Charles Douglas Musselwhite (born January 31, 1944) is an American

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

harmonica player and bandleader who came to prominence, along with

Mike Bloomfield Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American blues guitarist and composer. Born in Chicago, he became one of the first popular music stars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrume ...

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...

, and

Elvin Bishop Elvin Richard Bishop (born October 21, 1942) is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 2015, and in ...

, as a pivotal figure in helping to revive the

Chicago Blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but is performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of African Americans of the fi ...

movement of the 1960s. He has often been identified as a "white bluesman". Musselwhite was reportedly the inspiration for Elwood Blues, the character played by

Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...

in the 1980 film, ''

The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers (formally, The Fabulous Blues Brothers’ Show Band and Revue) are an American blues and soul music, soul revue band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who met and began collaborating as original cast ...

''.

Biography

Musselwhite, whose father and paternal grandfather were also named Charlie Musselwhite (making him Charlie Musselwhite III), was born in

Kosciusko, Mississippi Kosciusko ( ) is a city in Attala County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 7,402 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Attala County. History Shortly before the War of 1812, David Choate, a French trader along with his wi ...

to white parents. Originally claiming to be of partly

Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...

descent, in a 2005 interview he said his mother had told him he was of distant Cherokee descent. His family considered it natural to play music. His father played guitar and harmonica, his mother played piano, and another relative was a

one-man band A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical or electronic contraptions. One-man bands also often sing while they perform. The simplest type of "one-man ban ...

. At the age of three, Musselwhite moved to

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

. When he was a teenager, Memphis experienced the period when

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...

western swing Western swing, country jazz or smooth country is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which att ...

, and

electric blues Electric blues is blues music distinguished by the use of electric amplification for musical instruments. The guitar was the first instrument to be popularly amplified and used by early pioneers T-Bone Walker in the late 1930s and John Lee Ho ...

were combining to give birth to

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

. That period featured

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer, and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis m ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

, and lesser-known musicians such as Gus Cannon, Furry Lewis, Will Shade, and

Johnny Burnette John Joseph Burnette (March 25, 1934 – August 14, 1964) was an American singer and songwriter of rockabilly and pop music. In 1952, Johnny, his brother Dorsey Burnette, and their mutual friend Paul Burlison, formed the band that became ...

. Musselwhite supported himself by digging ditches, laying concrete, and running

moonshine Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...

in a 1950 Lincoln automobile. This environment was a school for music as well as life for Musselwhite, who eventually acquired the nickname Memphis Charlie. Musselwhite then took off in search of the rumored "big-paying factory jobs" up the "Hillbilly Highway", Highway 51 to Chicago, where he continued his education on the South Side, making the acquaintance of blues musicians

Lew Soloff Lewis Michael Soloff (February 20, 1944 – March 8, 2015) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and actor. He was a founding member of the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Biography From his birth place of New York City, United States, he studie ...

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

Junior Wells Junior Wells (born Amos Wells Blakemore Jr.; December 9, 1934January 15, 1998) was an American singer, harmonica player, and recording artist. He is best known for his signature song " Messin' with the Kid" and his 1965 album '' Hoodoo Man Blues ...

, Sonny Boy Williamson,

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chica ...

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

, and

Big Walter Horton Walter Horton (April 6, 1921 – December 8, 1981), known as Big Walter (Horton) or Walter "Shakey" Horton, was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming, shy man, he is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the hi ...

. Musselwhite immersed himself completely in the musical life, living in the basement of and occasionally working at Jazz Record Mart (the record store operated by

Delmark Records Delmark Records is an independent, American jazz and blues independent record label. It was founded in 1958 as Delmar Records and is based in Chicago, Illinois. The label originated in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1953 when then owner, and founder, ...

founder Bob Koester) with

Big Joe Williams Joseph Lee Williams (October 16, 1903 – December 17, 1982) was an American Delta blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, notable for the distinctive sound of his nine-string guitar. Performing over five decades, he recorded the songs "Baby, Pl ...

and working as a driver for an exterminator, which allowed him to observe what was happening around the city's clubs and bars. He spent his time hanging out at the Jazz Record Mart, at the corner of State and Grand, and a nearby bar, Mr. Joe's, with the city's blues musicians, and sitting in with Williams and others in the clubs, playing for tips. There he forged a lifelong friendship with

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he develo ...

