Howlin' Wolf (10 June 1910 – 10 January 1976), real name Chester Arthur Burnett, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player who had a great influence on blues music.
Burnett worked at a cotton plantation from a young age and thus got to know the raw underbelly of society. After his mother threw him out of the house at the age of 11, he sought shelter with his uncle who then abused him. After two years, he fled his uncle's house and walked 120 kilometres to his father who lovingly took him into his family. His father gave him his first guitar at the age of 18.
After World War II, Burnett got his own radio show at a local station. There, his raw and experienced voice was discovered. Record companies competed to sign him. He signed with Chess Records and moved to Chicago. The young guitarist Hubert Sumlin, who had followed him, became his regular accompanist until his death in 1976.
Together with Muddy Waters, he was the most influential blues musician of the 1950s. With his imposing stature, 1.98 m tall and weighing 130 kilos ("Three hundred pounds of heavenly joy"), his stage presence was impressive. Howlin' Wolf was a great example for the English music generation of the 1960s. For The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page he was an idol. In 1971, he recorded the album London Sessions with, among others, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Although scorned by critics and connoisseurs, it became the best-selling blues album in the world. It introduced whole new generations to the blues for the first time.
In 1973, Howlin’ Wolf recorded the song “Coon on the Moon” for the album The Back Door Wolf, written by band member Eddie Shaw (born in 1937). In this song, Howlin’ Wolf predicted – 35 years in advance – the arrival of a black president. On 20 January 2009, his ‘prophecy’ came true when Barack Obama was sworn in as the first black president of the United States.
Burnett suffered from failing kidneys in the last years of his life. Nevertheless, he continued to perform until shortly before his death. His penultimate concert was one of the most memorable he ever gave. A day later, he performed again at his regular club but had to be taken to hospital afterwards, which he would never leave again. Posthumously, he was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
Chester most likely came up with his stage name Howlin’ Wolf during his youth. His maternal grandfather called him ‘wolf’ because Chester was terrified when Grandpa Jones told stories about wolves in the woods that would get him. Everyone then started calling him ‘Wolf’. ‘Howlin’ was later added by Chester, probably because of his raw voice. Be that as it may: Chester’s voice actually sounded much nicer than that of a howling wolf.
Photo: Public Domain
