Biography of Little Walter

Little Walter Jacobs, one of the most influential and innovative harmonica players (blues or otherwise) who ever lived, was the definitive Chicago-style blues harpist. Walter explored and virtually defined the limits of amplified blues harp playing; many would argue that he has never been surpassed even though countless musicians have labored over every note and nuance of Walter's recordings hoping to find the secret of his genius. In his early days, Walter (who reportedly was playing on the streets at the age of 12) was still under the spell of John Lee "Sonny Boy " Williamson, but by the early '50s, when he was with the Muddy Waters band and later with his own combo, Walter had advanced the concept of blues harp far beyond anything that had come before. His swooping, full-bodied attack was at once tough and driving yet also swinging and jazzy (building on ideas he heard from saxophonists like Lester Young and Charlie Parker). His instrumentals such as "Juke" (a number one R&B hit in 1952) and "Off the Wall" (1953), as well as his expressive vocals on "My Babe" (number one in 1955), "Mean Old World" (1953) and other singles on Chess Records's Checker subsidiary made him one of the most popular blues acts of the era. The fast life took a toll on his health and musical abilities in later years, however. The victim of injuries suffered in a Chicago street fight, Little Walter died of coronary thrombosis at the age of 37. His grave remained unmarked until 1992. ~ Jim O'Neal