. Though Hooker lived in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, the two often visited each other, and Hooker served as best man at Musselwhite's third marriage to Henrietta Musselwhite. Gradually, Musselwhite became well known around town. In 1965, when working at the Jazz Record Mart, Charlie met

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the so ...

producer/writer Sam Charters, who included him in the blockbuster blues trilogy, Chicago/The Blues/Today! (Volume 3 / VRS 9218), in which he played with blues harp legend

's Blues Harp Band. At this time Charters signed him to another contract which led to Musselwhite's first solo outing in 1966, '' Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's South Side Band'' (VSD 79232). Musslewhite played all harmonica on the 1965

album ''So Many Roads'' by John Hammond. Memphis Charlie Musselwhite Mpls 1970 JT

In time, Musselwhite led his own blues band, and after

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

' success with

, he released the album '' Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band'' in 1966 on

to immediate success. He took advantage of the clout this album gave him to move to San Francisco, where, instead of being one of many competing blues acts, he held court as the king of the blues in the exploding countercultural music scene, an exotic and gritty figure to the flower children. Musselwhite convinced Hooker to move to California. Since then, Musselwhite has released over 20 albums and has been a guest performer on albums by many other musicians, such as

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

's '' Longing in Their Hearts'' and the Blind Boys of Alabama's '' Spirit of the Century'', both winners of

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

s. He also performed on

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

's '' Mule Variations'' and

INXS INXS (a phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian rock band, formed as the Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney. The founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboardist Andrew Farriss, drummer Jon Farriss, gu ...

's '' Suicide Blonde''. He has won 14

Blues Music Award The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, " ...

s, has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, received

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

s from the Monterey Blues Festival and the San Javier Jazz Festival, in San Javier, Spain, and received the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. In 1979, Musselwhite recorded ''The Harmonica According to Charlie Musselwhite'' in London for Kicking Mule Records, intended to accompany an instructional book; the album became so popular that it was released on CD. In June 2008, Blind Pig Records reissued the album on 180-gram vinyl with new cover art. Liri Blues Charlie Musselwhite 2000

In 1990 Musselwhite signed with Alligator Records, a step that led to a resurgence of his career. In 1998, Musselwhite appeared in the film '' Blues Brothers 2000''. He played the harmonica in the Louisiana Gator Boys, which featured many other blues and R&B musicians, such as

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

, Koko Taylor, Jimmie Vaughan, Dr. John, and

Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, B ...

. Over the years, Musselwhite has branched out in style. His 1999 recording, ''Continental Drifter'', is accompanied by Cuarteto Patria, from Cuba's Santiago region, the Cuban music counterpart of the

Mississippi Delta The Mississippi Delta, also known as the Yazoo–Mississippi Delta, or simply the Delta, is the distinctive northwest section of the U.S. state of Mississippi (and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana) that lies between the Mississippi and Yazo ...

. Because of political differences between Cuba and the United States, the album was recorded in Bergen, Norway, with Musselwhite's wife handling the details. Musselwhite believes the key to his musical success was finding a style in which he could express himself. He said, "I only know one tune, and I play it faster or slower, or I change the key, but it's just the one tune I've ever played in my life. It's all I know." His two albums, ''

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

'' (which saw a guest appearance by Hooker) and '' Delta Hardware'', were released by Real World Records. Musselwhite played on

' 1999 album '' Mule Variations''. He can be heard at the beginning of the song "Chocolate Jesus" saying "I love it". Waits has mentioned that this is his favorite part of the song. In 2002, he was featured on the

tribute album ''Hey Bo Diddley: A Tribute!'', performing the song " Hey Bo Diddley". Musselwhite lost both of his elderly parents in December 2005, in separate incidents. His mother, Ruth Maxine Musselwhite, was murdered. Musselwhite joined the judging panel of the 10th annual Independent Music Awards, to assist independent musicians' careers. He was also a judge for the 7th and 9th Independent Music Awards. Musselwhite was inducted into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum operated by the Blues Foundation at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to b ...

in 2010. The same year, he appeared on the JW-Jones recording "Midnight Memphis Sun", along with Hubert Sumlin. Also in 2010, he released the album ''The Well''. In the title song he credits Jessica McClure's ordeal as a child trapped in a well for over 58 hours in 1987 for inspiring him to quit drinking, stating,

She was trapped in there with a broken arm in the dark, in a life-and-death situation she was singing nursery rhymes to herself and being brave... It made my problems seem tiny. So as a prayer to her and myself, I decided I wasn't going to drink till she got out of that well. It was like I was tricking myself, telling myself that I wasn't going to quit for good, just until she got out. It took three days to get her out, and I haven't had a drink since.

For the first half of 2011, Musselwhite toured with the acoustic-electric blues band Hot Tuna. In the latter half of 2011, he went on tour with

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper ( ; born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Known for her distinctive image, featuring a variety of hair colors and eccentric clothing, and for her powerful four-octave vocal range;Jerome, ...

, having played harmonica on her hit album ''

Memphis Blues The Memphis blues is a style of blues music created from the 1910s to the 1930s by musicians in the Memphis area, such as Frank Stokes, Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie. The style was popular in vaudeville and medicine sho ...

''. While on this tour, he appeared with Lauper on

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Marc Almond, Jayne County, To ...

's television program ''

Hootenanny A hootenanny is a freewheeling, improvisatory musical event in the United States, often incorporating audience members in performances. It is particularly associated with folk music. Etymology Meanings Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism ...

