Finding any email hanging out in my inbox that is from my parents is always worth reading. Whether it’s a link to YouTube or a friendly reminder to send someone in the family a birthday card, I always open it up. Today came a reminder from my father that on this day, April 4th, in 1915, our beloved McKinley Morganfield was born. Most of us know Morganfield as the Chicago Blues hero Muddy Waters. My friend Tim uses this fun fact as a trivia question whenever he possibly can.
Muddy Waters was born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi and moved to Chicago in 1943. It was there that he really made his mark and is now generally known as “The Father of Chicago Blues.” His song “Rolling Stone” helped to name a semi-successful British rock band and his blend of blues, country, and folk has influenced generations of musicians. His signature song, “I’ve Got My Mojo Working” has been covered countless times and his live album, At Newport 1960, recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival is one of the best live blues albums ever recorded. (Also, see B.B. King’s Live At The Regal)
I could write for a long while about how much Muddy Waters means to everyone from Dylan to er, um, John Mayer but I’ll let this video speak for itself. Happy Birthday McKinley.
