Howlin’ Wolf

Wolf got his nickname from the bedtime stories his grandfather told about the Big Bad Wolf – and he was as persistent as the howl in his name. The Father of the Blues, Charley Patton, taught him guitar tricks, and country-blues icon Jimmie Rodgers introduced him to yodeling.

Wolf experimented to find his own voice. He tried careers as a farmer and soldier, but they left him cold. Music lit a fire in him. He moved from Ruleville, Mississippi, out to Chicago to hit the big time. Almost instantly, two top record labels started fighting over him. Chess Records won out and signed him, and Wolf took Chicago by storm.

The Rolling Stones, who had covered some of Wolf’s songs, arranged for him to appear on TV in England. It was the first time any Mississippi Delta blues artist appeared in Europe. But certainly not the last.

Wolf mesmerized audiences with his soul-stirring performances, blending electric blues with country. He helped usher in the era of rock and roll, and his howl set the stage for rockers’ cries everywhere.