Chester A. Burnett, Howlin' Wolf

Major Works

• The Real Folk Blues (recorded 1956-65, Chess 1966)                     
• Live and Cookin' at Alice's  Restaurant (Chess)
• Big City Blues (United 1966)
• More Real Folk Blues (recorded 1953-57, Chess 1967)                  
• Evil (Chess)
• The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions                                                 
• Howlin' Wolf: Chess Blues (featuring Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and The Rolling Stones)
• Message to the Young (Chess 1971)                                                
• The Legendary Sun
• The Back Door Wolf (Chess 1973)
• Change My Way (Chess 1977)
• Moanin' in the Moonlight (recorded 1951-59, Chess reissue 1987)
• I'm the Wolf (Vogue)
• Cadillac Daddy (Memphis recordings 1952)
• Chicago: 26 Golden Years (Chess)                                                 
• From Early til Late (Blue Night)
• His Greatest Sides Volume 1 (Chess)                                             
• Howlin' Wolf: Moanin' in the Moonlight (Chess)                        
• Going Back Home (British Import)
• Heart Like Railroad Steel: Rare and Unreleased                         
• Recordings Volume 1 (Blues Ball)                                                 
• Ridin' in the Moonlight (Ace)
• Can't Put Me Out: Rare and Unreleased                                       
• Howlin' Wolf  (with Funny Papa)
• Recordings Volume 2 (Blues Ball) 

Hear Spoonful by Howlin' Wolf

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Howlin' Wolf: A Biography
By Dylan Hawkins (SHS)

Howlin' Wolf, born Chester Arthur Burnett, was born in White Station, near West Point, Mississippi, on June 10, 1910.  He was one of six children in his family.  He, along with his brothers and sisters, was raised on a plantation where his parents worked (Contemporary Musicians 111).  When Wolf was a child, his grandfather told him stories of wolves in Mississippi.  Once, something frightened him and he ran howling upstairs, which prompted his family to nickname him Howlin' Wolf.  Wolf's father presented him with his first guitar when he was eighteen. With the exception of the World War I years, during which Wolf served in the Army and was stationed at Seattle, Washington, he spent most of his adult life (until the age of 38)  farming in Arkansas and Mississippi.  It wasn't until his father's death in 1949 that he devoted himself entirely to the blues (Contemporary Musicians 113).

Throughout his young life Wolf had his pick of blues greats for mentors: Charlie Patton lived on a nearby plantation and taught Wolf  much about showmanship. Sonny Boy Williamson married Wolf's stepsister and showed Wolf the ins and outs of the harmonica during the courtship.  Wolf himself was married briefly to Willie Brown's sister.  Wolf's childhood idol was singer Jimmie Rodgers, who was noted for his "blues-yodel."  Wolf tried to emulate the yodel but found that his efforts sounded more like a growl or a howl.  Wolf met legendary Delta blues singer Robert Johnson in Robinsonville, Mississippi, and they played together briefly.  Shortly thereafter Johnson was poisoned by a jealous girlfriend or husband (Withers 59).

Wolf never read music.  He would sit on a metal chair in the studio, wearing big horn-rimmed glasses, shirt open, cradling a beat-up guitar, playing according to what sounded right to him.  Typically, Wolf had to demonstrate what he wanted and run through it until his back-up players understood through sheer instinct.

After nearly a quarter century of remarkable performances throughout the U.S. and abroad, Howlin' Wolf died of complications arising from kidney disease on January 10, 1976, in Chicago hospital; he was sixty-five.   He had sung the blues almost until the time of his death despite his illness; his last public appearance was with renowned guitarist B.B. King at the Chicago Amphitheater in November of 1975.

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Timeline

1910-Howlin' Wolf was born in White Station, near West Point, Mississippi, on June 10.
1928-Wolf received his first guitar.
1930-Wolf married his first wife.
1930-1940-Wolf  toured with Robert Johnson and Sonny Williamson.
1948-Wolf  formed his own band in Memphis, Tennessee.
1949-When Wolf was 38, his father died. Great interest in Blues began.
1950-Wolf married his second wife.
1951-Wolf released his first album on Chess Records.
1952-Wolf left his band and began touring in Europe.
1968-Wolf released The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.
1970-Wolf appeared on the cover of the first issue of Living Blues Magazine.
1971-Wolf appeared in the short film, Wolf.
1972-Wolf received Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Columbia College, Chicago.
1975-Wolf received Montreux Festival Award for Album, Back Door Wolf.  His last public  appearance was this year with B.B. King at the Chicago Amphitheater in November.
1976-Wolf's tour in Europe ended just before he died of complications from kidney disease on January 10. 

Related Websites

Biography of Howlin' Wolf
The Unofficial Web Site for Howlin' Wolf with pictures, lyrics, much more.
Picture of Burnett's grave in Chicago.
Bull Cow Moanin' at Midnight: A Tribute to Howlin' Wolf  Links to audio, stories, discography, etc.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame info on Howlin Wolf
Zipped files of Howlin' Wolf's songs to download.

Bibliography

All Shook Up: Mississippi Roots of American Popular Music.
The Clarion Ledger, September 30, 1992.
Contemporary Musicians Volume 6. 110-113.

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