Under the Hood: Junior Wells on the Golden Age of Chicago Blues

Junior Wells was a blues giant during Chicago’s golden age. He played with greats like Muddy Waters, Earl Hooker and Buddy Guy. In 1965 Junior Wells and Buddy Guy recorded the classic “Hoodoo Man Blues,” one of the all-time essential blues albums. I had the honor of appearing with Junior in the “Blues Brothers 2000” film. From the House of Blues archives, Junior Wells remembers how he acquired his first harmonica.

You had so many Blues clubs in Chicago at that time, man. You never had to worry about if you had a job. You could have a job seven nights, seven nights a week if you’d like to. But you used to have to have on a uniform. Everybody had to wear the same colors because the union required it. If the union man should come and catch you on the bandstand that wasn’t that way, he would pull you off the bandstand or fine you. And I learned so much from that, that a hundred percent is a hundred percent is a hundred percent, but fifty percent is your playing and the other fifty percent is your appearance. -Junior Wells