Sonny Boy Williamson #2 was a legend in the Mississippi Delta and the surround area, a consumate entertainer, musician and storyteller. Willie Dixon recalled seeing Lockwood and Miller playing for tips in Greenville, Mississippi, in the 1930s. Good … Don't Start Me to Talkin' 11. [6][7] However, it has been argued that a census record claim of age without a birth certificate is not a reliable proof, as census clerks often made mistakes, especially in rural towns where few people could read or write. Same Girl 10. Audio CD More Real Folk Blues. … [9], Williamson's first recording session took place in 1951 for Lillian McMurry of Trumpet Records, based in Jackson, Mississippi. $3.99 shipping. [citation needed] The recordings made by Williamson between 1937 and his death in 1948 and those made later by Rice Miller were all originally issued under the name Sonny Boy Williamson. Keep It to Yourself [DVD] 2. Please see the "Year of birth" section for more information. Miller used various names, including Rice Miller and Little Boy Blue, before calling himself Sonny Boy Williamson, which was also the name of a popular Chicago blues singer and harmonica player. He had begun developing a following in Chicago beginning in 1953, when he appeared there as a member of Elmore James's band. Trending. The recordings made by John Lee Williamson between 1937 and his death in 1948 and those made between 1951 and 1964 by "Rice" Miller were all originally issued under the name Sonny Boy Williamson. He is generally believed to have been born in a small town near Clarksdale, Mississippi sometime after 1894. [5], Williamson's recordings were issued on 78 rpm records by Bluebird Records (a subsidiary of RCA Victor Records) or, after the label was discontinued, RCA Victor. The engineer gets so dingy he finally can't recall the name of the song. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the blues harp as a solo instrument. In a spoken word performance called “The Story of Sonny Boy Williamson” that was later included in several compilations, Miller states that he was born in Glendora, Mississippi in 1897. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for The Chess Years - Sonny Boy Williamson II on AllMusic - 1991 - This import multi-disc boxed set of Williamson's… This was Sonny Boy Williamson I, not to be confused with Sonny Boy Williamson II, an entirely different individual who lived long enough to make records with British rockers during the '60s. 1 Karolyn Pho; 2 Leni Klum; 3 Kim Kardashian; 4 FDA Vaccine Approval; 5 Nerve Renew; 6 Taylor Swift; 7 Costco Hearing Aids; 8 Refinance Interest Rates; 9 Pa Shutdown; 10 Brandon Bernard; Robert Palmer wrote in his blues history "Deep Blues", that during this tour Williamson allegedly stabbed a man during a street fight and left the country abruptly. Other well-known recordings of his include "Sugar Mama Blues", "Shake the Boogie", "You Better Cut That Out", "Sloppy Drunk", "Early in the Morning", "Stop Breaking Down", and "Hoodoo Hoodoo" (also known as "Hoodoo Man Blues"). Sonny Boy Williamson (2) With Brian Auger & The Trinity / Joe Harriott / Alan Skidmore / Jimmy Page: Sonny Boy Williamson (2) With Brian Auger & The Trinity / Joe Harriott / Alan Skidmore / Jimmy Page - Don't Send Me No Flowers (Album) 29 versions : Marmalade: 608004: UK: 1968: Sell This Version Sonny Boy yells at an exasperated engineer: "He'll git it, he'll git it!!" The Original Sonny Boy Williamson Vol 1-CD4; The Original Sonny Boy Williamson Vol 1- CD3; The Original Sonny Boy Williamson Vol 1- CD2; The Original Sonny Boy Williamson Vol 1-CD 1; Stompin' Volumes 1-2-3-4-5; Roy Brown - and New Orleans R&B CD 4; Roy Brown … Over the years, RCA has released several compilations of Williamson's material, including:[6], Specialty labels, such as JSP Records, Saga, Indigo, Snapper, and others, have also released compilations. [citation needed] David Evans, professor of music and an ethnomusicologist at the University of Memphis, claims to have found census records that Miller was born around 1912, being seven years old on February 2, 1920, the day of the census. 3:04 PREVIEW Whiskey Headed Blues. There are two harmonica playing bluesmen known as Sonny Boy Williamson. The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson Sonny Boy Williamson II. 2"). [citation needed], Upon his return to the U.S., he resumed playing the King Biscuit Time show on KFFA, and performed in the Helena, Arkansas area. The program's sponsor, Max Moore, began billing Miller as Sonny Boy Williamson, apparently in an attempt to capitalize on the fame of the well-known Chicago-based harmonica player and singer Sonny Boy Williamson (birth name John Lee Curtis Williamson, died 1948). Vinyl $33.55 $ 33. Beginning in the 1930s, he traveled around Mississippi and Arkansas and encountered Big Joe Williams, Elmore James and Robert Lockwood Jr., also known as Robert Junior Lockwood, who would play guitar on his later Checker Records sides. that he was born Alex Ford (pronounced "Aleck") on the Sara Jones Plantation in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. Around this time he was quoted as saying of the backing bands who accompanied him, "those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do". 1 (1937 - 1938) by Sonny Boy Williamson. Sonny Boy Williamson Vol. "Sonny Boy" Williamson* – "Sonny Boy" Williamson Vol.1 Label: RCA – FXM1 7203 Series: Bluebird Series (2) – N° 1, Black And White Series – Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Mono Country: France Released: 1978 Genre: Blues. 2 (1938-1939) Sonny Boy Williamson Blues • 1994 Play Shuffle. On My Way Back Home Sonny Boy Williamson … Miller's date of birth is disputed. Under his own name, he was one of the most recorded blues musicians of the 1930s and 1940s and is closely associated with Chicago producer Lester Melrose and Bluebird Records. In 1934 he settled in Chicago.