Muddy Waters

For other uses, seeMuddy Waters (disambiguation).

Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters performing in 1976
Background information
Birth name	McKinley Morganfield
Born	(1913-04-04)April 4, 1913 Issaquena County, Mississippi,U.S.
Died	April 30, 1983(1983-04-30)(aged 70) Westmont, Illinois,U.S.
Genres	Blues Chicago blues Delta blues
Occupations	Musician songwriter bandleader
Instruments	Vocals guitar harmonica
Discography	Muddy Waters discography
Years active	1941–1982
Labels	Aristocrat Chess Blue Sky
Website	muddywatersofficial.com

McKinley Morganfield(April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983),known professionally asMuddy Waters,was an Americanbluessinger and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modernChicago blues".His style of playing has been described as "raining downDeltabeatitude ".

Muddy Waters grew up onStovall PlantationnearClarksdale, Mississippi,and by age 17 was playing the guitar and theharmonica,emulating local blues artistsSon HouseandRobert Johnson.He was recorded in Mississippi by Professor John W. Work, III of Fisk University and Alan Lomax for theLibrary of Congressin 1941.In 1943, he moved to Chicago to become a full-time professional musician. In 1946, he recorded his first records forColumbia Recordsand then forAristocrat Records,a newly formed label run by brothersLeonardandPhil Chess.

In the early 1950s, Muddy Waters and his band—Little Walter Jacobson harmonica,Jimmy Rogerson guitar,Elga Edmonds(also known as Elgin Evans) on drums andOtis Spannon piano—recorded several blues classics, some with the bassist and songwriterWillie Dixon.These songs included "Hoochie Coochie Man,""I Just Want to Make Love to You"and"I'm Ready".In 1958, he traveled to England, laying the foundations of the resurgence of interest in the blues there. His performance at theNewport Jazz Festivalin 1960 was recorded and released as his first live album,At Newport 1960.

Muddy Waters' music has influenced variousAmerican musicgenres, includingrock and rolland subsequentlyrock.

Early life

Muddy Waters' place and date of birth are not conclusively known. He stated that he was born in 1915 atRolling ForkinSharkey County, Mississippi,but other evidence suggests that he was born in the unincorporated community of Jug's Corner, in neighboringIssaquena County,in 1913.In the 1930s and 1940s, before his rise to fame, the year of his birth was reported as 1913 on his marriage license, recording notes, and musicians' union card. A 1955 interview in theChicago Defenderis the earliest in which he stated 1915 as the year of his birth, and he continued to state that year in interviews from that point onward. The 1920 census lists him as five years old as of March 6, 1920. The Social Security Death Index, relying on theSocial Security cardapplication submitted after his move toChicagoin the mid-1940s, lists him as being born April 4, 1913. His gravestone gives his birth year as 1915.

His grandmother, Della Grant, raised him after his mother died shortly after his birth. Grant gave him the nickname "Muddy" at an early age because he loved to play in the muddy water of nearbyDeer Creek."Waters" was added years later, as he began to play harmonica and perform locally in his early teens.He taught himself to play harmonica.The remains of the cabin on Stovall Plantation where he lived in his youth are now at theDelta Blues MuseuminClarksdale, Mississippi.

He had his first introduction to music in church: "I used to belong to church. I was a good Baptist, singing in the church. So I got all of my good moaning and trembling going on for me right out of church,"he recalled. By the time he was 17, he had purchased his first guitar. "I sold the last horse that we had. Made about fifteen dollars for him, gave my grandmother seven dollars and fifty cents, I kept seven-fifty and paid about two-fifty for that guitar. It was aStella.The people ordered them fromSears-Roebuckin Chicago. "He started playing his songs in joints near his hometown, mostly on a plantation owned by ColonelWilliam Howard Stovall.

Career

Early career, 1930s–1948

In the early 1930s, Muddy Waters accompaniedBig Joe Williamson tours of the Delta, playing harmonica. Williams recounted to Blewett Thomas that he eventually dropped Muddy "because he was takin' away my women [fans]".

