Page 81 - 72_11PDF_Searchable

HOWJN WOLF

'
“Howlin Wolf, man... he’s the guts of America spilling secure a contract with Sam Phillips’ Sun Records. The masters
out on the floor, that’s all." he cut for Sun, however, were sold to Chess, and he’s been in
Greil Marcus/CREEM Chicago ever since.
His explosive stage presence made his name immediately
Chester Arthur Burnett was born in West Point, Mississippi, familar to those touched by the R&B circuit. Where most of
on June 10, 1910. His early years were spent on the Young his contemporaries performed stiff as stone, the Wolf was the
and Mara cotton plantation, where both his parents were picture of animation. He’s never been content to merely sing
employed, and he quite naturally fell into a farmwork his words; he must bring them fully to life. He roams the stage
vocation. It was a vocation which maintained supremacy until like a lion on a newly-won territory, strutting and miming and,
the man was 38, at which time a decidedly different vocation if necessary, rolling on the floor to pound his songs home. All
took the wheel. of his stage antics are designed to draw attention to a voice
His alter- ego was the blues, and it came as naturally to imposing, always menacing but always true — that would — be
Chester Burnett as had farming. The Delta farmlands were rich no less intense were it issued from a wheelchair.
with the music. Church socials, community fish-fries, or iust Wolf has succeeded where scores of others have failed
plain back porches; any time people gathered together, blues unnoticed because his presence stands right up and demands
-
was a primary by product. His father presented him with his recognition. He is one of the few bluesmen whose power has
first guitar in 1928, and the battle was on. transcended the limitations of the genre, and has made its
Wolf didn ’ t go begging for influences. His first (and perhaps force unavoidable on the face of all popular American musics.
foremost) influence was legendary bluesman Charlie Patton, Even when the Rolling Stones record one of his tunes, you’ll
who lived on a nearby plantation. He was impressed by always be aware that they’re doing a Howlin ’ Wolf number.
Patton’s singing and guitar playing, but moved primarily by his Did you know that “It’s All Over Now” was a Bobby Womack
showmanship. (This concern for show and dynamics has song before he came along to tell you so?
played a large part in the Wolfs success, serving to The Sixties brought an increasingly wider recognition of his
conclusively distinguish him among the thousands of his work. His material seemed perfectly suited for the marriage of
peers.) He was taught the rudiments of harmonica by Sonny black blues and white rock and roll, and bands as diverse as the
Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), who married his stepsister in the Blues Project and the Doors (“Back Door Man ”), the Stones
early Thirties. (Little Red Rooster ), Cream (“Sittin On Top of the
*
**
Although farming occupied a large part of Burnett’s time, World”), the Yardbirds (“Smokestack Lightning ”) and Jeff
the travel stories of Charlie Patton inspired more than a few Beck (“Ain’t Superstitious”) helped place his name in the
part-time expeditions. He began hitting the road more and everyday vocabulary of a whole new generation of enthusiasts.
more often as the Twenties waned, like a young Bob Dylan A “psychedelic” album cut in 1968 (as a companion disaster
'
following the paths of Woody Guthrie. On such excursions to Muddy Waters Electric Mud) did nothing to further the
he ’ d meet (and learn from) such as Robert Johnson, but he cause, but a series of recent sessions in London fared
-
paid for those fringe benefits: the memories of playing from 7
considerably better: amidst a star studded aggregation which
— and after a tour of duty in the Army - that his music won included Eric Clapton, Stevie Winwood, Bill Wyman and
P.M. to 7 A.M. for 50c do not fade easily. It wasn’t until 1948
Charlie Watts, the Wolf conclusively demonstrated his
out and he hit the road for good.
A series of physical setbacks have slowed him down slightly
Burnett adopted the name Howlin’ Wolf (which was supremacy. He takes a back seat to nobody.
borrowed from an older, and now almost completely in the last couple of years, and the purchase of some land in
forgotten, bluesman) very early in the game and it took his native Delta country might suggest that he’ll soon abandon
Chester Burnett to breathe life into that affectation. With his Chicago for the comforts of his organic home. These
massive frame and ominous overtones, he was the Howlin ' developments, however, have not reduced his compulsion to
Wolf. Nobody who has ever seen Howlin’ Wolf - even at the perform. Whenever possible, you’ll find him up there on stage,
earliest stages of his career - can deny that the power which doing what he’s been doing better than anybody for the last
the man wields is equal to every inch of the name which he
claimed for himself. 45 years. And we are all the better for it.
This past June, Chester Burnett was awarded an honorary
-
He was touring the South with an all electric band and Doctor of Arts degree from Chicago s Columbia College. The
'
doing an occasional radio broadcast (which, at that time, was citation read: “Premiere man of American Music, you have
the most powerful medium a bluesman could command to sung and made songs of hard- time blues and mighty joys that
further his name and influence) when he grabbed the attention cry to make the world fair.”
of Ike Turner, then a young A&R man for the West Somehow even the word “premiere ” seems awfully small
-
Coast based RPM Records. Turner produced the first when you’re talking about Howlin ’ Wolf.
Howlin ’ Wolf sides for that label, which were then used to Ben Edmonds
November. 1972 81