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ANYONE who is a fan of the blues - or music of any kind - will enjoy The Howlin’ Wolf Story, the tale of legendary musician Chester Arthur Burnett.
The documentary film, which will be screened at the Queen’s Film Theatre tonight as part of the Belfast Festival, vividly brings together the life and times of the blues frontman, using archive footage from the 1950s and 1960s.
For those not familiar with Burnett’s story, he was a guitarist and harmonica player who first rose to fame in Memphis, Tennessee in the early 1950s.
Combining Southern blues with a more raw guitar sound which was only emerging in America at the time, Burnett - or Howlin’ Wolf as he soon became known to his fans - took the music scene by storm, releasing a number of hit albums including Wang Dang Doodle and The Red Rooster.
As word of his fame spread, Wolf became synonymous with the Chicago blues sound, his music acting as a template for the development of soul and blues music in Ireland and Britain.
Famous as much for his imposing frame - he was 6ft 3” tall and weighed more than 20 stone - Wolf was much revered among his contemporaries with Led Zeppelin and Cream both covering his songs.
Following his death in 1976, the singer was credited with giving birth to most of the music that had emerged from America during his
career.
Both The Beatles and Elvis Presley cited him as an influence and, in 2003, director Don McGlynn decided to immortalise the music legend on screen with a documentary film.
The result is The Howlin’ Wolf Story - a moving and insightful look at Wolf’s life as told from the point of view of his friends and family.
It covers everything from his poor childhood in Memphis to his discovery of music and subsequent recording career. It features
contributions from modern stars and archive footage from bands like The Rolling Stones.
A must for anyone who has ever appreciated the blues.
The Howlin’ Wolf Story plays at the Queen’s Film Theatre in Belfast tonight at 9.15pm. For ticket details, call the Festival box office on 028 90 971197.