In August 1941,Alan Lomaxwent toStovall, Mississippi,on behalf of the Library of Congress to record variouscountry bluesmusicians. "He brought his stuff down and recorded me right in my house," Muddy toldRolling Stonemagazine, "and when he played back the first song I sounded just like anybody's records. Man, you don't know how I felt that Saturday afternoon when I heard that voice and it was my own voice. Later on he sent me two copies of the pressing and a check for twenty bucks, and I carried that record up to the corner and put it on the jukebox. Just played it and played it and said, 'I can do it, I can do it'."Lomax came back in July 1942 to record him again. Both sessions were eventually released byTestament RecordsasDown on Stovall's Plantation.The complete recordings were reissued by Chess Records on CD asMuddy Waters: The Complete Plantation Recordings. The Historic 1941–42 Library of Congress Field Recordingsin 1993 and remastered in 1997.

In 1943, Muddy headed to Chicago with the hope of becoming a full-time professional musician. He recalled arriving in Chicago as the single most momentous event in his life.He lived with a relative for a short period while driving a truck and working in a factory by day and performing at night.Big Bill Broonzy,then one of the leading bluesmen in Chicago, had Muddy open his shows in the rowdy clubs where Broonzy played. This gave him the opportunity to play in front of a large audience.In 1944, he bought his first electric guitar and then formed his first electric combo. He felt obliged to electrify his sound in Chicago because, he said, "When I went into the clubs, the first thing I wanted was an amplifier. Couldn't nobody hear you with an acoustic." His sound reflected the optimism of postwar African Americans.Willie Dixonsaid that "There was quite a few people around singing the blues but most of them was singing all sad blues. Muddy was giving his blues a little pep."

In 1946, Muddy recorded some songs forMayo WilliamsatColumbia Records,with an old-fashioned combo consisting of clarinet, saxophone and piano; they were released a year later with Ivan Ballen's Philadelphia-based 20th Century label, billed as James "Sweet Lucy" Carter and his Orchestra – Muddy Waters' name was not mentioned on the label.Later that year, he began recording forAristocrat Records,a newly formed label run by the brothersLeonardandPhil Chess.In 1947, he played guitar withSunnyland Slimon piano on the cuts "Gypsy Woman" and "Little Anna Mae". These were also shelved, but in 1948, "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "I Feel Like Going Home" became hits, and his popularity in clubs began to take off.Soon after, Aristocrat changed its name toChess Records.Muddy Waters's signature tune "Rollin' Stone"also became a hit that year.

Commercial success, 1948–1957

Initially, the Chess brothers would not allow Muddy Waters to use his working band in the recording studio;instead, he was provided with a backing bass byErnest "Big" Crawfordor by musicians assembled specifically for the recording session, including"Baby Face" Leroy FosterandJohnny Jones.Gradually, Chess relented, and by September 1953 he was recording with one of the most acclaimed blues groups in history:Little Walter Jacobson harmonica,Jimmy Rogerson guitar,Elga Edmonds(also known as Elgin Evans) on drums, andOtis Spannon piano.The band recorded a series of blues classics during the early 1950s, some with the help of the bassist and songwriterWillie Dixon,including "Hoochie Coochie Man","I Just Want to Make Love to You",and"I'm Ready".

Muddy Waters's band became a proving ground for some of the city's best blues talent,with members of the ensemble going on to successful careers of their own. In 1952, Little Walter left when his single "Juke"became a hit, although he continued a collaborative relationship long after he left, appearing on most of the band's classic recordings in the 1950s.Howlin' Wolfmoved to Chicago in 1954 with financial support earned through his successful Chess singles, and the "legendary rivalry" with Muddy Waters began. The rivalry was, in part, stoked by Willie Dixon providing songs to both artists, with Wolf suspecting that Muddy was getting Dixon's best songs.1955 saw the departure of Jimmy Rogers, who quit to work exclusively with his own band, which had been a sideline until that time.

In the mid-1950s, Muddy Waters' singles were frequently onBillboardmagazine's variousRhythm & Blues chartsincluding "Sugar Sweet" in 1955 and "Trouble No More","Forty Days and Forty Nights",and" Don't Go No Farther "in 1956.1956 also saw the release of one of his best-known numbers, "Got My Mojo Working",although it did not appear on the charts.However, by the late 1950s, his singles success had come to an end, with only "Close to You" reaching the chart in 1958.Also in 1958, Chess released his first compilation album,The Best of Muddy Waters,which collected twelve of his singles up to 1956.

