Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters was an American blues singer and musician notable for impacting the post-World War II blues scene. Cited as the “father of modern Chicago blues”, he began playing the guitar and the harmonica across Mississippi at the age of seventeen, influenced by blues artists Son House and Robert Johnson. In 1941, he was recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress music folk project, featuring two singles ‘Country Blues’ and ‘I Be’s Troubled’. 

Two years later, the singer moved to Chicago and recorded his debut with Columbia Records and then several albums for Aristocats Records. In the 50s, Muddy Waters and his band produced several blues classics, some with the bassist and songwriter Willie Dixon, such as ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’, and ‘I’m Ready’. In 1958, the musician travelled to Britain and his performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 was documented and released as his first live album ‘At Newport 1960’.  

Muddy Waters’ music has influenced various American musicians in Rock & Roll throughout his career. For example, The Rolling Stones named themselves after his single ‘Rollin’ Stone’, Eric Clapton’s band Cream covered ‘Rollin’ and Tumblin’, and the lyrics of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’ took influence from Water’s track ‘You Need Love’. In 1986, his original ‘Mannish Boy’ was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and featured in their ‘500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll’ list.