Happy Birthday Howlin' Wolf!

Chester Arthur Burnett, born June 10, 1910.



Born in White Station near West Point, Mississippi, he was nicknamed "Big Foot" and "Bull Cow" in his early years, and he explained the origin of the name "Howlin' Wolf" thus: "I got that from my grandfather. He used to tell me stories about the wolves in that part of the country." As a youth he listened to Charley Patton, who taught him the rudiments of guitar, as well as to the Mississippi Sheiks, Tommy Johnson and Jimmie Rodgers, whose famous "blue yodel" Burnett integrated into his singing style. His harmonica playing was modelled on that of Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson).

He farmed during the 1930s, served in the United States Army as a radioman in Seattle during World War II, and by 1948 had formed a band which included guitarists Willie Johnson and M. T. Murphy, harmonica-player Junior Parker, a pianist named Destruction, and drummer Willie Steele. He began broadcasting on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas, alternating between performing and pitching farm equipment, and auditioned for Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service in 1951.

One summer day, she went away
She gone and left me, she gone to stay
But now she's gone, and I can't worry
Because I'm sittin' on top of the world.

Worked all the summer, worked all the fall
Had to take Christmas, in my overalls
But now she's gone, and I don't worry
Sittin' on top of the world.

Goin' down to the freight yard, catch me a freight train
I'm gonna leave this town, work done got hard
But now she's gone, and I don't worry
Sittin' on top of the world.