Howlin' Wolf
Howlin' Wolf had a voice like no one else. The big man (6'5" and close to 300 lbs.) was 
born Chester Arthur Burnett in White Station, near West Point, Mississippi, in 1910. He had a rough childhood, moving around between relatives. His early influences include Charley Patton, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Mississippi Sheiks, as well as Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller), who lived with his sister for a while and taught him harmonica. After time in the Army during World War II, Howlin' Wolf moved to Memphis and formed a band called the Houserockers. His regular gig on KWEM radio in West Memphis attracted the attention of famed record producer Sam Phillips. Wolf's recordings for Phillips resulted in Wolf signing 
with Chess Records in 1953. He moved to Chicago and lived there, recording a number of hits, until his death in 1976 from complications associated with kidney disease. Howlin' Wolf was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Three of his songs- Smokestack Lightnin', Spoonful, and Little Red Rooster- are listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. Below are some videos of the great performer Howlin' Wolf, a cover by The Doors, and a clip of Howlin' Wolf from the movie Cadillac Records.
born Chester Arthur Burnett in White Station, near West Point, Mississippi, in 1910. He had a rough childhood, moving around between relatives. His early influences include Charley Patton, Jimmie Rodgers, and the Mississippi Sheiks, as well as Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller), who lived with his sister for a while and taught him harmonica. After time in the Army during World War II, Howlin' Wolf moved to Memphis and formed a band called the Houserockers. His regular gig on KWEM radio in West Memphis attracted the attention of famed record producer Sam Phillips. Wolf's recordings for Phillips resulted in Wolf signing with Chess Records in 1953. He moved to Chicago and lived there, recording a number of hits, until his death in 1976 from complications associated with kidney disease. Howlin' Wolf was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. Three of his songs- Smokestack Lightnin', Spoonful, and Little Red Rooster- are listed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 songs that shaped rock and roll. Below are some videos of the great performer Howlin' Wolf, a cover by The Doors, and a clip of Howlin' Wolf from the movie Cadillac Records.
Howlin' Wolf- How Many More Years (1966)- Son House is in the background
Howlin' Wolf with the Rolling Stones on Shindig (1965)- feel free to ignore the lame band Explosion at the end of the show
Howlin' Wolf segment from movie Cadillac Records (Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf)
Further Reading- Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf- James Segrest and Mark Hoffman