Muddy Waters House - empty and abandoned

[LouieB]

Okay rather than argue about stupid stuff, here is something maybe we can all agree upon.  Muddy Waters was one of the most famous musicians to ever call Chicago home. Despite his humble beginnings, his musical influence is world wide. 

 

Over the years I have found it interesting to take friends and family by his home on the south side of Chicago at 4339 S, Lake Park.  It is a two story brick home, which has been vacant for  years. Before Christmas I visited there with some folks and the place looked worse than ever. No one lives there and for awhile it appeared that it was being rehabbed.  No longer.  it is now boarded up and the basement doors were opened, inviting looting and vandalism.  It has been registered as an abandoned building with the city and faces demolition.  A $500 fine has been put on this and the owners (Muddy's daughter?? ) has until January 22 to pay up.  Amazingly an intrepid blogger did a story on the home about a year and a half ago.  Those who read Robert Palmer's bio called "I Can't Be Satisfied" will remember that this house plays a promenant part in the book.  While Muddy's family lived upstairs, the band members hung out, rehearsed,  and sometimes lived in the basement. 

 

It is sad that such an iconic and important building to the history of Chicago music may face the wrecking ball. Hopefully not, but like so many older and abandoned buildings, this one stands a fair chance of not being there in a few years. 

 

LouieB

 

 

[GtrPlyr]

I can't believe things have been allowed to go this far without intervention. The owners obviously don't give a toss about this historic place. Quite sad really.

[LouieB]

 

 

 

 

 

The Chicago Tribune ran this article today.  You may not be able to get it, so I am going to run the text.  I think the reporter did a nice job.

 

LouieB

 

Vacant Muddy Waters house found to be 'dangerous' in city inspection

By Heather Gillers, Chicago Tribune reporter

January 25, 2013

 

Once upon a time the house at 4339 S. Lake Park Ave. was filled with children, home cooking and the kind of music that has made Chicago famous around the world.

Blues icon Muddy Waters owned the home and lived there from 1954 until he moved to Westmont two decades later, according to published accounts and interviews.

"It was the rocking house," said harmonica star James Cotton, who used to play music in the basement "for days" with Muddy Waters and other blues greats.

But these days the home is quiet and dark, and this month the city issued a warning letter to the owner after an inspection found the property to be unsafe.

Records show the Nov. 29 buildings department inspection described the property as "dangerous," with the windows, doors, stairway and porch in need of proper maintenance.

The letter, dated Jan. 11, is the first step in the process of obtaining a court order that would allow demolition but gives the owner 15 days to remedy the problems.

City officials confirmed the owner of the home has since reached out to try to address the issues and staffers from the Commission on Chicago Landmarks are offering help.

"The assistance is intended to help get the building secure, safe and viable as a residential property," said Peter Strazzabosco, deputy commissioner at the Department of Housing and Economic Development.

Documents filed with the Cook County recorder of deeds indicate a bank filed a notice of foreclosure on the property in August. Chandra Cooper, identified in public records as the owner, declined to comment.

The city Buildings Department has not asked the circuit court for an order to demolish the house, and once in court it could ask a judge to drop the matter if it finds that the property is secured and the violations resolved. The house is in the North Kenwood landmark district, meaning any demolition plan would need an OK from the landmarks commission.

"The city of Liverpool would recognize the historic, cultural and tourism value of John Lennon's house and never allow it to be torn down," said Bruce Iglauer, president and founder of Alligator Records, a major blues label. "Muddy Waters was every bit as important to the blues and to Chicago as the Beatles were to rock 'n' roll and Liverpool."

Tim Samuelson, cultural historian with the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said many people have recognized the historical significance of the site and proposed that it be turned into some sort of museum in tribute.

"But people always respected the fact that it was still in the ownership of Muddy's family," he said.

The home was showing signs of neglect in 2000 when artists and community volunteers cleaned up the property and painted murals on the window and door coverings. After that, Samuelson said, residents moved in and occupied it for several years.

