By Eleanor Davies
When your father is one of the greatest Blues legends of all time getting up on stage to try and replicate what he did must be quite a challenge.
But for the son of Muddy Waters, Mud Morganfield, his talent was something he was simply born with.
“I wanted to represent my dad’s music, and what he stood for came naturally to me,“ says Mud Morganfield.
“People think maybe I was somewhere in the basement studying it, and listening to recordings. You can’t get that close with that. I do what I do because I’m his son. That’s all there is to it.”
And now Mud takes his performances all over the world, meeting people who his father’s music touched, and showing them the legacy Muddy Waters left behind in his own new music.
“I’ve really been getting out there on the blues scene for the last few years,” the 56-year-old tells me. “And I’ve started to play all over - from Russia to Australia to Brazil. It’s been a great thrill to meet people from all over the world and realise how much my father’s music meant to them.”
For Mud it remains ‘all about the blues’ and he’s keen to stay true to his roots in the music he records with musician Giles Robson and his band the Dirty Aces.
“My dad came up in one era, and I came up in another era,” he says. “I have my own blues, too. I’m trying to establish myself now as my own bluesman. I started to sing to show the world that dad left me here. I love and am proud to sing his songs just like I love and will always be proud of him.
“I met Giles (Robson) when he organised some gigs for me in Jersey, where we recorded my live album with his band The Dirty Aces,” continues Mud. “I was totally blown away by the band, about how they could play my pops and my original stuff so well.
“It’s a very rare thing to be able to do and it was a really outstanding tour for me,” he adds. “They are great players and also my friends.”
Having toured relentlessly throughout the USA they are now going to ‘bring the best of the blues to Southend!’
“It’s all been wonderful, just meeting all the great music fans across the world. It’s been beautiful and I’d like to thank all the kind people out there for their support and love.” Mud tells me.
“I really put on a great show for the people, and have a powerful band with Giles and the Aces backing me up. We’re going to bring the best of the blues to Southend!”
If you would like to see Mud at Churchills, Southend on 20 July go to: www.churchills-southend.com/sundaylive.