James "Baby Huey" Ramey was an unusual specimen: though he was six foot one and weighed more than 300 pounds, he could work a stage like a young James Brown. His group the Babysitters played high-energy funk, soul, and R & B that could whip a crowd into a frenzy.

Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues and jazz. Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States; where record labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax were influential in the civil rights era. Soul also became popular around the world, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying".
Howlin' Wolf was one of blues music's all-time greats, known for his electric guitar-based style and hits like "Smokestack Lightnin'" and "Spoonful.". His hits include "How Many More Years," "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Moanin' at Midnight" and "Sitting on Top of the World." By the start of the 1960s, Wolf was collaborating often with songwriter/singer/producer Willie Dixon, who penned most of Wolf's studio repertoire for the next few years, including classics like "Spoonful," "The Red Rooster" and "Shake for Me."