Now that the home is again vacant, however, callers to the city's 311 line have complained that the property is unsecured and unsafe.

Waters, whose given name was McKinley Morganfield, shared the home with his wife, Geneva, and, for years at a time, with blues musicians new to the city, according to historical accounts and interviews with musicians.

Cotton arrived in Chicago in 1954 from West Memphis, Ark., and stayed in the house for six years. He said Waters' bed was directly over the basement, so he learned the music even when band members practiced without him.

"He laid in the bed listening to us down there," Cotton said in an interview.

Harmonica player Paul Oscher and blues pianist Otis Spann both lived for years in the basement, which Waters had divided into several rooms.

"I would practice in my room and Spann would be in the back," Oscher said. "The piano was in the middle and me and him would play together."

The house was where Louise Smith first noticed drummer Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, who later became her husband. Big Eyes was playing music in the basement, Louise recalled, while she and her sister visited Geneva.

After Waters moved out of the house, Louise said, the Smiths lived there for several years before moving down the street. Their son, Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, also a renowned drummer, said he got his education by spending hours in the basement with his father and Muddy Waters.

"There was so much love there and so many musicians was in and out of there," Louise Smith said.

In summertime, Oscher said, the celebration expanded into the neighborhood. He said that in warm weather Spann would set up his electric organ in an alley near the house, and area residents would trickle into the alley and join in singing.

"That neighborhood," he said. "You can't tell there was a whole lot of things happening there by looking at it now. But it was great."

hgillers@tribune.com

Twitter @hgillers

 

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

[calvino]

Thanks for posting, Lou -  I always found it interesting that Muddy moved to Westmont, of all places.

 

The house on Lake Park is right by me, I probably drove by it a dozen or so times, not realizing it was his former house.

[LouieB]

Thanks for posting, Lou -  I always found it interesting that Muddy moved to Westmont, of all places.

 

The house on Lake Park is right by me, I probably drove by it a dozen or so times, not realizing it was his former house.

There is a small sign out front but unless you know to look for it you wouldn't see it.  Now a blogger from BEZ has picked up the story.  Same info, but the more attention the better. 

 

It is just over a mile north of you and Barack.

 

LouieB

[LouieB]

just talked to Alderman William Burns office and they are aware of the situation.  We shall see.

 

LouieB

[calvino]

Burns seems to be a good guy, hopefully he can help. You may want to give Preckwinkle a shout out, too - though she may have bigger issues - she's from the neighborhood, too (Burns replaced her as my alderman).

[LouieB]

Ah I see. Got the politics straight.  He is nor your alderman though, right?

 

I sort of know Toni, although she hardly would remember me from 25 years ago. I may send her an email. Thanks for the suggestion.  It seems like there is a significant amount of interest in this at the moment, but a couple weeks down the road it may be necessary to ramp back up.

 

LouieB

[calvino]

Burns was my alderman up to this year, the redistricting knocked me out the 4th and into the 5th, much to my chagrin....

 

Anyway back to Waters, anyone know why Muddy moved out to Westmont. It's pretty white out that way now, can't imagine what was like back in the 70's.

 

Not that there is anything wrong with a black man moving into a predominately white area, of course.... (it's a bit like Cheif Keef moving to Northbrook, okay maybe that's a bad analogy  )

[LouieB]

Actually Westmont has a fairly large black population now I think (edit - Wikipedia says even now it is only about 5% AFrican American.). Not sure about then though.  Maybe Muddy just got tired of living in the city.  The area was pretty rough in the 70s and he was getting old and his health wasn't so great. 

 

I highly recommend Robert Palmer's bio of Muddy I Can't Be Satisfied.  I am pretty sure the move is discussed in that and Muddy is buried out that way too. (double edit- he is buried in Alsip, not Dupage Co.) After all this I need to reread parts of the book myself. 

