His family considered it normal to play music, with his father playing guitar and harmonica, his mother playing piano, and a relative who was a one-man band. At the age of three, Musselwhite moved to Memphis, Tennessee. When he was a teenager, Memphis experienced the period when rockabilly, western swing, electric blues, and some forms of African American music were combining to give birth to rock and roll. The period featured legendary figures such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, as well as minor legends such as Gus Cannon, Furry Lewis, Will Shade, Royal Bell, Memphis Willie B., Johnny Burnette, Red Roby, Abe McNeal, and Slim Rhodes. Musselwhite supported himself by digging ditches, laying concrete and running moonshine in a 1950 Lincoln. This environment was Musselwhite's school for music as well as life, and he acquired the nickname "Memphis Charlie."[citation needed]
In true bluesman fashion, Musselwhite then took off in search of the rumored "big-paying factory jobs" up the "Hillbilly Highway", legendary Highway 61 to Chicago, where he continued his education on the South Side, making the acquaintance of even more legends including Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Big Walter Horton. Musselwhite immersed himself completely in the musical life, living in the basement of, and occasionally working at Jazz Record Mart (the record store operated by Delmark Records founder Bob Koester) with Big Joe Williams and working as a driver for an exterminator, which allowed him to observe what was happening around the city's clubs and bars. He spent his time hanging out at the Jazz Record Mart at the corner of State and Grand and the nearby bar, Mr. Joe's, with the city's blues musicians, and sitting in with Big Joe Williams and others in the clubs, playing for tips. There he forged a lifelong friendship with John Lee Hooker; though Hooker lived in Detroit, Michigan, the two often visiting each other, and Hooker serving as best man at Musselwhite's wedding. Gradually Musselwhite became well known around town.
In time, Musselwhite led his own blues band, and, after Elektra Records' success with Paul Butterfield, he released the classic[citation needed] Stand Back! album in 1966 on Vanguard Records (as "Charley Musselwhite"), to immediate and great success. He took advantage of the clout this album gave him to move to San Francisco, where, instead of being one of many competing blues acts, he held court as the king of the blues in the exploding countercultural music scene, an exotic and gritty figure to the flower children. Musselwhite even convinced Hooker to move out to California.
Since then, Musselwhite has released over 20 albums, as well as guesting on albums by many other musicians, such as Bonnie Raitt's Longing in Their Hearts and The Blind Boys of Alabama's Spirit of the Century, both winners of Grammy awards. He also appeared on Tom Waits' Mule Variations and INXS' Suicide Blonde. He himself has won 14 W. C. Handy awards and six Grammy nominations, as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Monterey Blues Festival and the San Javier Jazz Festival in San Javier, Spain, and the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.
In 1979, Musselwhite recorded The Harmonica According to Charlie Musselwhite in London for Kicking Mule Records, intended to go with an instructional book; the album itself became so popular that it has been released on CD.
Unfortunately, Musselwhite, as with many of his peers, fell victim to alcoholism; by his own admission[citation needed], he had never been on stage sober until after he stopped drinking entirely in 1987.
In 1990 Musselwhite signed with Alligator Records, a step led to a resurgence of his career.
Over the years, Musselwhite has branched out in style. His 1999 recording, Continental Drifter, is accompanied by Quarteto Patria, from Cuba's Santiago region, the Cuban music analog of the Mississippi Delta. Because of the political differences between Cuba and the United States, the album was recorded in Bergen, Norway, with Musselwhite's wife ironing out all the details.
Musselwhite believes the key to his musical success was finding a style where he could express himself. He has said, "I only know one tune, and I play it faster or slower, or I change the key, but it’s just the one tune I’ve ever played in my life. It’s all I know."[1]
His past two albums, Sanctuary and Delta Hardware have both been released on Real World Records.
Where Hwy 61 Runs
Charlie Musselwhite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now the world is my home, mile after mile
Now people let me tell you where highway 61 runs
It runs from my back door down to the setting sun
Well, when I go down to the river
That′s when I like to be alone
Blues is my companion, and a friend I've always known
Blues is my companion though my soul has survived
Well highway 61 is where blues was given birth
And your soul can catch a feeling rising up from mother earth
Well you'll never be the same, and you'll never be alone
And the blues is your companion, and the world is your own
In Charlie Musselwhite's song "Where Hwy 61 Runs", the lyrics give insight into the artist's personal journey with blues music. The first verse reveals how blues music has been a part of his life since childhood and has become a constant companion regardless of his place in the world. The second verse, however, shows how he seeks solace in the music when he goes down to the river, where the blues offers comfort and a sense of understanding.
The chorus, which repeats the song's title, emphasizes the importance of highway 61 in the history of blues music. The highway stretches from Minnesota to New Orleans, passing through the Mississippi Delta where many blues musicians were born or drew inspiration from. The song suggests that the blues is born from the earth itself, a feeling that can rise up in anyone's soul and connect them to the world around them.
Overall, "Where Hwy 61 Runs" is a testament to the power of blues music to connect people to each other and to the world around them, no matter where they come from or where they end up.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you know blues overtook me when I was a little child
From a young age, the blues has had a significant impact on my life and has never left me.
Now the world is my home, mile after mile
I have traveled far and wide, and everywhere I go, I feel at home because the blues is always with me.
Now people let me tell you where highway 61 runs
Allow me to explain the significance of highway 61 and what it means to me.
It runs from my back door down to the setting sun
Highway 61 runs from my hometown to the horizon, the place where the sun meets the earth, and it's where the blues is directly linked to my soul.
Well, when I go down to the river
When I take a moment to be by the river, clear my head and take in nature.
That′s when I like to be alone
I prefer being alone with my thoughts and just enjoying the moment.
Blues is my companion, and a friend I've always known
The blues has always been a dependable friend who keeps me company whenever I need it.
Well I look into the sky, but there′s cloud behind my eyes
Although I may appear okay on the outside, I'm still struggling with blues on the inside.
Blues is my companion though my soul has survived
Despite everything, the blues has carried me through, and now it's an integral part of who I am, and I couldn't be more grateful.
Well highway 61 is where blues was given birth
Highway 61, a historical route, has strong cultural and musical significance because it's where blues music was born.
And your soul can catch a feeling rising up from mother earth
Blues music is a way to connect with the earth, and its appeal is so strong that it moves your soul.
Well you'll never be the same, and you'll never be alone
Once the blues has touched you, you're forever changed, and the music will always be by your side for comfort.
And the blues is your companion, and the world is your own
With the blues as a constant companion, you feel empowered and able to conquer anything, making the world your own.
Writer(s): Charlie Musselwhite
Contributed by Wyatt S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.