Source Material: Junior Wells – “Messin’ With The Kid”

Junior Wells was a blues musician and a harmonica player from Chicago, Illinois.  As a child, he grew up in Memphis, and he learned how to play the harmonica from his cousin Junior Parker, a blues musician from Mississippi.  As a teenager, Wells moved to Chicago, and that’s where he made a name for himself.

In the early ’50s, Wells performed with The Aces, a local blues band that supported Little Walter and other musicians.  In 1952, after the success of Little Walter’s single, “Juke,” he left Muddy Water’s band; Wells left The Aces, and he replaced Little Walter in Muddy Water’s band.  This was big for Wells because it opened a new world of opportunity. A few years later, he began working with Mel London, a Chicago-based songwriter, producer, and label owner.  In 1957, Wells started recording for London’s Chief Records.  And in 1960, Wells released “Messin’ With The Kid.”  It was his biggest hit at the time, and it is his most well-known song to date.

Junior Wells – “Messin’ With The Kid”