I first was exposed to Muddy Waters in the 1970's when he released his album "Hard Again" and the song "Mannish Boy" from the album was part of the Risky Business soundtrack. I had the pleasure of seeing him open up for Eric Clapton at the Capital Centre in Largo MD. What a thrill it was to see this old blues man, sitting on a stool, and just blowing the place away with traditional blues.
B.B King is often called the King of the Blues. I love B.B. King, but with all due respect, if he is the King of the Blues, then he inherited the title from Muddy Waters. Muddy had a profound influence on the rock world. He was one of the first blues musicians to incorporate the electric guitar. The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton, among others, were heavily influenced by Muddy Waters.
I highly recommend the biography "Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters" by Robert Gordon. It covers the life of Muddy from his birth in the Mississippi Delta and covers his entire career until his death in 1983.
You still play the guitar?
ReplyDeleteI can still play guitar, however, I rarely pick it up anymore.
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