I was listening to that epic blues song 'Smokestack Lightning' today, and it reminded me of seeing the great Chester Burnett performing in a small venue when I was a student. The backing band came onto the stage and launched into the repetitive riff from that song, just letting it go round and round. There was no sign of the main man until an enormous brown leather boot suddenly appeared from the wings, swinging around and kicking in time with the music until Howlin' Wolf bounded onto the stage, and, with a big wide-eyed grin at the audience, grabbed the microphone and started singing. What a man, what a voice!

Sam Phillips of Sun Records first met Howlin' Wolf in 1951, and was bowled over. "When I heard him, I said, 'This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies'. He was about six foot six, with the biggest feet I've ever seen on a human being. Big Foot Chester is one name they used to call him. He would sit there with those feet planted wide apart, playing nothing but the French harp, and I tell you, the greatest show you could see today would be Chester Burnett doing one of those sessions in my studio. God, what would it be worth to see the fervor in that man's face when he sang. His eyes would light up and you'd see the veins on his neck, and buddy, there was nothing on his mind but that song. He sang with his damn soul."