Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man [Paperback]

Sandra B. Tooze (Author), Eric Clapton (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

A sharecropper on a Mississippi plantation, a bootlegger, gambler, ladies' man, and dynamic blues singer and guitarist-Muddy Waters's life is traced in this original biography of the legendary blues man from the early twentieth century to his death in 1983. Interviews with key industry figures such as James Cotton, Willie Smith, Junior Wells, Jimmy Rogers, B. B. King, Bo Diddley, John Lee Hooker, and Marshall Chess prove to be a source of priceless anecdotes and lend substance and texture to this compelling portrait of a blues pioneer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An original and fascinating biography on my favorite blues singer." -- Mick Jagger

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: ECW Press (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1550222961
• ISBN-13: 978-1550222968
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Rhythm & Blues
  • #50 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Composers & Musicians > Country & Folk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Informative and a must for every blues fan., March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man (Paperback)

I found this book hard to put down. Ms Tooze does an excellent job of portraying Muddy through a series of interviews with his bandmates. All of Muddy's former bandmates are full of praise for Muddy with the exception of the brilliant drummer Francis Clay who did not really get along very well with Muddy. What I particularly liked about the style of the book is the way Ms Tooze introduces Muddy's bandmates as they join his band. Marshall Chess chips in with quite a few interesting insights on the relationship of Muddy with Phil & Leonard Chess. I might not agree with all of Ms Tooze's reviews of Muddy's albums, but then it's simply a question of personal taste. Cheers & keep up the good work.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is a must-have for lovers of Chicago blues., January 21, 1999

By 

David Stine (Rockford, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man (Paperback)

Toose has created a vivid and compelling read with her "Muddy Waters: Mojo Man." It is thorough, descriptive, and lively. A must as a reference. My biggest complaint is the avoidable romanticizing of the book's blues heroes. Robert Johnson's clutching his guitar in death, and threadbare editorializing of life in the Delta, working for exploitive white owners are a little much. And there are some inaccuracies. At one point Toose decribes Muddy's first electric solidbody guitar as a Les Paul Custom, new in 1954. This was indeed the first year of the Custom, but Jimmy Rogers, a sentence or two later decribes the "gold front" of the guitar. His description and the book's accompanying photos clearly show a Les Paul Standard, new in 1952.

Minor quibbling aside, I very much enjoyed the book and will recommend it to my blues friends. Muddy was the Godfather of all modern-day blues men and women and this is a welcome book to any blues library.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for any fan of music, June 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Muddy Waters: The Mojo Man (Paperback)

I have never read a book about Muddy Waters that proved to be so informative. I've been reading about Muddy for years and this book offered up new information of which I had not been aware. Ms. Tooze did a heck of a job researching this book. I beleive she had her MOJO workin'.