Howlin’ Wolf’s Puppet Man Makes It Home
2023 ©dianegreen
Howlin’ Wolf Marionette by Stephen Seymour
Strange and unexpected adventures have a way of making it into our scopes of life somehow. Like everything was just leading you into this experience.
One of the best things about Chicago is the annual Blues Fest. Bob and I have been going almost every year for a quarter century. It is the world’s largest and free-est Blues Fest!
Maybe 16 years ago we met a pair of particularly freaky blues devotees, Prudence DiPietro, and Stephen Seymour, that showed up every year. Creatively artful hippies like us, so of course we all got along famously.
Prudence DiPietro and Stephen Seymour in California
Now, I grew up in Memphis. Yeah, I know a lot of places claim to be home of the blues. Well, it’s my home and I definitely got some deep blues from there. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Howlin’ Wolf but I continuously rotated his records in few juke joints around town in the 1970s and 80s.
However, my partner in theorized crime, Bob Buchholz, met Howlin’ Wolf’s wife, Lillian Burnett at a lecture she was giving about her husband’s lifetime in the blues entertainment biz, Mr. Chester Burnett, aka Howlin’ Wolf several years after he passed away. After the lecture Bob went up to Mrs. Burnett offering his appreciation and condolences, also asking if she might sign one of her husband’s records. As she signed Howlin’ Wolf’s first LP for Bob he said “I’ve been a big fan of your husband for decades. Sometimes I go out to his grave and clean it off and play harmonica.” She said, “You seem like a nice young man, why don’t you come over for my 4th of July barbeque…,” an invitation to which Bob of course, gladly accepted. He continued seeing Mrs. Burnett and many of Howlin’ Wolf’s family and friends every year for a couple of decades.
Meanwhile, Stephen Seymour, a southern California puppet making prodigy made an incredible marionette of Howlin’ Wolf, that looks hauntingly just like the blues leading man, down to the harmonica in his hand, including his glasses along with a wolf print suit and tie! Stephen was an artist at making puppets with a long line of experiences including performing at schools with Jim Henson in his pre-Muppet days.
Sadly, Stephen passed away in 2018. But Prudence knew she wanted to bring the Howlin’ Wolf puppet to the Burnett family in Chicago. Alas, there was the pandemic so everything including Chicago’s annual Blues Fest was on hold another 4 years.
Finally in June of 2023, Bob and I went to see the Born in Chicago movie premiere that showed at the Chicago Cultural Center on the second day of the Blues Fest 2023. Whaddaya know there’s Prudence with her custom taped UPS box holding the Howlin’ Wolf marionette. She’s there to see the premiere, but also to present Chester Burnett’s two daughters, Barbara, and Betty with this incredible artwork of their dad.
Unfortunately, as we all know shipping can be rough on certain items, especially priceless artworks. The Howlin’ Wolf marionette took a rollin’ and tumblin’ on his way to Chicago. He needed some repairs for his broken glasses and lost fingers! Bob Buchholz immediately stepped up to the plate and volunteered to repair the Howlin’ Wolf puppet. We all met Howlin’ Wolf’s daughters and made arrangements for Bob to pick up the puppet from Barbara. It was, after all, Howlin’ Wolf’s 113th Birthday and it was time to have some cake.
Howlin’ Wolf’s daughters Betty (left) and Barbara (right) with his 113th Birthday Cake
About a month later, with some research and art supplies, Bob completed the puppet repair and we took it back to Barbara’s house.
Bob Buchholz and Howlin’ Wolf marionette.
Barbara Marks and Bob Buchholz with Stephen Seymour’s Howlin’ Wolf marionette.
She offered to take us out for some soul food for lunch at her local favorite eatery. Amazingly delicious and delightful afternoon spent with someone I never imagined I would meet. It was a blessed event all around! Howlin’ Wolf: often imitated, never duplicated, and always appreciated!