Chester Arthur Burnett, better known by his stage name Howlin’ Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade career, he recorded in genres such as blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and psychedelic rock.
Howlin’ Wolf was born on June 10, 1910, in White Station, Mississippi, to Gertrude Jones and Leon “Dock” Burnett. He would later say that his father was “Ethiopian”, while Jones had Choctaw ancestry on her father’s side. He was named for Chester A. Arthur, the 21st President of the United States. His physique garnered him the nicknames “Big Foot Chester” and “Bull Cow” as a young man: he was 6 feet 3 inches 191 cm tall and often weighed close to 300 pounds 136 kg.
The name “Howlin’ Wolf” originated from Burnett’s maternal grandfather, John Jones, who would admonish him for killing his grandmother’s chicks from reckless squeezing by warning him that wolves in the area would come and get him; the family would continue this by calling Burnett “the Wolf”. The blues historian Paul Oliver wrote that Burnett once claimed to have been given his nickname by his idol Jimmie Rodgers.
Howlin’ Wolf’s top music
Wolf is one of the most important blues artists of the postwar era. He was instrumental in shifting the Southern blues from its rural, acoustic roots to its electric, Chicago-style counterpart. Smokestack Lightnin’, I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline), Sitting On Top Of The World, Spoonful” and Back Door Man are a few of his most loved songs.
Howlin’ Wolf awards
The honorary doctor of arts degree was given to Howlin’ Wolf by Columbia College in Chicago in 1972. The Grammy Hall of Fame Award was created in 1973 to recognize recordings that are at least 25 years old and have “qualitative or historical value.” A Howlin’ Wolf version of “Smokestack Lightning” was chosen for this honor.
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Source: celebfaqs.com
