Muddy Waters

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Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters (4 April 1913 - 30 April 1983) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Waters' masculine lyrics and the fact that he was the first blues musician to make the transition from acoustic guitar to electric guitar made him a powerful influence on later rock 'n roll bands and artists. He is most famous for the songs "Rollin' Stone" (1950), "Louisiana Blues" (1950), "Hoochie Coochie Man" (1954), "I Just Want To Make Love To You" (1954), "I'm Ready" (1954), "Mannish Boy" (1955), "Got My Mojo Working" (1956), "She's Nineteen Years Old" (1958) "You Shook Me" (1962), "You Need Love" (1963) and "Five Long Years" (1963). His songs have been covered by numerous blues rock artists, including The Rolling Stones who were named after one of his hit songs.

Zappa and Muddy Waters

When Frank Zappa was a guest DJ at the Dr. Demento Show in December 1973 he played Waters' songs "Louisiana Blues", "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". As a guest DJ on Musik Für Junge Leute on 16 September 1974 he played Muddy Waters' song "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". When Zappa was guest DJ on radio station WSTM, Chicago on 21 November 1974 he played Waters' song "Rolling Stone".

Zappa and Captain Beefheart covered "Louisiana Blues" on An Evening With Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart. In Faves, Raves And Composers In Their Graves (June 1975) Zappa named Muddy Waters' first album as one of his favorite records. Zappa played Waters' "Mannish Boy" in 1980 on the Star Special on BBC Radio 1.

Muddy Waters is also mentioned in "The Real Frank Zappa Book" (1989): "Don was also an R&B fiend, so I'd bring my 45s over and we'd listen for hours on end to obscure hits by the Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Guitar Slim, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Don & Dewey, the Spaniels, the Nutmegs, the Paragons, the Orchids, the etc., etc., etc."

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