 

Interesting about that redistricting stuff isn't it?

 

triple edit - just reading the Wikipedia article on Muddy makes me pissed off and sad all over again.  There is simply no reason this property should EVER have gotten this run down and abandoned. The effing city can take over just about anything it wants and Oakwood/ Kenwood (Bronzewille in general) has suffered greatly by massive numbers of homes and buisnesses being torn down.  It just sucks. so bad.  As always (and I wish I weren't just talking to Bob) folks visiting Chicago need to get out of the Loop and northside and visit the southside.  It is an amazing place.

 

LouieB

[kidsmoke]

I hope the city will have the good sense to preserve that property.

[froggie]

I hope the city will have the good sense to preserve that property.

 

[LouieB]

Small update for those interested.  I have been contacted by at least two other reporters on this issue, so maybe it will catch a bit more fire before it fades away. 

 

LouieB

[calvino]

For what it's worth, I emailed Burns (4th Ward) and Hairston (5th Ward), voicing my support of preserving the home.

[lamradio]

Sad, that place should be a museum or something.  I'd pay to take a tour, and I'm sure many others would too..

[Lammycat]

Sad, that place should be a museum or something.  I'd pay to take a tour, and I'm sure many others would too..

It likely resembles little to what it looked like when he was living in it with all the other musicians living on/off in the basement, though. Doesn't sound like it's been preserved in the least. The story kind of brings me down. I think I may have a touch of the Blues.

[lamradio]

Right, it would have to be restored which would be a chunk of change.  Sadly I'm not optimistic for anything like that to happen in today's economy, unless some rich blues lover buys it or something. 

[LouieB]

It likely resembles little to what it looked like when he was living in it with all the other musicians living on/off in the basement, though. Doesn't sound like it's been preserved in the least. The story kind of brings me down. I think I may have a touch of the Blues.

 

The day I went out and found it in this state the door to the basement was open and I walked in.  It is now just a basement and certainly gave me the blues.  From the pics on teh city's distressed property site the place does only bear a resemblence to what it would have then, but I think the point is that it is not ever going to represent what it did when Muddy lived there, nor should it.  It could be fixed to be lived in by someone, or rehabbed as a small museum or community center or music school or something. 

Right, it would have to be restored which would be a chunk of change.  Sadly I'm not optimistic for anything like that to happen in today's economy, unless some rich blues lover buys it or something. 

There are all sorts of things that do happen if there is someone who wants to do it. This would be chump change for the Rolling Stones.  For me the main purpose of getting involved is simplly to save the structure, but who knows. It is in a gentrifying area and not that far from Hyde Park so anything is possible.

 

LouieB

[Moss]

Hopefully an owner like this will come along:

 

http://bigpinkbasement.com/

[LouieB]

That is very cool. 

 

LouieB

[Tweedling]

Hopefully an owner like this will come along:

 

http://bigpinkbasement.com/

Damn.....

That is very cool. Deserving of its own thread!

[LouieB]

All the publicity on this issue is starting to bear some fruit, but no word yet on exactly how it is going to resolve.  At least the wrecking ball may be out of the picture.

 

LouieB

[Fritz]

Damn.....

That is very cool. Deserving of its own thread!

 

Indeed it is. The letter to Levon is heartfelt.

[roadhse ma]

A Great thread thanks for posting about the Home of the Blues Master.

"Aint no one writing songs today like Muddy"

Bo Diddley said that to me in 97 at Harpers Ferry in Brighton I will never forget it

Keep up the good work!

 

[calvino]

Drove by the house yesterday - sat in front of it with my sleeping daughter for a while and it was depressing as hell. Definitely lots (new construction/rehabbing) going on in that area, so I can see why developers are chopping at the bit for it, especially since it has a half of lot right next to it, which I am sure is part of the parcel. That Red X  on the front of it looks ominous as hell.

 

The Hadiya Pendleton shooting happen just blocks away, which made even more depressing...