Junior Wells Profile

Amos Wells Blakemore Jr, known professionally as Junior Wells, was one of the leading proponents of blues harmonica from the early 1950s onwards.

Born in Memphis in 1934, Wells became a proficient player at an extremely young age, and received his first big break when he replaced Little Walter, whose amplified harp playing was a strong early influence, in Muddy Waters' band.

Two of Wells' albums entered the Billboard R&B chart and he worked with many other famous blues and rock musicians throughout the 1960s, including The Rolling Stones and Buddy Guy.

Wells' style, although influenced by other Chicago blues harpists, was generally less overdriven than some of his contemporaries, featuring his trademark staccato riffs that echo his singing style.

Interestingly, many of Wells' tunes, especially those on Hoodoo Man Blues are played in second position on a D harmonica. Some critics have suggested that this was done for economic reasons, but it's more likely that Wells preferred the pitch and easier bendability of a D harp.

Wells' choice of harmonica in later years was the Lee Oskar Major Diatonic, and he was said to have been buried with a tray of them in his coffin. Some sources suggest that Wells was a fan of the Hohner Blues Harp, and he can be seen playing these wooden comb Hohner on some footage. However, prior to the 1970s, it was likely that his main instrument would have been a Hohner Marine Band, purely due to their wide availability at the time.