 1920, Marie gave birth to twins, Louis C. and Henrietta Mae.

Gus died in 1921 after a brief illness stated as "tuber dorsalis/cystits and rectal complications/paralysis" on his death certificate. He is buried in St. Lucas' Cemetery in the Chicago area. Marie remarried around 1925 to Alabama native Joseph L. Frank, a theatrical booking agent according to the 1930 census taken in Chicago. By that time, Marie had a career as an insurance investigator. Her five children took their new stepfather's last name, and little else is known of their situation after that time except that the family relocated to the Nashville, Tennessee area.