Today, on what would have been The Howlin’ Wolf’s 113th birthday, we pay tribute to the master with a playlist of songs that inspired or influenced The Red Devils and Lester Butler.
Category Archives: related music
Pics: John Bazz photos of Butler, Bateman, Harman and more
Longtime Blasters bassist John Bazz shared several vintage photos from his collection with NoFightin.com.
Willie J. Campbell, blues bass master, dies
Willie J Campbell, longtime bass player for the James Harman Band and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, died Dec. 18, 2022, after a battle with ALS.
December catch-up: Jungle Show returns; Wicked Lo-Down gets hot
The year is winding down, but there is still plenty going on of interest to fans of The Red Devils Expanded Musical Universe.
Obscure Papa Lightfoot energized Lester Butler’s sound
Papa Lightfoot recorded only a handful of singles, and missed out on the blues revival era. But this obscure bluesman’s slashing style made an impression on Lester Butler. #KingKingXXX
The two surprising early Memphis heroes behind “King King” openers
Joe Hill Louis and Willie Nix may not be famous pillars of Sun Records, but their songs were proto-versions of “Automatic” and “Goin’ to the Church,” respectively, some 40 years earlier. A deep dive into the Memphis influence on “King King.” #KingKingXXX
Billy Boy Arnold’s beat powered ‘King King’ and beyond
Billy Boy Arnold is one of the foundational influences for The Red Devils. A deep dive into “King King” shows that influence beyond one cover song. #KingKingXXX
Keys to the Kingdom: Solving musical mysteries from ‘King King’
A deep dive into the keys to all 12 songs on “King King”
King Ernest rides with Lester Butler on 1997’s ‘Black Bag Blues’
Lester Butler contributed the song “Black Bag Blues,” and his distinctive harmonica playing, to California soul singer King Ernest’s 1997 release “King of Hearts.”
The legend of the Kid Ramos/Lester Butler ‘hard-edge blues unit’ Snake Snake
“My idea was … a raw, hard-edge blues unit,” Kid Ramos tells nofightin.com about 1997’s mythical supergroup Snake Snake, fronted by Lester Butler.
