Muddy Waters, born McKinley Morganfield in 1913 in Mississippi, was a pioneering American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist, widely recognized as the father of modern Chicago blues. Growing up on the Stovall Plantation near Clarksdale, he absorbed the styles of Son House and Robert Johnson, and by his late teens played guitar and harmonica. His early recordings, made in Mississippi by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress, helped launch his career. Moving to Chicago in the 1940s, he became a full-time musician and recorded for labels including Columbia and Aristocrat, later Chess Records. In the 1950s, Muddy Waters and his legendary band defined the Chicago blues sound with classics like Hoochie Coochie Man, I Just Want to Make Love to You, and I'm Ready, many written with or by Willie Dixon. His energetic style and "Delta beatitude" influenced generations of musicians and helped shape rock and roll. Waters brought blues to an international audience, including a groundbreaking trip to England in 1958 and his acclaimed performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960. His legacy as a transformative figure in American music endures today.