Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy (1955)

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McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 – April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post-war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues". His style of playing has been described as "raining down Delta beatitude"

Muddy Waters grew up on Stovall Plantation near Clarksdale, Mississippi, and by age 17 was playing the guitar and the harmonica, emulating the local blues artists Son House and Robert Johnson. He was recorded in Mississippi by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress in 1941. In 1943, he moved to Chicago to become a full-time professional musician. In 1946, he recorded his first records for Columbia Records and then for Aristocrat Records, a newly formed label run by the brothers Leonard and Phil Chess.

In the early 1950s, Muddy Waters and his band—Little Walter Jacobs on harmonica, Jimmy Rogers on guitar, Elga Edmonds (also known as Elgin Evans) on drums and Otis Spann on piano—recorded several blues classics, some with the bassist and songwriter Willie 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 the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960 was recorded and released as his first live album, At Newport 1960.

Muddy Waters' music has influenced various American music genres, including rock and roll and rock music.
Muddy Waters died in his sleep from heart failure, at his home in Westmont, Illinois, on April 30, 1983, from cancer-related complications.[58] He was taken from his Westmont home, which he lived in for the last decade of his life, to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he was pronounced dead aged 70. His funeral was held on May 4, 1983. Throngs of blues musicians and fans attended his funeral at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. He is buried next to his wife, Geneva.

After his death, a lengthy court battle ensued between his heirs and Scott Cameron, his former manager. In 2010, his heir was petitioning for the courts to appoint Mercy Morganfield, his daughter, as administrator and distribute remaining assets, which mainly consists of copyrights to his music. The petition to reopen the estate was successful. In May 2018, the heirs' lawyer sought to hold Scott Cameron's wife in contempt for diverting royalty income. However, the heirs asked for that citation not to be pursued. The next court date was set for July 10, 2018.

Muddy Waters (* 4. April 1913 in Rolling Fork, Mississippi; † 30. April 1983 in Westmont, Illinois; eigentlich McKinley Morganfield) war einer der einflussreichsten US-amerikanischen Bluesmusiker. Das Rolling Stone Magazine setzt ihn auf Platz 17 der 100 besten Künstler aller Zeiten.
Muddy Waters wurde als McKinley Morganfield geboren. Da die Familie in der Nähe eines kleinen Nebenflusses des Mississippi namens Deer Creek wohnte und er oft in diesem spielte und dabei dreckig wurde, bekam er von seiner Großmutter den Spitznamen Muddy Waters („schlammiges Wasser“). 1918 starb seine Mutter, und er wuchs fortan bei seiner Großmutter in Clarksdale auf.

Als Jugendlicher brachte er sich das Mundharmonikaspiel bei, und um 1930 trat er zusammen mit Scott Bowhandle (Gitarre), Son Simms (Fiddle) und Louis Ford (Mandoline) auf Partys und in Juke Joints auf. 1932 kaufte er sich seine erste Gitarre, und Scott Bowhandle brachte ihm die Grundkenntnisse auf dem Instrument bei.
Muddy Waters bedeutendster Beitrag zur Entwicklung des Blues ist der konsequente Einsatz der elektrischen Gitarre. Zwar hatten bereits vor ihm einige Musiker – beispielsweise T-Bone Walker – dieses Instrument eingesetzt, die bis heute übliche Verwendung der E-Gitarre mit aus wenigen Akkorden aufgebauten Riffs geht jedoch auf Muddy Waters zurück und ist eines der grundlegenden Merkmale der nachfolgenden Blues- und Rockmusik geworden. Er trug mit seinen Interpretationen und eigenen Kompositionen entscheidend zur Popularisierung des Blues bei.
Der von Brian Jones 1962 kreierte Name der Band Rolling Stones geht ebenfalls auf Muddy Waters zurück. So existiert einerseits ein eigener Song von Muddy Waters mit dem Titel Rollin’ Stone, und in Willie Dixons Stück Mannish Boy, der von Muddy Waters interpretiert wird, findet sich die Textzeile: “I’m a rollin’ stone – I’m a man.”

Muddy Waters wurde 1980 in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen. 1987 wurde er in die im Vorjahr gegründete Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aufgenommen.[6] das Album The Complete Plantation Recordings wurde 2001 in die Blues Hall of Fame aufgenommen.

Der Rolling Stone listete Muddy Waters auf Rang 17 der 100 größten Musiker sowie auf Rang 49 der 100 besten Gitarristen und auf Rang 53 der 100 besten Sänger aller Zeiten.[7][8][9]