Share

Howlin' Wolf biography

1 photo

Quick Facts

  • PLACE OF DEATH: Hines, Illinois
  • Originally: Chester Arthur Burnett
more about Howlin' Wolf

Best Known For

Howlin' Wolf was an American blues singer known for his powerful stage presence. He was one of several musicians who put Chicago-style blues on the map.

Synopsis

Born in Mississippi in 1910, Howlin' Wolf was an American blues singer remembered and celebrated for his electrifying stage presence. Along with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf amplified the Mississippi Delta blues style for urban audiences, forever putting Chicago-style blues on the map. His significance was relatively unknown until the rock and roll band the Rolling songs acknowledged his influence.

Contents

Profile

(born June 20, 1910, West Point, Mississippi, U.S.—died January 10, 1976, Hines, Illinois) American blues singer and composer who was one of the principal exponents of the urban blues style of Chicago.

Burnett was brought up on a cotton plantation; the music he heard was the traditional tunes of the region. He started singing professionally when quite young and in the 1920s and '30s performed throughout Mississippi, playing in small clubs. He was influenced by the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Charley Patton. In the 1940s he went to Arkansas, where there was a flourishing blues tradition, and formed his own group, which included James Cotton and Little Jr. Parker, both of whom became noted blues performers in their own right. Burnett accompanied himself on guitar and harmonica, but his main instrument was his guttural and emotionally suggestive voice, which gave his songs power and authenticity. After his first record, Moanin' at Midnight (1951), became a hit, Burnett moved to Chicago, where he, along with Muddy Waters, made the city a centre for the transformation of the (acoustic) Mississippi Delta blues style into an electrically amplified style for urban audiences. His work was known only to blues audiences until the Rolling Stones and other British and American rock stars of the 1960s and '70s acknowledged his influence. Burnett was noted for his brooding lyrics and his earthy, aggressive stage presence.

Copyright © 1994-2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com

ADVERTISEMENT

GetGlue

9345565 9345565
profile id: 9345565
profile name: Howlin' Wolf
profile occupation:
related profile id: 9345565
related profile name: Howlin' Wolf
related profile occupation:
related profile img: /imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/W/Howlin-Wolf-9345565-1-402.jpg
related profile URL: /people/howlin-wolf-9345565
profile
pop
Your Connections

Sign in with Facebook to see how you and your friends are connected to famous icons.

specific profile connection
See More Bio Connections
Your Friends' Connections
specific friend connection
Profile Connections
    Show More Connections
    Included In These Groups
      142 others

      Famous Black Entertainers

      Browse notable black entertainers such as Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy, and Oprah Winfrey.

      View group

      Famous Black Entertainers 145 people in this group

      47 others

      Musical Monikers

      When musicians land big fame, there typically comes a moment of reinvention in which the 'Rock Star' identity is born. This new persona often requires a new name, a way to differentiate between the private and public versions of themselves. Musical monikers take different forms, from the simple, one-word name—like Madonna—to the glamorized version of a childhood nickname—like Jay-Z. As artists change and grow, these nicknames begin to represent a new self, as full of personality as the artist it represents.

      View group

      Musical Monikers 50 people in this group

      232 others

      Name Changers

      In entertainment, where the line between fiction and reality is often blurry, names are a crucial part of a celebrity's image. Stage names are often chosen to make an actor or musician's name easier to pronounce or remember, or simply to make it sounds more attractive. Here are famous celebrities who have changed their names.

      View group

      Name Changers 235 people in this group

    See all related groups

    Celebrity Connections

    Show More Connections
    Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!