Muddy Waters

Name: McKinley Morganfield
Born/Died: 4th April, 1915 (Issaquena County, Mississippi, USA) – 30th April, 1983

Profile: He was an American blues musician, generally considered 'the Father of Chicago blues'. Blues musicians Big Bill Morganfield and Larry 'Mud Morganfield' Williams are his sons. A major inspiration for the British blues explosion in the 60's, Waters was ranked #17 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. His fondness for playing in mud earned him the nickname 'Muddy' at an early age. He later changed it to 'Muddy Water' and finally 'Muddy Waters'.

History: He started out on harmonica but by the age of 17 he was playing the guitar at parties emulating two blues artists who were extremely popular in the south, Son House and Robert Johnson.  Waters moved to Chicago for the first time in 1940. He played with Silas Green a year later, and then returned to Mississippi. In the early part of the decade he ran a juke joint and performed music there himself.

In 1943, Waters headed back to Chicago with the hope of becoming a full-time professional musician. Big Bill Broonzy, one of the leading bluesmen in Chicago at the time, helped Waters break into the very competitive market by allowing him to open for his shows in the rowdy clubs. In 1945, his uncle Joe Grant gave him his first electric guitar which enabled him to be heard above the noisy crowds.

In 1947, Waters recorded some tunes for Aristocrat, he also played guitar with Sunnyland Slim on piano, but in 1948, songs like 'I Can't Be Satisfied' and 'I Feel Like Going Home' became big hits and his popularity in clubs began to take off. Soon after, Aristocrat changed their label name to Chess Records and Waters' signature tune 'Rollin' Stone' also became a smash hit.

In 1958, Waters headed to England and shocked audiences (whose only previous exposure to blues had come via the acoustic folk/blues sounds of acts such as Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee and Big Bill Broonzy) with his loud, amplified electric guitar and thunderous beat. His performance at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival, recorded and released as his first live album, At Newport 1960, helped turn on a whole new generation to Waters' sound. He expressed dismay when he realized that members of his own race were turning their backs on the genre while a white audience had shown increasing respect for the blues.

Waters' sound was basically Delta blues electrified, but his use of microtones, in both his vocals and slide playing, made it extremely difficult to duplicate and follow correctly.

Influences: Unknown

Axology: Fender Telecaster guitars

Signature song(s): Rollin' Stones - Muddy Waters (The Best of..., 1958)

Link(s):

http://www.muddywaters.com/ (Official website)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO4A6xx65WU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0StecXInguc&feature=related