With a booming voice and looming physical presence, Burnett is commonly ranked among the leading performers in electric blues; musician and critic Cub Koda declared, "no one could match Howlin' Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits." A number of songs written or popularized by Burnett—such as "Smokestack Lightnin'", "Back Door Man", "Killing Floor" and "Spoonful"—have become blues and blues rock standards.
At 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) and close to 300 pounds (136 kg), he was an imposing presence with one of the loudest and most memorable voices of all the "classic" 1950s Chicago blues singers. This rough-edged, slightly fearsome musical style is often contrasted with the less crude but still powerful presentation of his contemporary and professional rival, Muddy Waters. Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Little Walter Jacobs, and Muddy Waters are usually regarded in retrospect as the greatest blues artists who recorded for Chess in Chicago. Sam Phillips once remarked, "When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said, 'This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.'" In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #51 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
Burnett died at Hines VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois on January 10, 1976 and was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Hillside, Cook County, Illinois in a plot in Section 18, on the east side of the road. His large gravestone, allegedly purchased by Eric Clapton, has an image of a guitar and harmonica etched into it.
The Howlin' Wolf Memorial Blues Festival is held each year in West Point, Mississippi. Wolf's Juke Joint Jam is another annual Howlin' Wolf tribute festival held in West Point. Some of the artists who have played 'Wolf Jam' include Wolf's lead guitarist Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters' back band of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones and "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin, Willie King, Blind Mississippi Morris, Kenny Brown, Burnside Exploration, etc. The festival is held at the 500-acre (2.0 km2) festival grounds known as Waverly Waters Resort.
A popular music venue in New Orleans, Louisiana was named The Howlin' Wolf when it opened in 1988.
Burnett was portrayed by Eamonn Walker in the 2008 motion picture Cadillac Records.
Dorothy Mae
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hurry up people, tell me 'bout Dorothy Mae
She left me this mornin', believe she got runaway
Come back, baby, try me one more time
Come back, baby, try me one more time
You got me worried, well, worried mind
(I wanna see God, yeah)
Feel like, babe, oh my time ain't long
(I wanna see God, yeah)
Beg you pardon, Lord, I treat you wrong
(Blow Wolf! Blow Wolf!)
Oh Miss Dorothy, baby, don't cry no more
Oh Miss Dorothy, baby, don't cry no more
Tired of you worried babe
Won't you find you some place to go
The song "Dorothy Mae" by Howlin' Wolf is a mournful blues track about the singer pleading with others to provide him with information regarding a woman named Dorothy Mae who he believes has left him. The song begins with the chorus, "Hurry up people, tell me 'bout Dorothy Mae," where Howlin' Wolf implores his listeners to reveal any information they have about the titular Dorothy Mae who he believes has run away from him. As the song progresses, the tone becomes increasingly somber as he laments her absence, begging for her to "come back" and give him one more chance.
However, as the song goes on, he appears to resign himself to her departure, perhaps to a point of seeing it as something inevitable as he yearns to "see God." The melancholy in his voice is palpable as he croons, "Feel like, baby, oh my time ain't long," a reflection of the fleeting temporality of existence. He even seeks forgiveness from the Lord for treating Dorothy Mae wrongly before ultimately suggesting for her to leave and find another place to be as he expresses his own feelings of being "tired of you worried babe."
Overall, "Dorothy Mae" is a blues classic that touches on themes of heartbreak, loss, and the transience of human existence, while showcasing Howlin' Wolf's exceptional vocal abilities and musical prowess as a blues musician.
Line by Line Meaning
Hurry up people, tell me 'bout Dorothy Mae
Wolf is asking for information about a woman named Dorothy Mae
She left me this mornin', believe she got runaway
Dorothy Mae left Wolf this morning and he believes she ran away
Come back, baby, try me one more time
Wolf is asking Dorothy Mae to come back to him and give him another chance
You got me worried, well, worried mind
Dorothy Mae's departure has left Wolf feeling anxious and distressed
Feel like, baby, oh my time ain't long (I wanna see God, yeah)
Wolf feels like his time on earth is running out and he wants to see God before he dies
Beg you pardon, Lord, I treat you wrong
Wolf is asking God for forgiveness for his past transgressions
(Blow Wolf! Blow Wolf!)
Wolf is giving himself a musical cue to play a musical solo
Oh Miss Dorothy, baby, don't cry no more
Wolf is asking Dorothy Mae to stop crying
Tired of you worried babe, Won't you find you some place to go
Wolf is tired of Dorothy Mae's worrying and wants her to go find somewhere else to go
Contributed by Jacob E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.