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A NOTE FROM MUD JR.
People all over the world ask me "Where have you been?" and "Why didn't you
start your career earlier?" For many years I've thought about playing the
blues. But sometimes you can't be somewhere until God is ready for you.
God wasn't ready for me to sing the blues yet. Now he is.
Mud Morganfield
Boy Child One
The path of modern music
through the Muddy Waters...
Godfather of the Blues
A TRIBUTE TO POPS
April 4, 1915 – McKinley Morganfield is born and raised in an area
known as the Mississippi Delta. He is nicknamed Muddy by his grandmother
because he liked to play in a nearby creek.
August 31, 1941 – Alan Lomax from the Library of Congress travels
to Mississippi to make “blues music” recordings of Robert
Johnson. Upon finding that Robert Johnson was deceased, Lomax meets and
records Muddy Waters.
1943 – Muddy Waters travels north on the Mississippi River to Chicago
to begin his career as a professional musician.
1945 – Muddy Waters “invents electricity” when he gets
his first electric guitar and becomes the first musician to play the blues
through an amplifier creating the blues-rock sound.
1948 – Muddy Waters records his first hit song “I Can’t
Be Satisfied” for Chess Records.
Early 1950s – Muddy Waters records a string of hit songs including
“Mannish Boy”, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, “I’m
Ready” and “I Just Want To Make Love To You”.
1958 – Muddy Waters has a very successful tour in Europe, which
earns him even greater fame in the United States.
1960s – A host of young musicians are influenced by Muddy Waters
and American Blues Music. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones,
three young musicians from England, become infatuated with Muddy Waters
and name their band The Rolling Stones after a Muddy Waters song. The
Stones’ breakthrough single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
is a thematic evolution of Muddy Waters’ first big hit “Can’t
Be Satisfied”. The Stones’ “Satisfaction” is first
recorded at Chess Records in Chicago.
1970s – A mature Muddy Waters stages a professional comeback winning
several Grammy Awards, making award-winning records produced with rock
star Johnny Winter, and touring with guitar legend Eric Clapton. Clapton
and Waters become such good friends that Clapton stands up as best man
at Muddy’s wedding in Westmont.
1980 – In its first year in existence, Muddy Waters is inducted
into the Blues Music Hall of Fame.
April 30, 1983 – Muddy Waters passes away at his home in Westmont,
Illinois, a place he called “God’s Country”.
1987 – In its first year in existence, Muddy Waters is inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Present – The Rolling Stones, widely acclaimed as the best rock
and roll band in the world, and Eric Clapton, widely acclaimed as the
best rock and roll guitarist of all time, pass on the legacy of Muddy
Waters as they influence scores of musicians and fans
to this day!
MUDDY WATERS HISTORICAL EXHIBIT
A Muddy Waters Historical Exhibit is located in Westmont, Illinois at
Westmont Centre, One South Cass Avenue. The exhibit is open Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays from 9am to 3pm, or by appointment. To schedule a tour, contact
the Westmont Special Events office at 630-829-WEST / 9378 or specialevents@westmont.il.gov
This unique exhibit features rare artifacts including clothing that belonged
to Muddy Waters, rare photos, original concert posters and handbills,
concert t-shirts and buttons, several Grammy nomination plaques and even
one of Muddy's Grammy Awards.
This exhibit was made possible through a collaborative effort between
the Westmont Historical Society and the Westmont Special Events Corporation.
Additional thanks must be given to the Westmont Park District and the
Village of Westmont for their support. And finally, this exhibit would
not be possible without the support of Scott A. Cameron and the Muddy
Waters Estate. We thank everyone involved for their generosity.
Exhibition Creator & Designer
Larry McIntyre
Artifact Loans & Donations
Scott A. Cameron - Muddy Waters Estate
Marva Morganfield
Joe Morganfield
Paul Natkin
Jon Hiller
John Molaro
Barb Latzel - The Framemakers
Bobbi & Cliff Sherer - 30 N. Antiques
John Veriga - Eclecticville
Production Team
Keith & Chris Gorman
Barb Latzel
Kim Nicoll
Steve Ashby
Carrie Rymek
Alice Krampitz
