American bluesman (1915-1983). Real name: McKinley Morganfield. He was born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, but his mother died when he was just three, so he was raised by his grandmother, Della Grant, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Mrs. Grant gave him his nickname because as a child, he loved to play in the mud of a nearby creek. Waters taught himself to play harmonica as a child before learning guitar at the age of 17. His early influences included Robert Johnson (of course) and Son House.

Waters was first recorded in 1941, when Alan Lomax, a Library of Congress archivist with an ear for talent, heard him when researching folk music in the Deep South.

He moved from Mississippi to Chicago in 1943, where he broke away from the acoustic country blues style by taking up electric guitar and slide guitar, which revolutionized American blues. Acoustic blues was still beloved, but electric blues had power. Waters formed a blues band which included pianist Otis Spann, harmonica whiz Little Walter, bassist/songwriter Willie Dixon, and guitar virtuoso Jimmy Rogers.

Waters' hits included "Blow Wind Blow," "Trouble No More," "Got My Mojo Workin'," "Rock Me," "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "I'm Ready," and "Hoochie Coochie Man" -- possibly the most recognizable blues song in existence. His music helped popularize Chicago blues, and he is considered one of the most influential artists contributing to the development of rock and roll. You think it's just coincidence that the Rolling Stones have the same name as one of Muddy's biggest hits?

Quick Story:

When the Rolling Stones, who took their name from the Muddy Waters tune Rolling Stone first came to America they asked to tour Chess Records in Chicago where Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Howlin' Wolf amongst others had recorded the music that the Stones listened to in their youth.

There in Chess Records was Muddy Waters on a ladder painting a wall to make ends meet. Mick Jagger quipped, "In America you don't even know who your own famous people are."


Other Muddy Water errata:
  • Took his name from the Bessie Smith tune Muddy Water (A Mississippi Moan)
  • I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man was first recorded January 8, 1954.

Song List:

