He was an early adopter of the electric guitar that transformed the sound of the Blues. When I think of Chicago Blues, Muddy Waters is top-of-mind.
Photo by thejazzarts.org
Muddy Waters Facts
- Born & bred in Mississippi, Muddy started performing locally with harmonica and guitar as a teenager.
- Muddy’s musical epiphany occurred when he heard his own voice for the first time on an Alan Lomax recording.
- Moved to Chicago in the 1940’s and caught a big break opening for the established Bluesman Big Bill Broonzy.
- Bought his first electric guitar in 1944 which helped popularize the new sound – the Chicago Blues.
- Made his first European tour in 1958 which began introducing “Electric Blues” to Europe and the world.
- Won 6 Grammys in all over the course of the 70’s, the first in 1972 for his album entitled, They Call Me Muddy Waters.
- A member of the Blues Hall of Fame, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“The Blues had a baby and they called it Rock and Roll.” ~ Muddy Waters
My Favorite Muddy Waters Songs
- “Rollin’ Stone” One of the early hits. As the story goes, the Rolling Stones took the name of this tune for their own. (What ever happened to those guys?)
- “Mannish Boy” I love this version. I especially love Johnny Winter’s shouting in the background. (He produced it.)
- “County Jail” A live recording (though there’s no audience presence). It gives a little feel for what seeing Muddy live might have been like.
If I Could Only Have One Album
My choice would be his 1977 album, ‘Hard Again’.
This was Muddy’s first album after leaving Chess Records and it was his first with Johnny Winter producing. That turned out to be a great collaboration because this album won a Grammy!
The collaboration continued, and two of the next three Muddy albums (produced by Johnny) won Grammys as well.
The album is sometimes referred to as Muddy’s *Come Back* album. And, while Muddy had never really left the music scene, this album had a certain energy and snap to it that both fans and critics remembered from his early work.
It’s a great example of Muddy Waters the artist, and Chicago Blues the genre.
Preview Hard Again
A Small Taste
This is a great video of Muddy performing at Chicago’s Checkerboard Lounge in 1981.
It *just so happens* the Stones were in town and they dropped by. Who knew? (Well someone knew – note the empty seats in the front and the cameras!)
Imagine what it must have been like to be in the audience that night?
What fun!
Thanks for reading!
Jon Beres
I’m one part Blues Fan and one part Digital Native (with a dash of Curmudgeon.) I’m also the publisher of AlltheWayBlue.com. If you love the Blues, I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine - cheers!
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