Name at birth: McKinley Morganfield

Muddy Waters was a Mississipi Delta blues singer and composer who helped create the Chicago blues sound of the 1940s and 50s. Raised on a farm in Mississippi, Waters learned harmonica when he was in his early teens, and by the time he was an adult hed mastered the slide guitar. He made a name for himself playing in local joints, and in 1941 and 1942 he was recorded for the Library of Congress. That prompted him to become a professional, and in 1943 he moved to Chicago. Waters took the southern blues and electrified them, and, like his contemporary (and rival) Howlin Wolf, became an influence on 1960s folk and rock. By that time, Waters had recorded a string of modern classics and was a hero to modern musicians such as Cream, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. A multiple Grammy winner, his songs include I Cant Be Satisfied, Honey Bee, Rolling Stone, Hoochie Coochie Man, Got My Mojo Workin and Baby Please Dont Go.