Performances and crossover, 1958–1970

Muddy toured England with Spann in 1958, where they were backed by localDixieland-style or "trad jazz"musicians, including members ofChris Barber's band.At the time, English audiences had only been exposed to acoustic folk blues, as performed by artists such asSonny Terry,Brownie McGhee,andBig Bill Broonzy.Both the musicians and audiences were unprepared for his performance, which included electricslide guitarplaying.He recalled:

They thought I was a Big Bill Broonzy [but] I wasn't. I had my amplifier and Spann and I was going to do a Chicago thing. We opened up in Leeds, England. I was definitely too loud for them. The next morning we were in the headlines of the paper, 'Screaming Guitar and Howling Piano'.

Although his performances alienated the old guard, some younger musicians, includingAlexis KornerandCyril Daviesfrom Barber's band, were inspired to go in the more modern, electric blues direction.Korner and Davies' own groups included musicians who would later formthe Rolling Stones(named after Muddy's 1950 hit "Rollin' Stone" ),Cream,and the originalFleetwood Mac.

In the 1960s, Muddy Waters' performances continued to introduce a new generation to Chicago blues.At theNewport Jazz Festival,he recorded one of the first live blues albums,At Newport 1960,and his performance of "Got My Mojo Working" was nominated for aGrammy award.In September 1963, in Chess' attempt to connect withfolk musicaudiences, he recordedFolk Singer,which replaced his trademark electric guitar sound with an acoustic band, including a then-unknownBuddy Guyon acoustic guitar.Folk Singerwas not a commercial success, but it was lauded by criticJoe Kane,and in 2003Rolling Stonemagazine placed it at number 280 on its list of the500 greatest albums of all time.In October 1963, Muddy Waters participated in the first of several annual European tours, organized as theAmerican Folk Blues Festival,during which he also performed more acoustic-oriented numbers.

In 1967, he re-recorded severalblues standardswithBo Diddley,Little Walter, and Howlin' Wolf, which were marketed asSuper BluesandThe Super Super Blues Bandalbums in Chess' attempt to reach a rock audience.The Super Super Blues Bandunited Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, who had a long-standing rivalry.It was, as Ken Chang wrote in hisAllMusicreview, flooded with "contentious studio banter [...] more entertaining than the otherwise unmemorable music from this stylistic train wreck".In 1968, at the instigation ofMarshall Chess,he recordedElectric Mud,an album intended to revive his career by backing him withRotary Connection,apsychedelic soulband that Chess had put together.The album proved controversial; although it reached number 127 on theBillboard200album chart, it was scorned by many critics, and eventually disowned by Muddy Waters himself:

ThatElectric Mudrecord I did, that one was dogshit. But when it first came out, it started selling like wild, and then they started sending them back. They said, "This can't be Muddy Waters with all this shit going on – all thiswow-wowandfuzztone."

Nonetheless, six months later he recorded a follow-up album,After the Rain,which had a similar sound and featured many of the same musicians.

Later in 1969, he recorded and released the albumFathers and Sons,which featured a return to his classic Chicago blues sound.Fathers and Sonshad an all-star backing band that includedMichael BloomfieldandPaul Butterfield,longtime fans whose desire to play with him was the impetus for the album.It was the most successful album of Muddy Waters' career, reaching number 70 on theBillboard200.

Resurgence and later career, 1971–1982

Muddy Waters withJames Cotton,1978

In 1971, a show atMister Kelly's,an upmarket Chicago nightclub, was recorded and released, signalling Muddy Waters's return to form and the completion of his transfer to white audiences.

In 1972, he won his firstGrammy Award,forBest Ethnic or Traditional RecordingforThey Call Me Muddy Waters,a 1971 album of old, but previously unreleased recordings.

Later in 1972, he flew to England to record the albumThe London Muddy Waters Sessions.The album was a follow-up to the previous year'sThe London Howlin' Wolf Sessions.Both albums were the brainchild of Chess Records producer Norman Dayron, and were intended to showcase Chicago blues musicians playing with the younger British rock musicians whom they had inspired. Muddy Waters brought with him two American musicians, harmonica player Carey Bell and guitaristSammy Lawhorn.The British and Irish musicians who played on the album includedRory Gallagher,Steve Winwood,Rick Grech,andMitch Mitchell.Muddy was dissatisfied by the results, due to the British musicians' more rock-oriented sound. "These boys are top musicians, they can play with me, put the book before 'em and play it, you know," he told Guralnick. "But that ain't what I need to sell my people, it ain't the Muddy Waters sound. An' if you change my sound, then you gonna change the whole man." He stated, "My blues look so simple, so easy to do, but it's not. They say my blues is the hardest blues in the world to play."Nevertheless, the album won another Grammy, again for Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording.