[1]. Williamson recorded prolifically both as a bandleader and as a sideman over the course of his career, mainly for Bluebird. Only 1 left in stock - order soon. Don’t Start Me To Talkin’ 3. 1. [3] In order to differentiate between the two musicians, many later scholars and biographers have referred to John Lee Williamson (1914–1948) as Sonny Boy Williamson I and Miller (c. 1912–1965) as Sonny Boy Williamson II. To distinguish the two, Miller has been referred to as Sonny Boy Williamson II. Come Go with Me [DVD] 8. Audio CD $80.67 $ 80. "Help Me" became a blues standard,[5] and many blues and rock artists have recorded his songs. The Blues Of Sonny Boy Williamson - Remastered by Sonny Boy Williamson, released 23 November 2018 1. Sonny Boy Williamson Vol. Peck left the radio station to locate Williamson, and discovered his body in bed at the rooming house where he had been staying, dead of an apparent heart attack suffered in his sleep the night before. Decoration Day: 9. [13] To differentiate between the two musicians, scholars and biographers have referred to John Lee Williamson (1914–1948) as "Sonny Boy Williamson I" or "the original Sonny Boy" and to Miller (circa 1912–1965) as "Sonny Boy Williamson II". Sonny Boy Williamson I song. The two are easy to distinguish. Williamson's final words are reported to have been "Lord have mercy". Williamson's final recording session took place in Chicago in December 1947, in which he accompanied Big Joe Williams. Baby What You Want Me to Do … It is believed that Miller adopted the name to deceive audiences (and his first record label) into thinking that he was the "original" Sonny Boy. [1] His original recordings are in the country blues style, but he soon demonstrated skill at making the harmonica a lead instrument for the blues and popularized it for the first time in a more urban blues setting. Williamson I was beaten to death on the way home from a gig on the first of June 1948. Some blues scholars believe that Miller's assertion he was born in 1899 was a ruse to convince audiences he was old enough to have used the name before John Lee Williamson, who was born in 1914. [1] Williamson's style influenced many blues harmonica performers, including Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells, Sonny Terry, Little Walter, and Snooky Pryor. A counter claim is made[who?] [12] One of his final recordings from England, in 1964, featured him singing "I'm Trying to Make London My Home", with Hubert Sumlin providing the guitar. Style: Country Blues. Sonny Boy Williamson Vol. To differentiate between the two musicians, scholars and biographers have ref… About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us … Good Evening Everybody 2. His first LP record was a compilation of previously released singles. They are colloquially referred to as Sonny Boy Williamson I and Sonny Boy Williamson II respectively, but are of no relation. In 1941 Miller was hired to play the King Biscuit Time show, advertising the King Biscuit brand of baking flour on radio station KFFA in Helena, Arkansas, with Lockwood. [6], This article is about the blues musician who lived from 1914 to 1948. He first recorded with Elmore James on "Dust My Broom". His popular songs, original or adapted, include "Good Morning, School Girl", "Sugar Mama", "Early in the Morning", and "Stop Breaking Down". $4.74 shipping. Lightnin's Blues [DVD] 9. Why Are You Crying 2. Don't Lose Your Eye: 10. Born Blind: 3. (Later, for Checker Records, he did a parody of Howlin' Wolf, entitled "Like Wolf".) Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for Sonny Boy Williamson, Vols. John Lee Curtis "Sonny Boy" Williamson (March 30, 1914 – June 1, 1948) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Bring It on Home: 4. He was also associated with Robert Johnson during this period. Sonny Boy Williamson I recorded "Good Morning, School Girl" in 1937 during his first recording session for Bluebird Records. I'm So Glad 5. The tinny voice of the engineer replies: "OK. Take 92--Little Village." Down Child: 12. Only 2 left in stock - order soon. by Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) | 2013. 1. 6. "Sugar Mama Blues No. It is believed that Miller adopted the name to suggest to audiences (and to his first record label) that he was the "original" Sonny Boy. 55. On June 1, 1948, Williamson was killed in a robbery on Chicago's South Side as he walked home from a performance at the Plantation Club, at 31st St. and Giles Avenue, a tavern just a block and a half from his home, at 3226 S. Giles. As fellow musicians Houston Stackhouse and Peck Curtis waited at the KFFA studios for Williamson on May 25, 1965, the 12:15 broadcast time was approaching and Williamson was nowhere in sight. Original song. Sonny Boy Williamson also appears in this compilation. 67. Sonny Boy Williamson & The Yardbirds. These and other artists, both blues and rock, have helped popularize his songs through subsequent recordings. Fattening Frogs for Snakes: 13. Led Zeppelin biographer Stephen Davis writes in Hammer of the Gods, while in England Williamson set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator. Got My Mojo Working [DVD] 3. Williamson is buried on New Africa Road, just outside Tutwiler, Mississippi at the site of the former Whitman Chapel cemetery. In 1947, "Shake the Boogie" made number 4 on Billboard's Race Records chart. John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, sometimes identified as the composer of "Sugar Mama", first recorded the song three years after Tampa Red. 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