Howlin' Wolf permanently altered the landscape of modern popular music by helping to transform the delta blues into a fierce, electric force. Standing at over six feet tall and weighing three hundred pounds, he possessed a thunderous physical presence that perfectly mirrored the unmatched grit and primal intensity of his ferocious, gravelly voice. His pioneering work alongside guitarist Hubert Sumlin became the essential sonic blueprint for the 1960s British rock explosion, directly anchoring the style and foundational repertoire of future rock icons like the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin.
Of all the Chicago bluesmen who recorded for Chess Records in the fifties and sixties, Howlin’ Wolf may have produced the most affecting music. Howlin' Wolf was a 300-pound powerhouse of a man who was known to wield his size and mean streak when he deemed it necessary. This intimidating image, coupled with a ferocious, otherworldly voice, is what earned him the name “Howlin’ Wolf.”
He was born Chester Arthur Burnett in West Point, Mississippi, in 1910. He was born as one of the poorest of the Southern poor, the son of a Mississippi sharecropper, who in his early adult life seemed destined for a life of sharecropping himself. In 1930, Burnett met the Mississippi Delta blues singer Charley Patton, and Patton instructed Burnett on guitar for a time. In addition to Patton, Burnett admired and drew influence from Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ma Rainey, Lonnie Johnson, and Blind Blake. What would become Howlin’ Wolf’s famous howl started as the singer’s attempt to replicate the yodelling of country singer Rodgers.
During the thirties, Burnett travelled through the South often in the company of other blues singers. When he was 30 years old in 1940, he was drafted into the US Army. He stayed in the army for three years before being discharged in 1943 without having seen action. After his discharge, he returned home for a time to help with farming. He formed a band with guitarists Willie Johnson and Matt “Guitar” Murphy and began performing on the West Memphis, Arkansas, radio station, KWEM. Burnett’s performances on the station brought him to the attention of Sam Phillips of The Memphis Recording Service (later called Sun Records), the same man who would discover Elvis Presley years later.
In 1951, Burnett, now dubbed “Howlin’ Wolf,” recorded the singles “Moanin' After Midnight” and “How Many More Years” for Chess Records, and he relocated to Chicago. Wolf convinced the brilliant blues guitarist, Hubert Sumlin, to join his band in Chicago. With Sumlin on board, Wolf would enter his classic period with terrific singles such as “Smokestack Lightning,” “Little Red Rooster,” “Wang Dang Doodle,” “300 Pounds of Joy,” and “Killing Floor.”
In 1962, Howlin’ Wolf recorded his famous self-titled “rocking chair” album, “Howlin’ Wolf,” a seminal and brilliant recording of Chicago blues. The album was recorded for Chess and included his tight band led by guitarist Sumlin.
Technical Catalog Spotlight: Howlin' Wolf (1962)
Commonly referred to as the rocking chair album, this definitive electric blues masterpiece acts as an essential cornerstone of urban Chicago blues. The stark high-fidelity production flawlessly captures Willie Dixon's driving bass loops and Hubert Sumlin's weeping, angular guitar riffs scratching beneath Wolf's explosive vocal growls and piercing harmonica solos.
- Released: January 1962
- Label: Chess Records
- Producer: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess, Willie Dixon
- Core Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (Vocals, Harmonica), Hubert Sumlin (Guitar), Willie Dixon (Bass), Johnny Jones (Piano)
- Key Tracks: Smokestack Lightning, Little Red Rooster, Spoonful
Other brilliant Howlin’ Wolf albums include “The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions” (1971) and “Ridin’ in the Moonlight” (1982), and the compilations “Moanin’ in the Moonlight” (1959), “The Real Folk Blues” (1965), “Chester Burnett AKA Howlin’ Wolf’” (1972), “Change My Way” (1975), “His Greatest Sides Vol. 1” (1984), “The Chess Box” (1991), “His Best” (1997), and “The Genuine Article” (1997).
Technical Catalog Spotlight: The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (1971)
This historic transatlantic studio summit documents an legendary generational crossover, pairing the patriarch of electric blues with elite British rock royalty. The crisp 1971 production overlays traditional Chess structures with driving, heavy rock drums and crisp piano tracking, capturing a beautifully gritty documentation of his global legacy.
- Released: August 1971
- Label: Chess Records / Rolling Stones Records
- Producer: Norman Dayron
- Core Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (Vocals, Harmonica), Eric Clapton (Guitar), Charlie Watts (Drums), Bill Wyman (Bass)
- Key Tracks: Wang Dang Doodle, Rockin Daddy, Built for Comfort
Technical Catalog Spotlight: The Chess Box (1991)
A monumental, highly authoritative archival box set that serves as the gold standard for historical post-war roots music restoration. The extensive audio transfers carefully scrub away standard tape hiss and acetate noise, beautifully preserving his transition from raw Memphis garage tracking to commanding, high-fidelity Chicago ensemble anthems.
- Released: November 1991
- Label: MCA Records / Chess Records
- Producer: Andy McKaie
- Core Personnel: Howlin' Wolf (Vocals), Hubert Sumlin (Guitar), Willie Steele (Drums), Jody Williams (Guitar)
- Key Tracks: Moanin after Midnight, How Many More Years, Killing Floor
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