He won another Grammy for his last LP onChess Records,The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album,recorded in 1975 with his new guitaristBob Margolin,Pinetop Perkins,Paul Butterfield,andLevon HelmandGarth Hudsonofthe Band.In November 1976 he appeared as a featured special guest at the Band'sLast Waltzfarewell concert, and in the subsequent 1978feature filmdocumentary of the event.

Waters performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1972, 1974 and 1977. An album, CD, and streaming release featuring many of his best known sings from these performances was compiled in 2021 asMuddy Waters: The Montreux Years.In 1974, his backing musicians in Montreux included Buddy Guy, Pinetop Perkins,Junior Wells,and Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman; Wyman and Perkins also performed with him in 1977.

From 1977 to 1981, blues musicianJohnny Winter,who had idolized Muddy Waters since childhood and who had become a friend,produced four albums of his, all on theBlue Sky Recordslabel: the studio albumsHard Again(1977),I'm Ready(1978) andKing Bee(1981), and the live albumMuddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live(1979). The albums were critical and commercial successes, with all butKing Beewinning a Grammy.Hard Againhas been especially praised by critics, who have tended to describe it as his comeback album.

In 1981, Muddy Waters was invited to perform atChicagoFest,the city's top outdoor music festival. He was joined onstage by Johnny Winter andBuddy Miles,and played classics like "Mannish Boy", "Trouble No More", and "Mojo Working" to a new generation of fans. The performance was made available on DVD in 2009 byShout! Factory.On November 22, he performed live with three members ofBritish rockbandthe Rolling Stones(Mick Jagger,Keith RichardsandRonnie Wood) at theCheckerboard Lounge,a blues club inBronzeville,on theSouth SideofChicago,which was established in 1972 by Buddy Guy and L.C. Thurman.A DVD of the performance,Live at the Checkerboard Lounge, Chicago 1981,was released in 2012.

In 1982, declining health dramatically stopped his performance schedule. His last public performance took place when he sat in withEric Clapton's band at a concert in Florida in the summer of 1982.

Personal life, death and estate

Muddy Waters was married to his first wife, Mabel Berry, from 1932 to 1935.

Muddy Waters' second wife, whom he married in the 1940s, Geneva Wade, died of cancer on March 15, 1973. Gaining custody of three of his children, Joseph, Renee, and Rosalind, he moved them into his home, eventually buying a new house inWestmont, Illinois.In 1977, he met Marva Jean Brooks, whom he nicknamed "Sunshine", at a Florida hotel;Eric Claptonserved as best man at their wedding in 1979.

He had at least six children, including illegitimate children.

Two of his sonsLarry "Mud" MorganfieldandBig Bill Morganfieldare also blues singers and musicians. In 2017 his youngest son, Joseph "Mojo" Morganfield, began publicly performing the blues, and played occasionally with his brothers;he died in 2020 at the age of 56.

The cemetery plot of Waters under his real name, McKinley Morganfield, in Restvale Cemetery,Alsip, Illinois

Muddy Waters died in his sleep fromheart failure,at his home inWestmont, Illinois,on April 30, 1983, from cancer-related complications.He was taken from his Westmont home, which he lived in for the last decade of his life, to Good Samaritan Hospital inDowners Grove, Illinois,where he was pronounced dead. His funeral was held on May 4, 1983. Throngs of blues musicians and fans attended his funeral atRestvale CemeteryinAlsip, Illinois.He is buried next to his wife, Geneva.

After his death, a decades-long court battle ensued between his heirs and Scott Cameron, his manager at the time of his demise. In 2010, his heirs were petitioning the courts to appoint Mercy Morganfield, his daughter, as administrator who would then control the assets of Morganfield's estate, which mainly comprise copyrights to his music.The petition to reopen the estate was successful. Following Cameron's death, the heirs' lawyers, in May 2018, sought to hold Scott Cameron's wife in contempt for allegedly diverting royalty income. The heirs, however, asked for that citation not to be pursued. The last court date was held on July 10, 2018,and, as of 2023, the disputed arrangement remained unchanged.

Legacy

Two years after his death, the city ofChicagopaid tribute to him by designating the one-block section between 900 and 1000 East 43rd Street near his former home on the south side "Honorary Muddy Waters Drive".In 2017, a ten stories-mural commissioned as a part of theChicago Blues Festivaland designed by Brazilian artistEduardo Kobrawas painted on the side of the building at 17 North State Street, at the corner of State and Washington Streets.The Chicago suburb of Westmont, where he lived the last decade of his life, named a section of Cass Avenue near his home "Honorary Muddy Waters Way".

