Howlin wolf biography early life school

Howlin' Wolf was arguably the most original and distinctly influential blues musician of his generation. A self-driven musician, he rose to be the most revered African American blues artist in Britain.

Early Life

Howlin' Wolf was born on June 10, 1910, in West Point in the US state of Mississippi. His birth name was Chester Arthur, named after the 21st president of the US. His musical nickname Howlin' Wolf was given to him in his childhood. He was one of the six children born to the Burnett’s family. Woolf had a rough start in life.

His parents divorced when he was about one year old. He was then raised by his mother and maternal uncle. Eventually, Wolf ran away from the abusive life he got from his mother and uncle. In 1923, he joined his father.

Like most children born to black plantation workers, Wolf never got any formal school. Instead, he worked on the farm and learned a trade. To him, music was the trade he chose. His father encouraged him to pursue his dream and bought him a guitar when Wolf was 18.

Career

Howlin' Wolf was lucky to have good exposure to blues in his teenage years. Charlie Patton and Sonny Williamson were his great mentors. The two blues legends lived in nearby plantations. Williamson later married Wolf’s sister. His farming life and the musical journey was punctuated by the WW2. Wolf was enlisted in the army and was based in Seattle. Since he could not cope with the harsh life in the military, Wolf was discharged after a nervous breakdown. He returned to his farming life in Mississippi. In 1949, his father passed away. Wolf then left the farm for music.

Staying true to his southern roots, Wolf played his music in the traditional southern style. He did solo performances accompanied with his harmonica and guitar. His early songs were typical of his unique style. He used his variable tones and pitches in his voice to create a distinct voc

American blues musician (1910–1976)

"Chester Burnett" redirects here. For the football player, see Chester Burnett (American football). For the visual artist, see Howling Wolf (Cheyenne). For the disc jockey, see Wolfman Jack.

Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chicago blues, and over a four-decade career, recorded blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and psychedelic rock. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time.

Born into poverty in Mississippi, Burnett became a protégé of Delta blues musician Charley Patton in the 1930s. In the Deep South, he began a solo career by performing with other notable blues musicians of the day. By the end of the decade, he had established himself in the Mississippi Delta. Following a number of legal issues, a stint in prison, and Army service, he was recruited by A&R man Ike Turner to record for producer Sam Phillips in Memphis. His first record "Moanin' at Midnight" (1951) led to a record deal with Chess Records in Chicago. Between 1951 and 1969, six of his songs reached the Billboard R&B charts. His studio

(1910 – 1976)

A towering, larger than life performer with a distinctive, raspy growl, Howlin’ Wolf was among the most influential Blues musicians of the postwar years. A Mississippi native who relocated to Chicago and recorded for that city’s Chess Records, Wolf was at the forefront of transforming the acoustic Blues of the rural South to the electric, urban Blues of Chicago, and he was a particular favorite of many early Blues-influenced Rock musicians, including the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.

Howlin’ Wolf was born Chester Arthur Burnett in the small town of White Station, Mississippi. After his parents spilt up he was sent to live with an uncle who treated him harshly and at age 13 he ran away to live with his father, a sharecropper. Wolf was inspired to play by the many Bluesmen who traveled through the Mississippi Delta, especially Charley Patton. In 1928, after receiving a guitar for a birthday present, Burnett convinced Patton to give him lessons. Wolf was influenced by Patton’s powerful, gravelly singing, a style that naturally suited Wolf, who was over six feet tall and weighed close to 300 pounds.

Soon Burnett was performing in juke joints by night while working his father’s farm by day. Chester made a strong impression on audiences, playing one of the first electric guitars many audience members had ever seen, and accompanying himself with his percussive harmonica playing and emotive singing, growling, and howling – a raw style that earned him the nickname “Howlin’ Wolf.”

In 1941 Wolf was drafted and served three years in the army. He was discharged after suffering a nervous breakdown and by 1948 had settled in West Memphis, Arkansas, and formed an electric band with a hard-edged style. Wolf caught the ear of Sam Phillips, a Memphis recording studio owner who would go on to found the legendary Sun Records, and Philips recorded Wolf and leased some of the sides to Chicago&rs

FolkWorld #72 07/2020

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Howlin' Wolf: Moanin' at Midnight

Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976), known as Howlin' Wolf, was a Chicago blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player. Originally from Mississippi, he moved to Chicago in adulthood and became successful, forming a rivalry with fellow bluesman Muddy Waters. With a booming voice and imposing physical presence, he is one of the best-known Chicago blues artists.