Blues Musician. Born Chester Arthur Burnett, he was schooled in Mississippi by Delta blues great, Charlie Patton and by 1949 fronted his own band which started performing on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas alternating between musical performances and pitching farm equipment. At this time he was recorded by Sam Phillips for Sun Records then moved to Chess in 1951. A prominent harmonica player, proficient guitarist and master showman, Wolf penned such blues classics as Sitting On Top Of The World Smokestack Lighting, Tell Me, Killing Floor and Tell Me What I've Done, plus recorded numerous Willie Dixion compositions. The final contribution to his legacy was the 1970 "Howlin' Wolf" London Sessions, recorded with British blues admirers Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ringo "Richie" Starr along with longtime guitarist and friend, Hubert Sumlin. By the mid 70s health problems had taken their toll and his last performance was in November 1975 at the Chicago Amphitheater with B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Little Milton. He entered the Veterans Administration Hospital at Hines, Illinois in mid December and died a month later at age 65 of complications from kidney disease. Howlin' Wolf was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

Blues Musician. Born Chester Arthur Burnett, he was schooled in Mississippi by Delta blues great, Charlie Patton and by 1949 fronted his own band which started performing on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas alternating between musical performances and pitching farm equipment. At this time he was recorded by Sam Phillips for Sun Records then moved to Chess in 1951. A prominent harmonica player, proficient guitarist and master showman, Wolf penned such blues classics as Sitting On Top Of The World Smokestack Lighting, Tell Me, Killing Floor and Tell Me What I've Done, plus recorded numerous Willie Dixion compositions. The final contribution to his legacy was the 1970 "Howlin' Wolf" London Sessions, recorded with British blues admirers Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, and Ringo "Richie" Starr along with longtime guitarist and friend, Hubert Sumlin. By the mid 70s health problems had taken their toll and his last performance was in November 1975 at the Chicago Amphitheater with B.B. King, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Little Milton. He entered the Veterans Administration Hospital at Hines, Illinois in mid December and died a month later at age 65 of complications from kidney disease. Howlin' Wolf was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.