Walter "Wolfman" Washington

Biography

Walter "Wolfman" Washington （born December 21, 1943) is an American singer and guitarist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. While his roots is in the blues music, he blends in the essence of funk and R&B to create his own unique sound. While he was still in his teens, he was invited to play in Lee Dorsey's band.[1]。 In the mid 1960s, Washington formed the All Fools Band, and played at clubs in New Orleans.[2] In the 1970s, Washington joined Johnny Adams' band. He played with Adams for 20 year...

Walter "Wolfman" Washington （born December 21, 1943) is an American singer and guitarist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. While his roots is in the blues music, he blends in the essence of funk and R&B to create his own unique sound.

While he was still in his teens, he was invited to play in Lee Dorsey's band.[1]。

In the mid 1960s, Washington formed the All Fools Band, and played at clubs in New Orleans.[2]

In the 1970s, Washington joined Johnny Adams' band. He played with Adams for 20 years, both performing live and also appearing on his records.[1]。On the other hand, he continued to work as a solo artist: in the late 1970s he formed his own band, the Roadmasters, and toured Europe with them.[2]

Washington released his first solo album Rainin' In My Heart in 1981 from a small local label Help Me. He landed a contract with Rounder Records in the mid 1980s and he released total of three albums from the label. After the Rounder days, he also released an album from Virgin subsidiary Point Blank Records.

Washington started to play regularly with New Orleans musicians Joe Krown (org.) and Russell Batiste, Jr. (ds.) working as a trio at the Maple Leaf Bar.

In 2008 he released the critically acclaimed Doin' the Funky Thing, his first album in many years. Live at the Maple Leaf, a live recording by Krown, Washington, Batiste was also released in the same year.

(2) Walter Washington became a local legend in the black clubs of New Orleans in the '70s and '80s and worked his way up to national status with a series of well-received albums and appearances. His recording affiliations have likewise moved from local to national independent to major label. An innovative guitarist and fine singer who has also done some excellent work with vocalist Johnny Adams, Washington does not perform in the classic New Orleans R&B mold but incorporates soul, funk, jazz, and blues with fluency and power.

Washington was born and raised in New Orleans, where he performed in his mother's church choir as a child. As he grew older, he fell in love with blues and R&B and learned how to play guitar. His first big break came in the form of a supporting role for vocalist Johnny Adams, working with the singer in the late '50s. In the early '60s, Washington became a member of Lee Dorsey's touring band; after that engagement was through, he worked with Irma Thomas.

In the mid-'60s, Washington formed his own group, the All Fools Band, and began headlining at local New Orleans clubs. By the early '70s, his popularity had grown enough to earn him a slot on a European package tour of New Orleans R&B acts. In the late '70s, he toured Europe on his own with his new band, the Roadmasters.

Washington began his recording career relatively late, cutting his first album in 1981. The record, Rainin' in My Heart, appeared on a small independent label called Help Me; it was later re-released on Maison de Soul. Four years after his debut, Washington landed a contract with Rounder Records, releasing Wolf Tracks in 1986. The guitarist recorded two more albums for Rounder -- Out of the Dark (1988) and Wolf at the Door -- before moving to the major-label Point Blank/Charisma in 1991. Throughout the '90s, Washington continued to perform regularly, particularly in New Orleans clubs, and he recorded occasionally, yielding Blue Moon Risin' in 1999 and On the Prowl a year later. ~ Jim O'Neal, Rovi Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.