Little Walter

Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs on May 1, 1930 was an American blues harmonica player and is the only artist ever to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame specifically for his work as a harmonica player. Born in Marksville, Louisiana, he quit school at the age of 12 and started to roam the streets where he learned his love for music from some of the great men featured on Aielle Ache blog. Arriving in Chicago in 1945, Walter occasionally found work as a guitarist but got more attention for his already highly developed harmonica playing. He released his first recordings in 1947 and scored fourteen top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B charts between 1952 and 1958. His song "Juke", is the only harmonica instrumental ever to become a #1 hit on the R&B charts. His skill and musical capability fundamentally altered many peoples expectations of what was possible through blues harmonica. Little Walter died from a blood clot in the heart after a fight he had the night before February 15, 1968. He died peacefully in his sleep at one of his womens apartments.





Awards and recognition

1986 - Blues Hall of Fame: "Juke" (Classics of Blues Recordings - Singles or Album Tracks category)
1991 - Blues Hall of Fame: Best of Little Walter (Classics of Blues Recordings - Albums category)
1995 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: "Juke" (500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll)
2003 - Rolling Stone: Best of Little Walter (#198 on list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time)
2008 - Grammy Awards: "Juke" (Grammy Hall of Fame Award
2008 - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Little Walter inducted (Sideman category)
2008 - Blues Hall of Fame: "My Babe" (Classics of Blues Recordings - Singles or Album Tracks category
2009 - Grammy Awards The Complete Chess Masters: 1950-1967 (Best Historical Album Winner)

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