As the electric blues began Sunnyland Slim played with blues musicians like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Little Walter. Muddy Waters partially owed his recording career at Chess Records to Sunnyland Slim who introduced him to the Chess brothers at his own birthday party. His first recording was as a singer with Jump Jackson's band on the Specialty label in September 1946 and his first recording as band leader was in 1947. Between 1948 and 1956 he recorded for Hytone, Opera, Chance, Tempo-Tone, Mercury, Apollo, JOB, Regal, Vee-Jay (unissued), Blue Lake, Club 51, Cobra. In 1988 he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship. He went on touring and recording till his death in 1995.