Rolling Stones kicks off world tour; group got its name from Muddy Waters' song, 'Rollin' Stone.'

Jet, Oct 6, 1997

With the Rolling Stones currently on a much-talked about sizzling world tour, music fans are recalling how the group got its name from a song by the late blues legend Muddy Waters.

The Stones recently kicked off its tour at the 50,000 seat Soldier Field in Chicago, a city known for its blues.

Members of the British rock 'n' roll group have always been big fans of such Black blues pioneers as Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Walter, Willie Dixon and Buddy Guy.

When they performed their first engagement at the Marquee club in London in July 1962, they named themselves "Rolling Stones" after one of Waters' songs, Rollin' Stone.

They later added a "g" to their name and went on to win a worldwide following of fans with such hits as (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Honky Tonk Women, Ruby Tuesday, Brown Sugar and Miss You.

Waters once described the blues' influence on rock 'n' roll music: "The blues had a baby, and they called it rock 'n' roll."

Waters also said he appreciated the young White musicians' love for his music."I'm like a daddy to them," he remarked during a concert with the Stones in 1978 in Chicago.

The Rolling Stones recorded at the Chess studio for the first time in 1964 and paid tribute to the label with the instrumental tune 2120 South Michigan Avenue, the address of the legendary Chicago-based record company.

Chess was the record label for a number of blues giants including Waters, Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy and others.

Waters died in 1983 at age 68 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Westmont, IL, near Chicago.

Waters won fame for his special brand of Mississippi Delta music mixed with the urban blues sound of Chicago.

His many hit songs included Hoochie Coochie Man, Rollin' and Tumblin' and Got My Mojo Working. He received six Grammy Awards during his legendary career.