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Big Walter Horton Mississippi Blues Trail Marker

Introduction

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This historical marker commemorates the life of Big Walter Horton, who is often listed among the greatest harmonica players of all time. Born in Horn Lake in 1918, he later moved with his mother to Memphis. Due to a condition called nystagmus, which affects eye movement, causing involuntary head movement and learning disabilities, Horton left school after the first grade. He supported himself by doing odd jobs and playing music, playing with names such as Jack Kelly, Garfield Akers, Little Buddy Doyle, Johnny Shines, Floyd Jones, and Honeyboy Edwards. The marker is one of the numerous markers dedicated by the Mississippi Blues Commission as they created the Mississippi Blues Trail starting in 2006.

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Big Walter Horton is commonly regarded as the best harmonica player of all time.

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The Big Walter Horton Mississippi Blues Trail Marker is located in Horn Lake, MS.

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Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Big Walter Horton, born in Horn Lake in 1918, is cited as one of the best harmonica players of all time. Due to a condition called nystagmus, which affects eye movement, causing involuntary head movement and learning disabilities, Horton left school after the first grade. He supported himself by doing odd jobs and playing music, playing with names such as Jack Kelly, Garfield Akers, Little Buddy Doyle, Johnny Shines, Floyd Jones, and Honeyboy Edwards.

Due to his shy nature, Big Walter did not lead his own bands or recording sessions, instead preferring to feature on others' projects. His playing style was distinctive, "marked by an enormous, horn-like tone, virtuosic single-note lines, fluid phrasing, and an expansive sense of space" (Huey). Willie Dixon is often cited as saying that Horton was "the best harmonica player [he] ever heard."

Throughout his career, Big Walter accompanied artists such as Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, Willie Dixon, Fleetwood Mac, and Johnny Winter. Around 1939, Horton began experimenting with amplifying the harmonica, possibly making him the first to do so.

In 1952, Horton moved to Chicago and shortly after was invited to join Muddy Waters, whose regular harmonica player had been drafted to Korea. However, he was fired within the year for continuously breaking commitments to the band. Depending on the source, the reason for this was either due to excessive drinking or because he was over extending his schedule with side gigs. Likely, it was a combination of the two.

Horton continued working well into the 1970s, and briefly appeared in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. He died in 1981 due to heart failure. He was added to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1982.

Sources

Big Walter Horton, Mississippi Blues Trail. Accessed April 13th 2021. http://msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/big-walter-horton.

Huey, Steve. Big Walter Horton - Artist Biography, All Music. Accessed April 13th 2021. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-walter-horton-mn0000064817/biography.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/big-walter-horton-mn0000064817/biography

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