In 2008, aMississippi Blues Trailmarker has been placed inClarksdale, Mississippi,by the Mississippi Blues Commission designating the site of Muddy Waters' cabin.He also received a plaque on theClarksdale Walk of Fame.

Muddy Waters' Chicago Home in the Kenwood neighborhood is in the process of being named a Chicago Landmark.

A crateronMercurywas named in his honor in 2016 by theIAU.

In 2023,Rolling Stoneranked Waters at number 72 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Influence

The British bandThe Rolling Stonesnamed themselves after Muddy Waters' 1950 song"Rollin' Stone".Jimi Hendrixrecalled that "I first heard him as a little boy and it scared me to death". Eric Clapton was a big fan of Muddy Waters growing up and his bandCreamcovered "Rollin' and Tumblin'"on their 1966 debut album,Fresh Cream.The song was also covered byCanned Heatat theMonterey Pop Festivaland later adapted byBob Dylanon his albumModern Times."Hoochie Coochie Man"was covered byThe Allman Brothers Band,Humble Pie,Steppenwolf,SupertrampandFear.TheLed Zeppelinhit "Whole Lotta Lovehas lyrics heavily influenced by the Muddy Waters hit "You Need Love"(written byWillie Dixon).Angus Younghas cited Muddy as an influences and the AC/DC song "You Shook Me All Night Long"came from lyrics of Waters' song"You Shook Me",written by Dixon andJ. B. Lenoir.

In 1981ZZ TopguitaristBilly Gibbonswent to visit theDelta Blues Museumin Clarksdale withThe Bluesmagazine founder Jim O'Neal. The museum's director, Sid Graves, brought Gibbons to visit Waters original house, and encouraged him to pick up a piece of scrap lumber that was originally part of the roof. Gibbons eventually converted the wood into a guitar. Named Muddywood, the instrument is now exhibited at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale.In 1993,Paul Rodgersreleased the albumMuddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters,on which he covered a number of his songs, including "Louisiana Blues", "Rollin' Stone", "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I'm Ready" in collaboration with guitarists such asGary Moore,Brian MayandJeff Beck.

Following Waters' death, fellow blues musicianB.B. KingtoldGuitar World,"It's going to be years and years before most people realize how greatly he contributed to American music."John P. HammondtoldGuitar World,"Muddy was a master of just the right notes. It was profound guitar playing, deep and simple... more country blues transposed to the electric guitar, the kind of playing that enhanced the lyrics, gave profundity to the words themselves."

In 2003,Rolling StoneincludedThe Anthology: 1947-1972on its list of greatest albums.They ranked Waters seventeenth on their list of the greatest artists of all time. Gibbons wrote:

It was all supposed to be disposable. Just noise on a shellac disc. And here we are in the 21st century still trying to figure out how such a simple art form could be so complicated and subtle. It's still firing brain synapses around the world. You've got the Japanese Muddy Waters Society corresponding with fans in Sweden and England, and his music can still propel a party in the U.S. He made three chords sound deep, and they are.

In film

Muddy Waters' songs have been featured in long-time fanMartin Scorsese's movies, includingThe Color of Money,Goodfellas,andCasino.A 1970s recording of "Mannish Boy" was used inGoodfellas,Better Off Dead,Risky Business,and therockumentaryThe Last Waltz.In 1988 "Mannish Boy" was also used in a Levi's 501 commercial and re-released in Europe as a single with "Hoochie Coochie Man" on the flip side.

Waters is a central character in the 2008 Americanbiographicaldrama film Cadillac Records.The role of Muddy Waters is played byJeffrey Wright.Wright recorded "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man"for the movie soundtrack.

Awards and recognition

Grammy Awards

Muddy Waters Grammy Award History
Year	Category	Title	Genre	Label	Result
1972	Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording	They Call Me Muddy Waters	folk	MCA/Chess	winner
1973	Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording	The London Muddy Waters Sessions	folk	MCA/Chess	winner
1975	Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording	The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album	folk	MCA/Chess	winner
1978	Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording	Hard Again	folk	Blue Sky	winner
1979	Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording	I'm Ready	folk	Blue Sky	winner
1980	Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording	Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live	folk	Blue Sky	winner

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

TheRock and Roll Hall of Famelisted four songs of Muddy Waters among the500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.

