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Walter "Wolfman" Washington
Walter "Wolfman" Washington
	Washington at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, 2008
Background information
Birth name	Walter Washington
Born	December 20, 1943; New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	December 22, 2022 (aged 79); New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Instrument(s)	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1962–2022
Labels	Hep' Me, Maison de Soul, Rounder, Point Blank, Bullseye Blues, Zoho Roots
Website	WalterWolfmanWashington.com

Walter "Wolfman" Washington (December 20, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer and guitarist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. While his roots were in blues music, he blended in the essence of funk and R&B to create his own unique sound.

Biography

Washington was born in New Orleans, and whilst still in his teens, he was invited to play in Lee Dorsey's band.^[1]

In the mid-1960s, Washington formed the All Fools Band, and played at clubs in New Orleans.^[2]

In the 1970s, he joined Johnny Adams' band. He played with Adams for 20 years, both performing live and also appearing on his records.^[1] During this time he continued to work as a solo artist, and in the late 1970s formed his own band, the Roadmasters, and toured Europe with them.^[2]

Washington released his first solo album Rainin' In My Life in 1981 from a small local label Hep' Me.^[3] He landed a contract with Rounder Records in 1985, and he released three albums with that label. After the Rounder days, he also released an album, Sada, on Point Blank Records.^[3]^[4]

Washington started to play regularly with two New Orleans musicians, the organist Joe Krown and the drummer Russell Batiste, Jr., working as a trio at the Maple Leaf Bar.

Washington appears in performance footage in the 2005 documentary film Make It Funky!, which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues, rock and roll, funk and jazz.^[5] In the film, he performs "Barefootin'" with the house band.^[6]

In 2008, he released Doin' the Funky Thing, his first album in many years.^[4] Live at the Maple Leaf, a live recording by Krown, Washington, Batiste was also released in the same year.

Washington died of cancer in New Orleans, on December 22, 2022, two days after his 79th birthday.^[7]

Awards and honors

OffBeat's Best of The Beat Awards


Year	Category	Work nominated	Result	Ref.
1995	Best Blues Band or Performer		Won	^[8]
1995	Best Urban Contemporary R&B Band or Performer		Won	^[8]
1997	Best R&B/Soul Band or Performer		Won	^[8]
1998	Best Funk Album	Funk is in the House	Won	^[8]
1998	Best R&B/Soul Band or Performer		Won	^[8]
2000	Best Blues Band or Performer (with The Roadmasters)		Won	^[8]
2000	Best Blues Album	On the Prowl	Won	^[8]
2003	Best Guitarist		Won	^[8]
2006	Best Blues Band or Performer (with The Roadmasters)		Won	^[8]
2009	Best R&B/Funk Album	Live at the Maple Leaf (with Joe Krown and Russel Batiste, Jr.)	Won	^[8]
2015	Best Blues Band or Performer		Won	^[8]
2015	Best Guitarist		Won	^[8]
2016	Best Blues Band or Performer		Won	^[8]
2018	Lifetime Achievement in Music		Won	^[8]
	Album of the Year	My Future is My Past	Won	^[8]
	Best Blues Album	My Future is My Past	Won	^[8]