Charlie Musselwhite, along with Paul Butterfield, is credited with making the blues cross over into the much larger rock audiences of the 1960s.

Musselwhite was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, in 1944. As a teenager growing up in Memphis he played with blues guitarist Furry Lewis. In 1962 he moved to Chicago, where he became a fixture in blues clubs, playing with Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, and Muddy Waters. For years he also was the harmonica player for guitarist Big Joe Williams, replacing Sonny Boy Williamson I. Musselwhite also played with John Lee Hooker, Big Walter Horton, Johnny Young, Floyd Jones, and Robert Nighthawk.

Musselwhite eventually settled in the San Francisco area, where he performed with a who's who of the top Bay Area guitarists, including Harvey Mandel, Louis Myers, and Robben Ford. Musselwhite is still an active recording artist and performer today.