Howlin' Wolf | Artist

Chester Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf, was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player born 1910 in White Station, Mississippi. Wolf with his booming voice and imposing physical presence, was one of the best-known Chicago blues artists and was responsible for many songs that became blues & rock standards for many bands that followed, including "Smokestack Lightnin'", "Killing Floor", "Spoonful", "Little Red Rooster" and "Wang Dang Doodle". As a child Wolf befriended Mississippi blues legend Charlie Patton who taught him guitar. During the '30s and '40s he played on the small club circuit and was briefly in the Army. In 1951 Howlin' Wolf was discovered by Ike Turner who had him record several songs for Sam Philips at Sun Studios. Philips licensed his work to the Chess brothers who signed Wolf to Chess Records. Howlin' Wolf had a series of hits with songs which fuelled competition between Wolf and fellow blues giant Muddy Waters. Late in his career Wolf was championed by The Rolling Stones, who acknowledged his influence on their music. In total Wolf released eight studio albums, several live albums and 48 Singles. Standout albums include Moanin' in the Moonlight, Howlin' Wolf, Blues From Hell, Big City Blues, The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions and The Chess Master Series compilation. Although functionally illiterate into his forties, Wolf eventually returned to school, first to earn a General Educational Development (GED) diploma and later to study accounting and other business courses to help manage his career. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Howlin' Wolf number 54 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

Artist Website: howlinwolf.com

Featured Albums: Howlin' Wolf

Related Artists: Muddy Waters, Rolling Stones