Born to Howl: 🐺The Story Behind Our Name

Before it was a venue, it was a sound. A growl. A guttural, soul-shaking howl.

That sound belonged to Chester Arthur Burnett, better known to the world as Howlin’ Wolf — a towering force of blues music, a Mississippi-born vocalist with a voice like gravel soaked in moonshine, and the very spirit that inspired the name of our venue.

Here at The Howlin’ Wolf, we don’t just nod to the past — we amplify it.

🎤 Who Was Howlin’ Wolf?

Born in 1910, Howlin’ Wolf came up in the Mississippi Delta, the heartland of the blues. Influenced by Charley Patton and mentored by legends like Sonny Boy Williamson II, he developed a style that was wild, raw, and untamed. His music — hits like “Smokestack Lightning,” “Killing Floor,” and “Spoonful” — would later influence the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

Wolf wasn’t just a singer. He was a performer, a showman, a storyteller. He howled. He stomped. He commanded attention with every note.

And that energy? That spirit? That’s what lives on inside our walls.

🎷 Why We Took the Name

When The Howlin’ Wolf opened its doors in 1988, it wasn’t just built to be another bar or venue. It was built to be a temple to the soul of Southern music — blues, funk, rock, jazz — all born in the dirt and delivered with fire.

The name “The Howlin’ Wolf” wasn’t just chosen for its punch. It was a tribute to the sound and legacy that defined the Delta blues and laid the foundation for every genre we host on our stage today.

It’s also a promise: that the music here will never be quiet, never be tame, and never forget where it came from.

🎶 A Legacy That Lives On

From blues to brass, our stage has welcomed the echoes of Howlin’ Wolf’s influence again and again — from the growling riffs of local rock acts to the deep soul of New Orleans funk bands. And while we’ve grown to embrace every genre that gets the crowd moving, we carry the blues in our bones.

When you step into The Howlin’ Wolf, you’re not just walking into a music venue — you’re walking into a space born of history and howling with life.

🐺 Still Howlin’

Today, our name reminds us to stay loud. To be bold. To honor the past while building something unforgettable for the future. Because just like Howlin’ Wolf’s music, we’re here to be felt — not just heard.

Want to book a celebration that howls with soul? Talk to the Wolf and let’s make some noise.