he learned to play the harmonica from Sonny Boy Williamson II

after a life of farming, until the 1930s he worked at the Seattle radio station for the US Army, and only in '48 did he form his first band, becoming a local celebrity in Arkansas

he played with Ike Turner and also with the Rolling Stones

among those who played with him were also Eric Patrick Clapton, Stephen Lawrence "Steve" Winwood, Ian Stewart known as "Stu" (one of the founding members of the Rolling Stones, r.i.p.), William George Perks a.k.a. "Bill Wyman," and the late Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts who passed away this summer, r.i.p.

Wolf, whose real name was Chester Arthur Burnett, during his rise to success, always received significant financial and commercial recognition, unlike many other blues musicians

he died at only sixty-five years old after suffering several heart attacks and being diagnosed with cancer; at that time Sir Eric Clapton wanted to pay for his tombstone and nothing, actually, he was a skilled guitarist as well as harmonica player & blues singer in his lifetime

Howlin' Wolf "Smokestack Lightning" Live 1964 (Reelin' In The Years Archives)