Howlin' Wolf

Charles "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett's menacing, guttural vocals are among the blues' most distinctive sounds. His Chess recordings, including "Smokestack Lightning" and "Little Red Rooster," are landmarks which altered the flow of blues history and helped pave the way for rock 'n' roll. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Howlin' Wolf never really faded away (only to be rediscovered), but continued to tour constantly almost up until his death in 1976 of natural causes. Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Sonny Boy Williamson make up the Holy Trinity of Chicago blues, an electrified, mid-20th century urban genre that profoundly influenced the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin, and countless others.

• blues