The Grave Of Little Walter, Blues Legend, singer of My Babe.

Marion "Little Walter" Jacobs (5/1/1930 - 2/15/1968) was a Bluesman whose style of playing the harmonica revolutionized the instrument, leading to his induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008.

Walter was brought up in Rapides Parish, Louisianna. When he was twelve, the self-taught harmonica player left home, working his way up north to Chicago, honing his skills with Honeyboy Edwards, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Sunnyland Slim.

When he finally made it to Chicago in 1946, Little Walter found occasional work as a guitarist with Floyd Jones and he'd also play on Maxwell Street, though it was his revolutionary harmonica playing that brought him fame.

It was through Walter's association with Muddy Waters in 1948 that exposed him to a larger audience. The first track they cut together "Blue Baby," even saw Walter take a vocal, with the flip side "I Want My Baby" showing a vast improvement in his playing from just a couple years ago.

Muddy's band were getting gigs at the various clubs in Chicago. They started recording for Chess Records in 1948, and by 1950 Walter started to amplify his harmonica. He was likely the first musician to intentionally use distortion when recording an instrument.

In 1952, Walter took a step away from Muddy's band and recorded "Juke." To date, is the only harmonica instrumental to hit the top of the R&B charts. Walter had a total of 14 top ten hits on the R&B charts, but he might be more well known for his #2 hit "My Babe."

Walter's career suffered at the expense of his alcoholism, and he was fond of fighting, leaving him bruised and scarred. Though the circumstances of his death at 37 are somewhat clouded, it is said that it was due to a beating he suffered over a gambling debt. The cause of death is listed as coronary thrombosis. He was placed in an unmarked grave until Scott Dirks and Eomot Rasun located in and paid for a marker that Rasun designed. Walter lays in eternal rest at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois.

#littlewalter #chicagoblues #graves #harmonica #muddywaters #rocknroll #rockandrollhalloffame

[jasoncupp]

That man sure could play the harmonica.