Presents the life of blues legend Muddy Waters, describing how he persisted with his interest in music despite a lack of encouragement from his family and record producers, leading him to Chicago where he was able to record his unique country blues sound.

Muddy Waters was never good at doing what he was told. When his grandma said that blues music wouldn't put food on the table, Muddy didn't listen. And when record producers told him no one wanted to listen to a country boy playing country blues, Muddy ignored them, too. This tenacious streak carried Muddy from the hardscrabble fields of Mississippi to the smoky juke joints of Chicago and finally to a recording studio where Muddy's signature sound was captured and a landmark record was made. Soon the world fell in love with the indomitable spirit of Muddy Waters, whose fierce and electric sound laid the groundwork for what would become rock and roll. In blues-infused prose and soulful illustrations, Michael Mahin and award-winning artist Even Turk tell Muddy's story of struggle, determination, and hope. -- from dust jacket.