Muddy Waters was born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on April 4, 1915. He grew up in Clarksdale, where he learned to play the guitar and harmonica by the time he was seventeen. Working on a plantation, he built a reputation as a bluesman and a moonshine bootlegger, known by the name of Muddy Waters.
Some of Waters’ earliest influences were two men who we have already learned about at Guitar 101, the blues masters Robert Johnson and Son House. Their influences can be heard throughout Waters’ recordings.
Waters was first recorded by Alan Lomax, the Library of Congress man who was scouring the South in an attempt to compile a blues archive. Lomax was tipped off to the playing abilities of Waters while he was asking around for Robert Johnson. Johnson had already been dead three years, but Lomax’s inquiries led him to a bluesman who supposedly played like Johnson. When Lomax finally reached Waters, he recorded thirteen of his songs over a two-year period.
The early recordings of Muddy Waters revealed a powerful potential. His deep growl and serious slide work were captivating; a barely-controlled energy seemed to lie just below the surface, fighting to be released.
As was common with the bluesmen of the time, Waters studied under the direction of another bluesman, Big Bill Broonzy, in 1943. Broonzy brought Waters to Chicago, where he received his first electric guitar.
After recording a few unsuccessful albums, Waters was signed by the now-famous Chess label. His first cut, “Louisiana Blues,” was a big hit, with his heavily-amplified guitar and Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica.
Just like Big Bill Broonzy had taken Waters under his wing, Muddy Waters mentored many young bluesmen who came his way over the years. He built up a band of some of his acquaintances, with Little Walter continuing to play harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elga Edmonds on drums, and pianist Otis Spann. With this lineup Waters began breaking ground with his new R&B/blues style, performing hits like “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man.”
Waters’ influence cut across all boundaries. Many up and coming rock and roll bands in the ‘60s were intrigued by the commanding tone of Waters’ lyrics and guitar playing. Waters also took time to collaborate with many guitar players of his time, spreading his influence even further. And with his dedication to touring, he cemented his position as on of the greatest and most influential guitar players of all time.
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