Howlin' Wolf ranks among the most electrifying performers in blues history, as well as one of its greatest characters. He was a ferocious, full-bodied singer whose gruff, rasping vocals embodied the blues at its most unbridled. A large man who stood more than six feet tall and weighed nearly 300 pounds, Howlin' Wolf cut an imposing figure, which he utilized to maximum effect when performing. In the words of blues historian Bob Santelli, "Wolf acted out his most potent blues, becoming the living embodiment of its most powerful forces." Howlin' Wolf cut his greatest work in the Fifties for the Chicago-based Chess Records. Many songs with which he is most closely identified—"Spoonful," "Back Door Man," "Little Red Rooster" and "I Ain't Superstitious"—were written for him by bluesmen Willie Dixon, a fixture at Chess Records who also funneled material to Wolf's main rival, Muddy Waters. Howlin' Wolf himself was an estimable songwriter, responsible for such raw classics as "Killing Floor," "Smokestack Lightning" and "Moanin' at Midnight."
Get full artist bio (courtesy of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

 
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