- Born
- 1910, West Point, Mississippi, United States
- First work
- 1951: Moanin' at Midnight
- Peak
- 1954 to 1964 (estimated)
- Last work
- 1973: The Back Door Wolf
- Died
- 10 January 1976, Hines, United States; aged 66; illness
Howlin' Wolf
Music: singer, guitarist, songwriter, United States
Howlin' Wolf was an American blues singer, guitarist, and harmonica player whose booming voice and towering physical presence made him a titan of electric blues. Emerging from the Mississippi Delta tradition, he was tutored by early greats like Charley Patton before recording seminal early tracks with Sam Phillips in Memphis. Moving to Chicago in 1952, he signed with Chess Records, where he generated a legendary catalogue characterised by hypnotic, one-chord grooves and an astonishingly primal, gravelly timbre. His recordings shaped British rhythm and blues, inspiring acts like the Rolling Stones and Cream. A disciplined and financially shrewd bandleader, he performed until his health failed, dying in Hines, Illinois, in 1976.
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Signature works
- How Many More Years song1951
- Smokestack Lightning song1956
- Moanin' in the Moonlight album1959
- Spoonful song1960
- Howlin' Wolf album1962
- Killing Floor song1964
- The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions album1971
Honours
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, 1991
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 2022
Groups: Chess Records.