Chester Burnett AKA Howlin’ Wolf was one of the greatest blues artists of all time. A wonderful and unique vocalist, an uninhibited entertainer, a great band leader, and a magical recording artist, Howlin’ Wolf had it all. Please enjoy these photos.

Howlin’ Wolf, Jody Williams, Earl Phillips, Hubert Sumlin. Photo courtesy of Steve Cushing.

Howlin’ Wolf and friends at the 708 club. Photo courtesy Gary L. Moore Eaq.

Howlin’ Wolf, 1951 at radio station KWEM, West Memphis, Arkansas. Photo by Joe Bahari.

Howlin’ Wolf on the couch. Photo Robert Abbott Sengstacke.

Howlin’ Wolf. Photo courtesy Anthony Lennane.

Howlin’ Wolf, Ann Arbor 1970. Photo by Jeff Todd Titon.

Memphis Slim and Howlin’ Wolf, with Willie Dixon in the background.

Howlin’ Wolf signs his autograph, 1970. Photo by Stanley Livingston.

Howlin’ Wolf and Sunnyland Slim.

Hubert Sumlin, Little Johnny Jones, Howlin’ Wolf at Silvio’s. Photo Ray Flerlage.

Hubert Sumlin, Little Johnny Jones, Howlin’ Wolf, Andrew McMahon at Silvio’s. Photo Ray Flerlage.

Howlin’ Wolf, 1960s Birmingham, U.K. Photo by Jim Simpson (www.bigbearmusic.com).

Howlin’ Wolf early 1960s at Big John’s, Chicago. Photo Jeff Lowenthal.

Photo by Sylvia Pitcher.

Howlin’ Wolf with the Siegel-Schwall Band (Michael Ochs Archives)

Howlin Wolf and Hubert Sumlin playing with the Chris Barber Band in England, 1964. Photo by Frank Scott.

Howlin’ Wolf on the TV show shindig in 1965! Notice that members of The Rolling Stones are in the audience.

Howlin’ Wolf with Hubert Sumlin in the background, Detroit, 1965. Photo Wilson Lindsay.

Howlin’ Wolf’s contract to appear on Shindig.

Howlin’ Wolf and his band perform. The band is (l-r) Sam Jones, Andrew McMahon, Hubert Sumlin and Howlin’ Wolf. Newport Folk Festival, Newport, RI, July, 1966. Photo David Gahr.

Blues and folk greats Bukka White, Kilby Snow, Reverend Pearly Brown, Willard Watson, and Howlin’ Wolf in July 1966 at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. Photo David Gahr.

Howlin’ Wolf’s huge hands engulf the microphone as Wolf lays into a harmonica riff. Photo by Georges Adins.

Photo by Jean-Pierre Leloir.

Blues musician Howlin’ Wolf poses for a portrait session holding an Epiphone hollowbody electric guitar, July 1968 in San Francisco, California. Photo (c) Sandy Guy Schoenfeld with permission. 

Photo of Howlin’ Wolf in the army.

From Rolling Stone Magazine, August 1968. Courtesy Fulvio Fiore.

Howlin’ Wolf performing at Big John’s in Chicago. Photo by Christian Rose.

Howlin’ Wolf, Hubert Sumlin, Abb Locke, Junior Blackman, Willie Johnson. Big Squeeze Club, Chicago. Photo Jacques Demêtre/Soul Bag Archives.

Howlin Wolf performing at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Photo by Doug Fulton.

Howlin’ Wolf making a dramatic stage entrance at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Photo Baron Wolman.

Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, backstage, 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Photo Baron Wolman.

Leonard Chess, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Sonny Boy Williamson.

Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker at Hunter College, New York City, September 24, 1971. Photo Don Paulsen.

Howlin’ Wolf/London Sessions with Eric Clapton.

Hubert Sumlin and Howlin’ Wolf! Photo Michael Lynch.

Homesick James, Johnny Shines, Howlin’ Wolf in 1972.

Howlin Wolf at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival.

Hubert Sumlin & Howlin’ Wolf
(Photo by Brian Smith)

Howlin’ Wolf
(Photo by Chess Records)

Howlin’ Wolf 1971 (Michael Ochs Arcives)

Howlin Wolf tearing up the stage. Photo Don Paulsen.

Photo by Sylvia Pitcher.

Howlin’ Wolf’s last band! Left to right: Shorty Gilbert, Chico Chism, Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Shaw, Howlin’ Wolf! Also in the band but likely obscured by Wolf was Detroit Junior. This photo was taken at Chicago’s International Amphitheater in November 1975 and Wolf passed on January 10, 1976.

The Howlin’ Wolf band at Silvio’s. Photo by Ray Flerlage.

Howlin’ Wolf photo by Peter Amft.

Photo by Don Paulsen.

Howlin’ Wolf at Hunter Collage, New York City, 1971. Photo by Don Paulsen.

Howlin’ Wolf drawing by Gary Tennant

Howlin’ Wolf illustration by Daniel Clarke.

Howlin’ Wolf illustration by Tom Walbank.

Howlin’ Wolf’s draft card, front and back. Courtesy Edith de Ronde.

Japanese Howlin’ Wolf magazine cover.

Howlin’ Wolf on the cover of Jefferson magazine from Sweden. Photo by Bill Greensmith, courtesy Erik Lindahl.

The very first issue of Living Blues Magazine (from Spring, 1970) was printed on newsprint and featured Howlin’ Wolf on the cover!

Howlin’ Wolf and British rock stars on the cover of The Blues Magazine (a U.K. Publication). The magazine highlighted Wolf’s influence on the British rock elite. Scan courtesy of Dee Jay Buddah.

Howlin’ Wolf on the cover of The Blues Magazine, courtesy of Rocking Johnny Lukasz and Tom Bosson.

Cover photo by Sandy Guy Schoenfeld.

Cover photo by Sandy Guy Schoenfeld.

Cover photo by Sandy Guy Schoenfeld.

Moanin’ At Midnight – A Wonderful Book About Howlin’ Wolf
(Photo Courtesy of Peter Amft)

Next photo page
Previous photo page

Back to the photo index