Hey Little Walter

Disclaimer: June is Black Music Month and I am dedicating my post to African-American artists from the past and present. I am also shedding light on "Unsung" artist as well as Motown Artists, Chess Records, and Stax Records just to clarify things.

My baby don't stand no cheatin', my babe


Oh yeah she don't stand no cheatin', my babe

Oh yeah she don't stand no cheatin',

She don't stand none of that midnight creepin'

My babe, true little baby, my babe

(Lyrics From Little Walter's song My Babe which was stolen by Elvis Presley not covered but stolen)



Marion Walter Jacobs also known as Little Walter was born May 1, 1930 in Marksville, Louisiana although he was raised in Alexandria, Louisiana the same place where he first learned how to the play the harmonica. He stop attending school by the age of 12, he left the rural part of Louisiana he worked odd jobs and hustle on the streets of New Orleans, Helena, Arkansas and St. Louis. He honed his musical skills with Sonny Boy Williamson II, Sunny land Slim, Honey boy Edwards.

Off to the Windy City...  By 1945 he relocated to Chicago which would become the home of the legendary Chess Records a label that Walter was signed to. Occasionally he found work as a guitarist but received more praise and attention for his excellent harmonica skills. Little Walter's first recording was an unreleased demo recorded soon after he arrived in Chicago on which Walter played guitar backing  Chicago blues men  Floyd Jones. Little Walter became frustrated with having his harmonica drowned out by electric guitarists, and adopted a simple, but previously little-used method: He cupped a small microphone in his hands along with his harmonica, and plugged the microphone into a public address or guitar amplifier. By doing this he was able to compete with any guitarists volume. Little Walter purposely pushed his amplifiers beyond their intended technical limitations, using the amplification to explore and develop radical new timbres and sonic effects previously unheard from a harmonica, or any other instrument.


Life Change....Success........... In 1948 Little Walter joined Muddy Waters band and 2 years later he was playing acoustic in other terms umaplified harmonica on Muddy Water's recordings for Chess Records. As the 1950's rolled on he was apart of countless recording sessions as a guitarists and harmonica player. His debut session recording was "Juke" it was significant because it a hit song featuring a harmonica. Other songs that reached the Billboard charts with his harmonica with songs such as "Off the Wall", "Roller coaster," and "Sad Hours." By 1955 "My Babe" was released which was his biggest song to date since "Juke."

Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley

Jacobs was frequently utilized on records as a harmonica sideman behind others in the Chess stable of artists, including Jimmy Rogers, John Brim, Rocky Fuller, Memphis Minnie, The Coronets, Johnny Shines, Floyd Jones, Bo Diddley, and Shel Silverstein, and on other record labels backing Otis Rush, Johnny Young, and Robert Nighthawk.

Coming to an End..... Jacobs suffered from alcoholism and had a notoriously short temper which led to a decline in his fame and fortunes beginning in the late 1950s, although he did tour Europe twice in 1964 and 1967.

Columbus Short as Little Walter in Cadillac Records

Although he left behind a wonderful legacy he is widely credited by blues historians as the artist primarily responsible for establishing the standard vocabulary for modern blues and blues rock harmonica players. Little Walter died at the age of 37 in February 15, 1968. He was portrayed by Columbus Short in the 2008 film Cadillac Records he did an excellent job portraying Little Walter if you know anything about the history of Chess Records than as a music lover you can enjoy the film because it was so accurate although I will say its a real tearjerker.

In 2008 he was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame 40 years after his death; which made him the first and only artist to be inducted specifically for his work as a harmonica player.