Some Blues You Just have to Hear Series: Howling Wolf

Howling Wolf almost sounds like a name that would be given to an X-Men like Wolverine, a primal force of nature to be reckoned with, however it is a nickname that was given to one Chester Arthur Burnett. As the story goes, Chester was born back in 1910 in Mississippi. His parents worked on a plantation and Chester was raised with 5 other siblings. Growing up, Chester’s grandfather used to tell his grandchildren stories about the wolves in Mississippi. It is said that because of the stories of the wolves his grandpa told, whenever Chester got scared he would run “howling” through the house thus earning him the nick name “Howling Wolf” by his mother.

Maybe it was due to all the howling as a child that gave “howling Wolf” that deep harsh bluesy voice that his fans fell in love with. Regardless of how he came about his voice, between that and his ability to make people feel his words through his harmonica and guitar, few could match his onstage charisma and showmanship.

Wolf didn’t get into the Blues world early in life as most. He received his first guitar at 18 and although he played around with his guitar and had great idols in his life to mirror and learn from, it would not be until his late 30’s before he really put any serious thought into performing. Prior to that Wolf served in the Army during World War 1 and then spent the remainder of this time as a farmer. After his father’s death in 49, Wolf began to take the Blues more seriously. Wolf didn’t read music yet wrote the majority of his works. He played the songs in how the song felt to him. Without sheet music, when using back up p[layers or playing with other artist, Wolf would have to demonstrate what he was looking for until the players “got” it.

Chester Arthur Burnett a.k.a. Howling Wolf, died on January 10, 1976 at the young age of 65 due to kidney disease. Wolf made it in the Blues industry, and made it big, even with his late start. A book about Howling Wolf “Moanin’ at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howling Wolf” by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman was awarded the Blues Hall of Fame Classic of Blues Literature Award in 2008. Annually, since 1996, the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point Mississippi holds a Howlin’ Wolf Blues Festival.

Now for a little Howling Wolf to bring back the yester years ~