| Born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, MS, he is better known as
Muddy Waters, of Stovall Plantation. Muddy became a popular Delta juke joint
player by the mid-1930's, and was recorded by Alan Lomax on a field-recording
trip for the Library of Congress in 1941. He performed "Country Blues,"
Burr Clover Blues" and "I Be's Troubled" solo, in addition to other numbers
accompanied by the Son Sims Four. These are Muddy's first recordings, and
the influence of his mentor Son House is evident throughout. In 1943 Muddy
migrated north to Chicago. There, with the help of fellow migrant and elder
statesman Big Bill Broonzy, Muddy ingratiated himself in the Chicago blues
scene. After a few false starts with the Chess record label, Muddy recorded
"I Can't Be Satisfied," an electric reworking of his older "I Be's Troubled,"
and "Feel Like Going Home," which sold out in a day and rose to No. 11 on
the Billboard R&B charts. Chess stuck with this sound, deciding not to mess
with a winning formula, and by 1951, Muddy Waters came to define the hard-edged,
driving electric blues known as the Chicago sound. His band at this time
and through the 1960's, was a "veritable academy of the blues." Included
in its ranks at one time or another were: guitarists Jimmy Rogers, Luther
Tucker and Earl Hooker (cousin of John Lee); harmonica players Little Walter,
Big Walter Horton, Junior Wells and James Cotton; pianists Memphis Slim,
Otis Spann and Pinetop Perkins and drummer Fred Below. But perhaps the most
valuable band member was bassist Willie Dixon, who also served as an in-house
arranger, songwriter and producer for the Chess label. It was Dixon who
wrote, "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man," which combined the new Chicago sound
with lyrics recalling the Delta past, and became a trademark of Muddy's
repertoire. The later 1960's and 1970's were not as successful for Muddy,
as Chess constantly repackaged him to meet contemporary fads. And while
he did record a great album of live blues at the Newport Folk Festival,
much of these years were marked by tumult. As Muddy said: "They tried to
put me over in another bag, but I just don't fit no other bag." Muddy suffered
a heart attack in his sleep, and died at home on April 30, 1983. His cousin,
Reverend Willie Morganfield, who still delivers blues-like sermons in Clarksdale
every Sunday, survives him. |
