Mud Morganfield

Morganfield didn’t seriously consider being a professional blues musician until after his father death in 1983, by which time Morganfield was already close to 30. Possessing a baritone voice very much like his father’s, and blessed with a similar sense of vocal phrasing and a sense of how to command a stage, Morganfield made up for lost time, cutting his teeth in the southside Chicago clubs where he was soon a popular draw on the blues club and festival circuit; he mixed both original songs and Muddy Waters classics into his live sets. Morganfield has described the resemblance of the tone and timber of his voice to that of his father’s voice as a double edged sword. The similarity is evident in For Pops: A Tribute To Muddy Waters, an album on which Morganfield performs several Muddy Waters songs.

Regarding his performances of Muddy Waters songs in addition to his own material, Morganfield says, “I started to sing to show the world that dad left me here. I love and am proud to sing his songs just like I love and will always be proud of him. I’m not Muddy Waters and I’m certainly not trying to be Muddy Waters. I’m Mud Morganfield but when I’m up on stage I always feel pops is there with me and it means so much that I can get on stage and keep his music alive around the world.”

In May 2015, his album, For Pops: A Tribute To Muddy Waters, won a Blues Music Award in the ‘Traditional Blues Album’ category.

“He’s the closest thing to Muddy I have ever heard. A real chip off the ole block. He’s got the genes. His pipes are just like Muddy. I heard him sing Elevate Me Mama and I got chills up my back.” Paul Oscher – Muddy Waters’ harp player 1967-1971