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The best-known Chicago blues musicians include singer-songwriters and bandleaders Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Willie Dixon; guitar players such as Elmore James, Luther Allison, and Buddy Guy; and harp (blues slang for harmonica) players such as Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, and Charlie Musselwhite. Since the 1960s, the Chicago blues ...
- Big Bill Broonzy
- Junior Wells
- Sonny Boy Williamson
- Otis Rush
- Little Walter
- Bo Diddley
- Willie Dixon
- Howlin’ Wolf
- Buddy Guy
- Muddy Waters
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Famous for oft-covered standards like “I Can’t Be Satisfied” and “The Midnight Special,” Big Bill Broonzy (1903 – 1958) was a vital figure in the development of blues music and helped to popularize the genre across America. One of the most versatile artists of his day, Broonzy (born Lee Conley Bradley) played a hybrid of styles, incorporating eleme...
Best known for his signature song, “Messin’ With The Kid,” and the much-acclaimed 1965 album, Hoodoo Man Blues, Junior Wells (1934 – 1998) had a big hand in pioneering the hard-driving, amplified blues harmonica style that became synonymous with Chicago blues. Wells frequently collaborated with guitar virtuoso Buddy Guy, as well as with the likes o...
Dubbed the “Father of Modern Blues Harp,” Sonny Boy Williamson(1914 – 1948) was a true visionary, as one of the few artists to incorporate the harmonica as an expressive, lead instrument. During his brief, yet highly prolific career (cut short when he was killed in a robbery), Williamson played on hundreds of recordings and served as a mentor to ma...
Known for his sizzling, long bent notes, guitarist (and famous lefty) Otis Rush (1934 – 2018) established the “West Side” Chicago blues sound – characterized by smoother, jazz-influenced styles and a robust horn section. Inspired by fellow bluesman Muddy Waters, Rush began his recording career in the mid-50s, scoring a hit with his first single, “I...
Often compared to the likes of Jimi Hendrix or Charlie Parker, harmonica virtuoso Little Walter(1930 – 1968) remains the only artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame specifically for his harmonica skills. In a moment of brilliance, Walter was the first artist to attach a microphone to the harmonica, allowing him to stand out along...
The inventor of the instantly-recognizable five-accent rhythm (“The Bo Diddley Beat”), singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Bo Diddley (1928 – 2008) was pivotal in the development of rock’n’roll. The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee also pioneered a variety of guitar techniques – all of whic...
As the writer of such omnipresent standards as “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” “Hoochie Coochie Man,” “Little Red Rooster” and “You Can’t Judge a Book By Its Cover,” Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Willie Dixon (1915 – 1992) is synonymous with Chicago blues – and rightly so. In addition to his prolific work as a songwriter and perf...
A powerful and magnetic performer, Howlin’ Wolf (1910 – 1976) and his booming voice were a looming presence in the Chicago blues scene. Born in Mississippi, Wolf was a protege of Delta blues legend Charley Patton and established his career in the South before relocating to Chicago. There, he recorded such enduring hits as “Smokestack Lightnin,” “Ki...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Kennedy Center honoree, and multiple Grammy winner Buddy Guy (b. 1936) is one of the most influential guitar players in history. Guy began his career as a session musician, accompanying the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Koko Taylor. He also formed a fruitful partnership with harmonica player Junior We...
Dubbed the “Father of Modern Chicago Blues,” Muddy Waters (1915 – 1983) brought his Delta blues to the North, where he became one of the most important figures in the post-war scene. A six-time Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Waters rose to success in the 50s, recording such blues standards as “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “I’m R...
Learn about the influential Chicago blues musicians who shaped rock 'n' roll, from Muddy Waters to Buddy Guy. Discover their songs, styles, and legacy with uDiscover Music.
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Joined by artists such as Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, and John Lee Hooker, Chicago blues reached an international audience by the late 1950s and early 1960s, directly influencing not only the development of early rock and roll musicians such as Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, but also reaching across the Atlantic to influence both British blues and ...
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- Muddy Waters. 128 votes. More Muddy Waters. Dig Deeper... The Best Muddy Waters Albums of All Time. #189 of 318 on The 300+ Best Rock Singers Of All Time, Ranked.
- Howlin' Wolf. 108 votes. More Howlin' Wolf. Dig Deeper... The 365+ Most Famous Geminis. #405 of 564 on The 250+ Best Singers Of All Time, Ranked. #173 of 1,151 on The Greatest Musical Artists of All Time.
- Johnny lee hooker. 37 votes. More John Lee Hooker. #44 of 385 on The Greatest Lead Guitarists Of All Time. #451 of 564 on The 250+ Best Singers Of All Time, Ranked.
- Little Walter. 76 votes.
- Baby Face Leroy Trio – Rollin’ And Tumblin’ With its polyphonic moaning and humming and its deliriously repetitive riffs, this recording has been described by some critics and scholars as a throwback to the ring shouts enacted by black slaves as rituals of connectedness and celebration.
- Muddy Waters – Hoochie Coochie Man. McKinley Morganfield, also known as Muddy Waters, was inspired to learn guitar as a teenager in Mississippi after seeing Clarksdale Delta blues pioneer Son House play bottleneck slide.
- Howlin’ Wolf – Smokestack Lightnin’ Chester Burnett cut an imposing figure in the Chicago blues clubs of the 50s, being 6ft 3in tall, weighing 275lbs and possessing one of the most extraordinary voices in music – a rasping, ferocious, yet haunting and soulful howl that had earned him the name Howlin’ Wolf.
- Little Walter – Juke. Marion Walter Jacobs, known professionally as Little Walter, revolutionised blues harmonica playing as surely as Jimi Hendrix revolutionised electric guitar.
Jul 14, 2020 · Learn about the history and influence of the Chicago Blues sound, and discover 10 of its most influential artists, such as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Guy. Read their biographies, listen to their songs, and explore their legacy in this article.
1947. Chicago Blues Sound is Created. Chicago Blues was launched by Muddy Waters, who amplified his sound since he couldn't be heard in noisy nightclubs playing an acoustic guitar. Blues Clubs. As artists and entrepreneurs arrived in Chicago, blues culture changed the cultural life of Chicago.
