My Take
Paul Butterfield is simply one of the most important figures in the history of American blues, and I don't think he gets nearly the credit he deserves outside of serious music circles. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago and actually sitting in with Muddy Waters as a teenager — that's not a resume line, that's a baptism. His harmonica playing was ferocious and technically brilliant in a way that felt almost impossible for a white kid from Hyde Park, and he took that raw Chicago blues and injected it into the rock world at exactly the right moment. His set at Woodstock, his work on the Band's recording sessions, the way he stretched blues into jazz territory on "East-West" — it all holds up. Gone at 44, which is a genuine tragedy for American music.
Overview
Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942 – May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his native Chicago, where he met Muddy Waters and other blues greats, who provided encouragement and opportunities for him to join in jam sessions.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Paul Butterfield
- Name (Japanese)
- ポール・バターフィールド
- Reading
- ぽーる・ばたーふぃーるど
- Born
- December 17, 1942 – May 4, 1987
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Horse
- Origin
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- harmonicist / singer / songwriter / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Hyde Park Academy High School
- University
- University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.