'' on New Year's Eve 2011, performing a modified arrangement of Lauper's signature song, " Girls Just Wanna Have Fun". In 2012, Musselewhite released the live album ''Juke Joint Chapel'' (recorded at the Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Mississippi) which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. Musselwhite also teamed with

Ben Harper Benjamin Charles Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music, and he is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, liv ...

to record the album '' Get Up!,'' which was released in January 2013. In January 2014, it won a

for Best Blues Album. In 2014 and 2015, he won a

in the category Best Instrumentalist – Harmonicist. At the 40th

s ceremony in 2019, Musselwhite's joint composition with

, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'. In 2023, Musselwhite won another Blues Music Award with the 'Acoustic Album of the Year' title for his LP, ''Mississippi Son''. Musselwhite portrays Alvin Reynolds in the 2023

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

film '' Killers of the Flower Moon''.

Discography

*1967 '' Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite's Southside Band'' (Vanguard) *1968 ''Stone Blues'' (Vanguard) *1968 ''Louisiana Fog'' (Cherry Red Records/Kent Music) *1969 ''Tennessee Woman'' (Vanguard) *1970 ''Memphis, Tennessee '' (Paramount-ABC/MCA) *1970 ''Chicago Blue Stars-Coming Home'' (Blue Thumb Records) *1971 ''Takin' My Time'' (Arhoolie) *1974 ''Goin' Back Down South'' (Arhoolie) *1975 ''Leave The Blues To Us'' (Capitol) *1977 ''

The Cream "The cream" is a testosterone-based ointment that is used in conjunction with anabolic steroids such as tetrahydrogestrinone (THG, also known as "the clear") in order to mask doping in professional athletes. The drug was made public when the ...

'' with

(Tomato) *1978 ''Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough'' (Crystal Clear) *1979 ''The Harmonica According To Charlie Musselwhite'' (Kicking Mule; later issued on Blind Pig) *1982 ''Curtain Call: Charlie Musselwhite & The Dynatones 'Live (War Bride-Solid Smoke; later issued on Westside) *1984 ''Where Have All the Good Times Gone?'' (Blue Rock'it) *1986 ''Mellow-Dee'' (CrossCut) *1988 ''Cambridge Blues'' (Blue Horizon) *1989 ''Memphis Charlie'' (Arhoolie) - compilation *1990 ''Ace Of Harps'' (Alligator) *1991 ''Signature'' (Alligator) *1993 ''In My Time'' (Alligator) *1994 ''The Blues Never Die'' (Vanguard) - compilation *1997 ''Rough News'' (Point Black-Virgin/EMI) *1999 ''Continental Drifter'' (Point Blank-Virgin/EMI) *1999 ''Super Harps'' (with James Cotton, Billy Branch, Sugar Ray Norcia) (Telarc) *1999 ''Harpin' on a Riff: The Best of Charlie Musselwhite'' (Music Collection International) - compilation *2000 ''Best of the Vanguard Years'' (Vanguard) - compilation *2000 ''Up and Down the Highway: Live 1986'' (Indigo; reissue of ''Cambridge Blues'') *2002 '' One Night in America'' (Telarc) *2003 ''Darkest Hour: The Solo Recordings of Charlie Musselwhite'' (Henrietta Records) *2004 ''

'' (Real World-Narada/EMI) *2005 ''Deluxe Edition'' (Alligator) - compilation *2006 '' Delta Hardware'' (Real World-Narada/EMI) *2007 ''Black Snake Moan (Music from the Motion Picture)'' (New West) *2008 ''Rough Dried: Live at the Triple Door'' (Henrietta) *2010 ''

The Well The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, normally shortened to The WELL or The Well, is a virtual community founded in 1985. It is one of the oldest continuously operating virtual communities. By 1993 it had 7,000 members, a staff of 12, and gross annu ...

'' (Alligator) *2012 ''Juke Joint Chapel'' ive(Henrietta) *2013 '' Get Up!'' (with

) (Stax-Concord/UMe) *2013 ''Remembering Little Walter'' (with various artists, Blind Pig, 2013)'' *2015 ''I Ain't Lyin'...'' ive(Henrietta) *2018 ''No Mercy in This Land'' (with Ben Harper) (ANTI/Epitaph) *2020 ''100 Years of Blues'' (with

) (Alligator Records) *2022 ''Mississippi Son'' (Alligator) *2025 ''Lookout Highway'' (Forty Below Records)

References

External links

Official websiteCharlie Musselwhite's music collection at MOG.com
* Allmusic.com review of Delta Hardware CDbr>Video of interview and performance clipCharlie Musselwhite Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection (2010) {{DEFAULTSORT:Musselwhite, Charlie 1944 births Living people American bandleaders American male singers American blues singers American blues harmonica players Blues musicians from Mississippi Harmonica blues musicians Country blues musicians Grammy Award winners Real World Records artists People from Kosciusko, Mississippi Musicians from Memphis, Tennessee Vanguard Records artists American blues guitarists American male guitarists Guitarists from Mississippi Guitarists from Tennessee 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians Arhoolie Records artists Blind Pig Records artists Alligator Records artists