Year recorded	Title
1950	"Rollin' Stone"
1954	"Hoochie Coochie Man"
1955	"Mannish Boy"
1957	"Got My Mojo Working"

Blues Foundation Awards

Muddy Waters:Blues Music Awards
Year	Category	Title	Result
1994	Reissue Album of the Year	The Complete Plantation Recordings	Winner
1995	Reissue Album of the Year	One More Mile	Winner
2000	Traditional Blues Album of the Year	The Lost Tapes of Muddy Waters	Winner
2002	Historical Blues Album of the Year	Fathers and Sons	Winner
2006	Historical Album of the Year	Hoochie Coochie Man: Complete Chess Recordings, Volume 2, 1952–1958	Winner

Inductions

Year Inducted	Title
1980	Blues Foundation Hall of Fame
1987	Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
1992	Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

U.S. postage stamp

Year	Stamp	USA	Note
1994	29-cent commemorative stamp	U.S. Postal Service	Photo

Discography

Main article:Muddy Waters discography

Studio albums

• Muddy Waters Sings "Big Bill"(Chess,1960)
• Folk Singer(Chess, 1964)
• Muddy, Brass & the Blues(Chess, 1966)
• Electric Mud(Cadet,1968)
• After the Rain(Cadet, 1969)
• Fathers and Sons(Chess, 1969)
• The London Muddy Waters Sessions(Chess, 1972)
• Can't Get No Grindin'(Chess, 1973)
• Mud in Your Ear(Muse,1973)
• London Revisited(Chess, 1974) split album withHowlin' Wolf
• "Unk" in Funk(Chess, 1974)
• The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album(Chess, 1975)
• Hard Again(Blue Sky,1977)
• I'm Ready(Blue Sky, 1978)
• King Bee(Blue Sky, 1981)

See also

• The Essential Collection

References

• Dahl, Bill (1996)."Muddy Waters".InErlewine, Michael(ed.).All Music Guide to the Blues.San Francisco:Miller Freeman Books.ISBN0-87930-424-3.
• Dixon, Willie;Snowden, Don (1989).I Am the Blues.Da Capo Press.ISBN0-306-80415-8.
• Eder, Bruce (1996). "British Blues". InErlewine, Michael;Bogdanov, Vladimir;Woodstra, Chris;Koda, Cub(eds.).All Music Guide to the Blues.San Francisco:Miller Freeman Books.ISBN0-87930-424-3.
• Gillett, Charlie(1972).The Sound of the City(2nd. Laurel printing 1973 ed.). New York City:Dell Publishing.ISBN9780440381556.
• Gioia, Ted(2008).Delta Blues(Norton Paperback 2009 ed.). New York City:W. W. Norton.ISBN978-0-393-33750-1.
• Gordon, Robert (2002).Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters.New York City:Little, Brown.ISBN0-316-32849-9.
• Herzhaft, Gerard (1992). "Muddy Waters".Encyclopedia of the Blues.Fayetteville, Arkansas:University of Arkansas Press.ISBN1-55728-252-8.
• O'Neal, Jim;Van Singel, Amy (2002).The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews fromLiving BluesMagazine.Oxford, Mississippi:Routledge.p. 208.ISBN978-0-415-93654-5.
• O'Neal, Jim; Van Singel, Amy (2013).The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine(illustrated ed.). Routledge.ISBN978-1-136-70741-4.
• Palmer, Robert(1982).Deep Blues.New York City:Penguin Books.ISBN0-14006-223-8.
• Palmer, Robert(1989).Muddy Waters: Chess Box(boxed set booklet). Muddy Waters. Universal City, California:Chess Records/MCA Records.OCLC154264537.CHD3-80002.
• Szatmary, David P. (2014).Rockin' in Time: A Social History of Rock-and-Roll.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:Pearson Education.ISBN978-0205675043.
• Wald, Elijah(2004).Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues(1st. ed.). New York City:HarperCollins.ISBN978-0060524272.
• Whitburn, Joel(1988).Top R&B Singles 1942–1988.Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin:Record Research.ISBN0-89820-068-7.
• Wight, Phil; Rothwell, Fred (1991). "The Complete Muddy Waters Discography".Blues & Rhythm(200). England.

External links

• "Muddy Waters".Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
• Muddy WatersatIMDb