ALL ABOARD 1956
ALL NIGHT LONG 1969
BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO 1960
BAD LOVIN' TROUBLE 1967
BLIND MAN 1971
BLOW, WIND, BLOW 1969
BLUES AND TROUBLE 1969
BLUES FOR HIPPIES 1970
BORN LOVER 1958
BORN WITH NOTHING 1975
BOTTOM OF THE SEA 1969
BURR CLOVER FARM BLUES 1941
BURYING GROUND 1949
BUS DRIVER 1977
C.C. WOMAN 1971
CAN'T DO ME NO GOOD 1968
CAN'T GET NO GRINDING 1973 v CANARY BIRD 1966
CATFISH BLUES aka ROLLIN' STONE 1959
CHAMPAGNE AND REEFER 1981
CLOUDS IN MY HEART 1959
COLD UP NORTH COLD WEATHER BLUES 1964
COME BACK BABY 1994
COME HOME BABY (I WISH YOU WOULD) 1957
COPPER BROWN 1978
CORRINA, CORRINA (TRAD. ARR.)
COUNTRY BLUES 1941
COUNTRY BOY 1964
COUNTY JAIL 1971
CROSSEYED CAT 1977
DEEP DOWN IN FLORIDA 1985
DEEP DOWN IN MY HEART 1960
DOWN SOUTH BLUES aka EARLY IN THE MORNING 1967
DRIVE MY BLUES AWAY 1974
EARLY IN THE MORNING 1965
EARLY MORNING BLUES 1965
EVANS SHUFFLE 1972
EVIL 1957
FIND YOURSELF ANOTHER FOOL 1971
FLOOD 1952
FOREVER LONELY 1981
FOX SQUIRREL 1975
FUNKY BUTT 1973
FUNNY SOUNDS 1975
GAL YOU GOTTA WATCH 1951
GOIN' DOWN LOUISIANA aka LOUISIANA BLUES 1959
GOING DOWN TO MAIN STREET 1975
GOING HOME 1962
GONNA NEED MY HELP 1967
GOOD LOOKIN WOMAN 1957
GOOD NEWS 1962
GOT A SWEET LITTLE GIRL 1967
GYPSY WOMAN aka GYPSY WOMEN 1947
HARD DAYS 1948
HARD LOSER 1967
HELLO LITTLE GIRL
HIGHWAY 41 1974
HONEY BEE 1951
HOWLIN' WOLF 1971
I BE BOUND TO WRITE TO YOU 1942
I BE'S TROUBLED 1941
I CAN'T BE SATISFIED 1948
I BE'S TROUBLED 1941
I DONE GOT WISE
I FEEL LIKE GOING HOME 1948
I WANNA GO HOME
I WANT YOU TO LOVE ME 1959
IODINE IN MY COFFEE 1952
IT'S ALL OVER 1971
I WANNA GO HOME
IT'S ALRIGHT 1965
JEALOUS HEARTED MAN 1977
KATIE 1974
KEY TO THE HIGHWAY 1972
KIND HEARTED WOMAN 1948
KINFOLKS BLUES 1971
LANDLADY 1972
LAST TIME I FOOL AROUND WITH YOU 1949
LAVERNE (WHY DO YOU TREAT ME SO MEAN?) 1967
LEAVIN' IN THE MORNIN' 1967
LET ME HANG AROUND 1963
LITTLE ANNA MAE 1947
LITTLE BROWN BIRD 1962
LITTLE GENEVA 1949
LITTLE GIRL 1977
LONESOME DAY 1951
LONESOME ROOM BLUES 1961
LONG DISTANCE CALL 1951
LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE 1960
LOUISIANA BLUES aka GOIN' DOWN LOUISIANA 1959
LOVE WEAPON 1973
LOVE WITHOUT JEALOUSY 1968
LOVE, DEEP AS THE OCEAN 1975
MAKING FRIENDS 1971
MAMIE 1978
MANNISH BOY 1955
MEAN DISPOSITION 1969
MEAN MISTREATER 1948
MEAN RED SPIDER 1948
MEANEST WOMAN 1960
MESSIN' WITH THE MAN 1961
MINI DRESS 1968
MOTHER'S BAD LUCK CHILD 1973
MUD IN YOUR EAR 1968
MUDCAT 1971
MUDDY JUMPS ONE 1948
MUDDY WATERS SHUFFLE 1973
MULE KICKING IN MY STALL 1970
MY FAULT 1974
MY HOME IS ON THE DELTA 1964
MY LIFE IS RUINED 1967
MY LOVE STRIKES LIKE LIGHTNING 1963
MY PENCIL WON'T WRITE NO MORE 1972
NO ESCAPE FROM THE BLUES 1981
NOTHIN' BOTHER ME 1967
ONE MORE MILE 1963
PLEASE DON'T GO aka BABY, PLEASE DON'T GO 1953
PLEASE HAVE MERCY 1972
RAMBLIN' KID BLUES 1942
RAMBLIN' MIND 1969
READ WAY BACK 1960
REAL LOVE 1961
RED BEANS
ROCK ME 1957
ROLLIN' AND TUMBLIN' 1950
ROLLIN' STONE aka CATFISH BLUES 1950
ROSALIE 1942
SAD LETTER 1972
SAD, SAD DAY 1953
SCREAMIN' AND CRYING 1949
SCUSE ME, BABY 1968
SHE MOVES ME 1959
SHE'S A WOMAN 1955
SHE'S ALRIGHT 1967
SHE'S NINETEEN YEARS OLD 1958
SHE'S SO PRETTY 1954
SHIMMY, BABY 1969
SITTING AND THINKING 1964
SO GLAD, BABY 1968
SOMEDAY BABY aka TROUBLE NO MORE 1955
SOMEDAY I'M GONNA KETCH YOU 1973
STAND HERE TREMBLING
STANDING AROUND CRYING 1952
STILL A FOOL aka TWO TRAINS RUNNING 1951
STRANGE WOMAN 1971
STREAMLINE WOMAN 1948
STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH 1951
TAKE A LITTLE WALK
TAKE A WALK WITH ME 1942
TELL ME BABY 1960
THAT'S WHY I DON'T MIND
THE BLUES HAD A BABY AND THEY NAMED IT ROCK ... 1977
THE WOMAN I LOVE aka STUFF YOU GOT TO WATCH 1951
THEY CALL ME MUDDY WATERS 1971
THIRTY-THREE YEARS 1978
TOO YOUNG TO KNOW 1967
TOUGH TIMES 1962
TRAINFARE BLUES 1967
TRIBUTE TO MUDDY 1971
TROUBLE NO MORE aka SOMEDAY BABY 1955
TWO STEPS FORWARD 1971
UNK IN FUNK 1974
WALKIN' BLUES (TRADITIONAL)
WALKING THRU THE PARK 1959
WATERBOY, WATERBOY 1974
WHAT IS THAT SHE GOT? 1971
WHERE'S MY WOMAN BEEN 1949
WHISKEY BLUES 1948
WHISKEY NO GOOD 1973
WHO DO YOU TRUST? 1978
WHO'S GONNA BE YOUR SWEET MAN WHEN I'M GONE? 1972
WHO DO YOU TRUST? 1978
WHY DON'T YOU LIVE SO GOD CAN USE YOU 1942
YES ALRIGHT
YOU CAN'T LOSE WHAT YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD 1942
YOU GONNA NEED MY HELP 1964
YOU GOT TO GET SICK AND DIE SOME OF THESE DAYS 1942
YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME 1948
13 HIGHWAY 1963
32-20 BLUES 1942

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