Fred McDowell

About

Delta Blues musician who stayed true to his roots with rock's growing popularity, inspiring musicians like Bonnie Raitt.

Before Fame

He began playing guitar at age fourteen, using a slide he made from a hollowed-out steer bone, and spent his teenage years traveling around playing music.

Trivia

He stayed mostly unknown to the general public until the 1960s, when his first records, produced by a folklorist, became something of a sensation.

Family Life

He was born into a farming family Rossville, Tennessee, losing both his parents at a young age.

Associated With

Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones recorded a faithful cover of McDowell's "You Gotta Move" for their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.