Tuesday, February 18, 2025

The legendary Howlin’ Wolf was born on this day in 1910

The Chicago blues artist influenced bands such as Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Cream and The Doors

The legendary Howlin’ Wolf was born on this day in 1910



Born Chester Arthur Burnett on June 10, 1910 in White Station, Mississippi, Howlin’ Wolf stands as one of the best Chicago Blues artists ever. Wolf started his career during the 1930’s, and by the 1950’s was considered already a music legend. Singer, guitarist, and harmonica player, Wolf wrote and first recorded some of the best known blues songs ever, many written by another blues legend, Willie Dixon, that became both blues and rock staples including “Back Door Man”, “Smokestack Lightning”, “Spoonful”, “Killing Floor” and “The Red Rooster” (later known as “The Little Red Rooster”.) The Chicago blues music scene was highly influential, and when during the 1950’s and 1960’s black blues musicians found a new audience among white youths, Howlin’ Wolf was among the first to capitalize on it. Several of his songs were covered and also popularized with the then 1960’s emerging and young Rock acts including Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Cream, The Doors and Led Zeppelin among many others, and helped to shape modern rock music during that era. Howlin’ Wolf passed away at age 65 on January 10, 1976 in Hines, Illinois due to complications from a kidney surgery. His strong legacy can still be heard to this day in Rock and Blues biggest acts. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three songs by Howlin’ Wolf in its “500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll, “Smokestack Lightning”, “Spoonful” and “The Red Rooster”, and he was inducted in 1991.



Watch Howlin’ Wolf performing “Killin’ Floor” live



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