MUSICIAN

Big Walter Horton

1921 - 1981

Photo of Big Walter Horton

Icon of person Big Walter Horton

Walter Horton (April 6, 1921 – December 8, 1981), known as Big Walter (Horton) or Walter "Shakey" Horton, was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming, shy man, he is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the history of blues. Willie Dixon once called Horton 'the best harmonica player I ever heard'. Robert Palmer named him as 'one of the three great harmonica soloists of modern blues with the two others being cited as Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Also known as 'Mumbles', 'Shakey', along with 'Tangle Eye' and 'Shakey Head' (because of his head motion whilst playing the harmonica, along with his suffering from nystagmus). Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in 19 different languages on Wikipedia. Big Walter Horton is the 1,862nd most popular musician (down from 1,774th in 2024), the 9,917th most popular biography from United States (down from 8,973rd in 2019) and the 719th most popular American Musician.

Memorability Metrics

Loading...

Page views of Big Walter Horton by language

Loading...

Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Big Walter Horton ranks 1,862 out of 3,175. Before him are Myra Hess, Dino Dvornik, Ray Bryant, Joey Castillo, Wes Borland, and Michael Steele. After him are Stefan Schwarzmann, Tracii Guns, Mike Garson, Alex Acuña, Brian Setzer, and Salil Chowdhury.

Most Popular Musicians in Wikipedia

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Contemporaries

Among people born in 1921, Big Walter Horton ranks 404. Before him are Róbert Antal, Prvoslav Mihajlović, Verghese Kurien, Geoffrey Crossley, Susan Peters, and Usmar Ismail. After him are Jacques Friedel, Bill Bright, Mohammad Mohammadullah, Kurt Marti, Cliff Barker, and Mamie Till. Among people deceased in 1981, Big Walter Horton ranks 247. Before him are Hanns Kilian, Betty McKinnon, Oumarou Ganda, Geirr Tveitt, Eric Williams, and Kazimierz Kordylewski. After him are Dragutin Najdanović, Ioachim Moldoveanu, Harry Warren, Nikolay Smaga, Ann Harding, and Ernesto Prinoth.

Others Born in 1921

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Others Deceased in 1981

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

In United States

Among people born in United States, Big Walter Horton ranks 9,919 out of 20,380. Before him are Jerome Biffle (1928), Paul Drayton (1939), Kristy Swanson (1969), Robert L. Stewart (1942), Walter Rauschenbusch (1861), and Lawrence H. Aller (1913). After him are Kid Rock (1971), Lloyd Nolan (1902), Sharon Robinson (1953), Dennis Kucinich (1946), Eric Stonestreet (1971), and Claire McDowell (1877).

Others born in United States

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous

Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Big Walter Horton ranks 719. Before him are Paul Bostaph (1964), Pepper Adams (1930), Ray Bryant (1931), Joey Castillo (1966), Wes Borland (1975), and Michael Steele (1955). After him are Tracii Guns (1966), Mike Garson (1945), Brian Setzer (1959), Gene Ammons (1925), Daniel Johnston (1961), and David Vincent (1965).

American born Musicians

Go to all Rankings
Load previousLoad previous