Hoochie Coochie Man

This is a tribute to Muddy Waters, "The Father of the Chicago Blues". Generally considered one of the greatest bluesmen of all time, in 2004 he was ranked #17 in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Hoochie Coochie Man


Who’s that man from the Stovall Plantation,
Mixed Delta blues with amplification?
Son of muleskinner, Ollie Morganfield,
Young McKinley picked in the cotton field.

His mother, Berta, died when he was small.
Hardly ever saw his father at all.
In the waters of a muddy creek he played;
Called him Muddy Waters, the nickname stayed.

Raised by his grandma, learned to play guitar.
Earned extra money playing in a bar.
Played all the clubs on Highway Number One.
Made his first recordings in ’41.

South side Chicago was to be his home.
He rocked the world when he played Rollin' Stone,
Long Distance Call and Baby Please Don't Go,
I Can't Be Satisfied and Blow Wind Blow.

He wailed the blues with his bottleneck slide.
His mojo workin' till the day he died.
Twenty years ago they added his name:
Member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He changed the course of music history.
The way he did it is no mystery.
Gonna make you girls lead me by the hand,
World’ll know I'm the Hoochie Coochie Man.

I'm very proud to announce that the above poem was awarded a Silver Trophy in the AllPoetry contest "The Music" by MyDarkness, June 11, 2007.