Fender Speaker Cabinet Used by Howlin' Wolf

Painted on the top and sides of this Fender amplifier speaker cabinet are the initials “CB,” which stands for Chester Burnett, the given name of the former owner, Bluesman Howlin’ Wolf. 

Wolf (1910-1976) was a towering pioneer of Electric Blues. He acquired his first guitar from his father at the age of 18. He learned from the best: Charlie Patton taught him guitar, Son House showed him how to use a slide, and Sonny Boy Williamson II introduced him to harmonica. While working on his father’s farm throughout the late 1920’s and 1930s, Wolf built his reputation as a powerful performer by accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica for weekend gigs. 

Following four years of Army service while stationed in Seattle, he moved to West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1948 and formed his own band. The addition of guitarist Willie Johnson highlighted the ferociousness of Wolf’s music, as heard on “Moanin’ at Midnight” and “How Many More Years” from his first recording session in 1951.   

Wolf’s songs, including “Spoonful,” “Smokestack Lightning,” “Back Door Man,” and “Killing Floor,” were an influence on artists such as the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix. He was a large, imposing presence and drew raucous crowds wherever he performed, with his powerful unique voice, tight band, and wild stage act featuring suggestive hip thrusting, crawling on the floor, and dancing on tables and bars.