Chester Arthur Burnett was born in Mississippi on 10 June 1910 and began singing the blues while working on a plantation, after being thrown out by his mother at the age of 13.
After his Army discharge in 1945, Burnett located himself in West Memphis where an early meeting with Charley Patton and harmonica tuition from Sonny Boy Williamson set him firmly on a blues course.
As ‘Howlin’ Wolf’ he cut a series of blistering performances with Sam Phillips at the fledgling Sun Studio and never looked back.
A move to Chicago and Chess Records in the mid-50s sealed his reputation and brought us many memorable tracks, including Smokestack Lightnin’, How Many More Years?, Evil, I Asked For Water She Gave Me Gasoline and Spoonful.
Blessed with a voice likened to “the sound of heavy machinery operating on a gravel road”, The Rolling Stones took his track Little Red Rooster into the UK charts while Spoonful was later immortalised by Cream‘s 1967 cover version.
He was the first of the US bluesmen to record a London Sessions album, which he did in 1971 with guests including Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood.
Howlin’ Wolf died of cancer at the age of 65 on 10 January 1976.
Related Posts
Charlie Feathers Rockabilly pioneer Charlie Feathers was born Charles Arthur Feathers in June 1932 in the hill country near Holly Springs, around 50…
Bo Diddley Otha Ellas Bates was born on 30 December 1928 in McComb, Mississippi, and at the age of five, moved with his…
Willie Dixon Willie Dixon, one of 14 children, was born on 1 July 1915 in Vicksburg, Mississippi. After stints as a gospel…
Junior Wells Junior Wells was born Amos Blakemore in Memphis, Tennessee in 1934. While his parents farmed, Wells took an early interest…
Johnny Ace Born in Memphis on 9 June 1929, Johnny Ace (real name John Marshall Alexander Jr) returned from service in the…
Chet Atkins Chet Atkins was born Chester Burton Atkins in Luttrell, Tennessee, on 20 June 1924. His father was a music teacher…
Johnny Cash He was born J.R. Cash ('John' came later, and 'Johnny' was an invention of Sun Records chief Sam Phillips) in…
Elmore James Despite his brief career - spanning little more than a decade before his early death in 1963 - bluesman Elmore…
