Chester Arthur Burnett, famously known as Howlin’ Wolf, is known for his blues music. He was born in 1910 in West Point, Mississippi and grew up in White Station, Mississippi. He was named after former U.S. President Chester A. Arthur, but his pseudonym was given to him by his uncle. During the 1930s, Wolf was working as a farmer but was also studying with bluesmen Charley Patton and Sonny Boy Williamson and performing in clubs. After he returned home from being stationed in Seattle during World War II, he decided to focus on his music career. In the early 1950s, he signed with Chess Records and moved to Chicago where his music became known for its passionate electric guitar-based sound.
Howlin’ Wolf was functionally illiterate into his 40s and couldn’t read music. But his lack of formal education did not hinder his musical ability or lyric writing. But he later received his GED, studied business and accounting, and in 1971, earned an honorary doctor of arts degree from Columbia College in Chicago. Wolf died in 1976 after experiencing serious heart problems and kidney disease. After his death, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
Howlin’ Wolf’s biggest hits were released in the 1950s and early 1960s, including “Smokestack Lightin,’” “Spoonful,” “Moanin’ at Midnight,” and “Sitting on Top of the World.” Many of his songs became Chicago blues classics. His songs generated even more fame after U.S. and British rock bands started covering them; bands like The Doors, Cream, and The Rolling Stones who remade Wolf’s “Red Rooster.”
In 1956, Wolf broke the R&B charts and became a phenomenon in the Chicago scene and on the road. Although his songs didn’t appear on the national charts, his songs developed decent popularity in the Southern states.
Howlin’ Wolf was a huge influence on blues-based rock artists like the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. In the early 70s, he recorded two albums with some of his British admirers, The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions and London Revisited. Howlin’ Wolf’s distinguishing raspy, textured voice and tough blues style can also be heard in artists from Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band to Led Zeppelin.
Howlin’ Wolf was well liked and favorably thought about during his lifetime, especially in Chicago. Shortly after his death, a life-size statue of him was set up in a Chicago park. Even decades after his death, his face was on a United States postage stamp. And The Howlin’ Wolf Foundation, which supported blues musicians and programs and offered scholarships for students interested in music programs, was established by his step-daughter to maintain and keep Wolf’s legacy alive. Howlin’ Wolf’s animated character and impact on blues music will definitely live on for years to come.
