"Eddie Shaw was born in Stringtown, Mississippi, but he spent most of his youth in Greenville, MS, where he met numerous young men who would help form the backbone of Midwestern and Southern blues. Shaw learned a variety of instruments as a child, but eventually the saxophone began to dominate his repertoire over the horn, clarinet and trombone. The teenage Eddie Shaw was able to land several gigs as an instrumentalist while in the South, notably playing for Ike Turner and 'Guitar' Slim.Although playing blues in the South was paying the bills (though barely- how else are you going to play the blues?), there was a burgeoning blues movement that was taking place in Chicago of which Shaw needed to become a part. Eddie Shaw got his chance when one of Muddy Water's band members couldn't take the stage while the group was touring in Mississippi. Shaw stepped in, nailed the part and was hired by Muddy Waters right then and there. By the time Waters and his band returned to Chicago, Eddie Shaw was one of the key elements of the most powerful blues band in America. However, Eddie Shaw had a wandering loyalty that would lead him to play for numerous bands during his time in Chicago. Eventually, Shaw found a steadier job as one of the top dogs in Howlin' Wolf's band.During most of the ‘60s Eddie Shaw served Howlin' Wolf in some capacity or another- composer, singer, producer, multi-faceted instrumentalist. It was during this time in Chicago, when Windy City blues was at its height of popularity, that Eddie Shaw performed with nearly every major player in the genre, including Willie Dixon, Magic Sam, Andrew ""Blueblood"" McMahon, Freddie King and Jimmy Dawkins. From time to time, Shaw even operated a band of his own on the side. When Howlin' Wolf passed in 1976, Eddie Shaw took control of the band as the frontman, leading Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang through years of successful tours and album recordings."