Howlin’ Wolf to Snooky Prior: Top 10 coolest names in blues

There is a reason it's called the blues. The music has been steeped in colourful language since the first voices rose from the cotton fields. Songs like “Got My Mojo Workin,” “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Little Red Rooster” say it all.

Sometimes, even more colourful than the song titles are the names of the players. Often the name of the artist defines them as a blues player, even if you don’t know who they are.

Here are the top 10 coolest blues names of all time, according to me:

1. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins

2. Howlin’ Wolf

3. Honeyboy Edwards

4. Big Mama Thornton

5. Lightnin' Hopkins

6. Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

7. Snooky Pryor
8. Homesick James

9. Sleepy John Estes

10. Big Walter “Shakey” Horton – a man so cool he earned two nicknames.

As we dig deeper, more and more colourful names pop up throughout the history of the blues. Scrapper Blackwell, Lead Belly, Blind Lemon Jefferson and many others. What is your favourite blues name? Let us know below.

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