Song:Dust My Broom
Album:Alan Lomax Blues Songbook
Howlin' Wolf was one of the most popular bluesmen of the 60s and a primary rival to labelmate Muddy Waters. Wolf was a fierce vocalist and he was over six feet tall and weighed 300 pounds. So he was an imposing figure on the bandstand. He was born Chester Arthur Burnett June 10, 1910 in West Point, MS. The Howlin' Wolf name comes from Chester's reaction to his grandfather's scary stories. Chester was all set to be a farmer like his daddy when he met his idol legendary bluesman Charley Patton and copied Patton's vocal style. Wolf started getting attention when he recorded for Sun Records in 1951. This led to a move to Chicago and a contract with Chess Records. He had several hits in the 50s that are now considered classics and his success continued in the 60s. He even appeared on the TV show Shindig in 1964 when the Rolling Stones insisted on paying tribute to him. I'm not sure of the source of this version of the Elmore James classic Dust My Broom but guitarist Hubert Sumlin and sax player Eddie Shaw are on it so I would guess it was recorded in the mid 60s. There are several Howlin' Wolf comps available on Chess and this various artists comp is good for beginners. Howlin' Wolf's health started to fail in the early 70s with several heart attacks and he died on Jan. 10, 1976 at age 65. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1991 and even has a US postage stamp. Howlin' Wolf was a legend of the blues and his music is essential listening. Here's Howlin' Wolf performing Dust My Broom in the 60s.
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