Thousands will come together this week to celebrate the 100th birthday of the legendary Howlin’ Wolf

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Thousands will come together this week to celebrate the 100th birthday of the legendary Howlin’ Wolf
07 June 2010
By Brandon Walker
Daily Times Leader

From West Point to Chicago and London to Norway, thousands upon thousands of music enthusiasts will be celebrating an unofficial holiday this week.
When Chester A. “Howlin’ Wolf Burnett was born on June 10, 1910, such a celebration seemed unlikely, but now, four days before the 100th anniversary of his birth, that celebration is a reality.
Wolf’s birthday will be celebrated across the world, with parties and festivals planned stateside and throughout Europe.
Back home, West Point native Richard Ramsey is working hard to ensure that Wolf’s 100th birthday party is befitting the man himself.
“It’s huge,” said Ramsey, director of the Howlin’ Wolf museum and of the Howlin’ Wolf Blues Festival, which will mark its 15th year in September. “I’ve had calls and emails from people around the world looking for a way to honor this incredible legend on what would have been his 100th birthday. We’ve got a busy week ahead of us.” Born in the tiny Clay County community of White Station in 1910, Wolf grew up to be larger than life – in more ways than one. At 6-foot-6 and nearly 300 pounds, Wolf had an unrivaled stage presence, a trait that Ramsey believes still contributes to his legacy today.
“B.B. King and Little Milton once told me that they never wanted to come on stage after Wolf, because you just couldn’t follow someone like him,” said Ramsey. “He was an absolute master of stage presence.”
Wolf first made his name as a part of the vibrant blues movement in Chicago, where he and Muddy Waters became the kings of the local music scene. Perhaps that’s why now, on the eve of his 100th birthday, one of the biggest celebrations of the man will take place in the Windy City.
Howlin’ Wolf will be the focal point of this year’s Chicago Blues Festival, with his birthday serving as one of the main themes of the event, which attracts more than 240,000 visitors annually.
The festival will feature a historical music symposium centered around Wolf, and each day of the event will be named after a different Wolf song.
For his part, Ramsey will be taping an interview with Mississippi Public Broadcasting this week, which will be broadcast on Chicago public radio as a part of the festival.
“It’s quite an honor to be a part of what Chicago is doing,” Ramsey said. “They are paying tribute to the man and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Chicago is not the only place honoring Wolf this week, as Ramsey has heard from music enthusiasts throughout Europe – where Wolf influenced artists such as Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones to name a few – who have planned birthday-related events on a smaller scale. Additionally, a group from Minneapolis, Minn., will have an event in Wolf’s honor, with all the proceeds being given to the Wolf museum here in West Point.
“Blues fans around the world will be honoring Howlin’ Wolf this week,” said Ramsey. “It’s a special time for blues music and for West Point.”