Muddy Waters

Muddy Waters (1915-1984) 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.

References

Zappa played "Mannish Boy" on the "Star Special" on BBC Radio 1 in 1980. During Musik Für Junge Leute he played Muddy's "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". When he was a guest at the Dr. Demento Show in December 1973 he played "Louisiana Blues", "I Can't Be Satisfied" and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man". Zappa and Captain Beefheart covered "Louisiana Blues" on An Evening With Frank Zappa & Captain Beefheart.

He 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."