Sonny boy williamson king biscuit time 2000, cd discogs. Alex or aleck miller ne ford, possibly december 5, 1912 may 24, 1965, known later in his career as sonny boy williamson, was an american blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Sonny boy williamson ii biography, albums, streaming. Scrobble songs to get recommendations on tracks, albums, and artists youll love. There are two harmonica playing bluesmen known as sonny boy williamson.
Blues legend sonny boy williamson ii toured europe in the mid60s. As early as 1938 the delta duo were playing electric blues entertaing the huge crowds they attracted to country jukes by hooking up guitar and harmonica mikes through juke boxes and car radios. Sonny boy williamson music, videos, stats, and photos. Not to be confused with aleck ford miller, who assumed many names including sonny boy williamson ii to promote the sponsor of his radio program in helena, arkansas. Folk festival of the blues with muddy waters, howlin wolf, buddy guy,sonny boy williamson, willie dixon various.
He took on the name of his sharecropper stepfather, jim miller. Subsequent research has shown that miller was born aleck. In his song, sonny boy, a sprightly cadence drives the pianists dreamy narrative about the jackson, tennessee, natives short, productive life. Sonny boy williamson ii bob corritore official website.
Sonny boy williamson john lee curtis williamson, march 30, 1914 june 1, 1948 was an american blues harmonica player and singer, and the first to. Sonny boy williamson alex rice miller and his best friend robert lockwood jr. Sonny boy williamson down and out blues releases discogs. Sonny william bill williams born 3 august 1985 is a new zealand professional rugby league footballer who plays as a secondrow forward for the toronto wolfpack in the betfred super league, and new zealand at international level he is a former professional rugby union footballer and heavyweight boxer. This album by the rice miller fellow who called himself sonny boy williamson in other words, the mississippi harmonica player rather than the tennessee harmonica player may have been one of the best volumes in the grimlooking series of singlealbum reissues and collections chess put out before switching to doublealbum sets. His birth name may have been alex ford, but he adopted the name rice miller while a traveling bluesman in the 20s and 30s. John lee curtis sonny boy williamson was a pioneer blues harmonoicist and singer of the 20th century.
In between, he drank a lot of whiskey, hoboed around the country, had a successful radio show for 15 years, toured europe to great. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. It doesnt require more than a casual knowledge of blues to know that there were two prominent figures in the music named sonny boy. Williamson, sonny boy the best of sonny boy williamson. Although his birth name was aleck ford miller, he performed under many other names such as little boy blue, sonny boy miller, rice miller, harmonica blowin slim, willie.
The mystery of the two sonny boy williamsons udiscover. Sonny boy williamson more real folk blues 2007, cd. Find similar artists to sonny boy williamson and discover new music. He received worldwide notoriety as one of the most influential blues harmonica players, singers, and songwriters of the 20th century. Sonny boy williamson, ii 19081965 find a grave memorial. Sonny boy williamson ii trying to make london my home.
This 20track collection takes 17 tracks from the excellent twodisc essential sonny boy williamson collection and adds sad. Sonny boy williamson may refer to either of two 20thcentury american blues harmonica players, who both recorded in chicago. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from sonny boy williamson at the discogs marketplace. Subsequent research has shown that miller was born aleck ford on the sara jones plantation in tallahatchie county, mississippi. It was at this point that the radio programs sponsor, max moore, began billing miller as sonny boy williamson, apparently in an attempt to capitalize on the fame of the well known chicagobased harmonica player and singer john lee williamson sonny boy williamson i. This video honors the 50th anniversary of sonny boy williamson participating in the american folk blues festival european tour 1963 1964 and at the same time the men behind the tour. Davy crockett in the mid1960s, and then popularized to rock audiences in the early 1970s and onward by the allman brothers band. The radio station webq was a 50,000 watt clear channel station in harrisburg il. Williamson i played the harmonica acoustically and. I own tons of his stuff and i still cant get enough of his virtuoso blues harp. Sonny boy williamson i biography, albums, streaming. Mulholland dr sonny boy williamson was born on december 5, 1899 in glendora, mississippi, usa as aleck miller. Sonny boy williamson tshirts on redbubble are expertly printed on ethically sourced, sweatshopfree apparel and available in a huge range of styles, colors and. Sony atv publishing, latinautor peermusic, abramus digital, latinautor, bmg rights management us, llc, cmrra, aresa, and.
Alex or aleck miller known later in his career as sonny boy williamson, was an american blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Lp, album vogue yx4030 japan unknown this lp was issued in 1974 by toho records. Sonny boy williamson ii, as he is now titled, is admired by musicians as esteemed as van morrison, eric clapton and the rolling stones for his songwriting and. John lee williamson died in a street mugging on chicagos notorious south side in june 1948. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. John lee curtis sonny boy williamson is buried beneath that stone, but his legend lives on in the world of blues music. High quality sonny boy williamson gifts and merchandise. Find sonny boy williamson i discography, albums and singles on allmusic. This is a short video about a great men, sonny boy williamson i. Sonny boy williamson is another case where little is known about his origins. Famous compositions include help me, eyesight to the blind and dont start me talkin. Sonny boy williamson ii album discography allmusic. He is only the second person to represent new zealand in rugby union after first playing. When sold by, this product will be manufactured on demand using cdr recordable media.
He is generally believed to have been born in a small town near clarksdale, mississippi sometime after 1894. When sonny boy williamson strutted into chess studios, chicago, and the rest of the blues appreciating public were taken by storm. They are colloquially referred to as sonny boy williamson i and sonny boy williamson ii respectively, but are of no relation. Rice miller, sonny boy ii, began his association with chess records in 1955, when he was already at least 45 years old. Its header for this album says sonny boy williamson john lee williamson. Sonny boy williamson ii the harp from deep south full vinyl duration. While some hardliners will point to his early 1950s trumpet recordings as his most undiluted work, sonny boys tenure at chess records was his longest and most successful and therefore deserves first look for the novice coming to this remarkable bluesman at ground level. Find sonny boy williamson ii discography, albums and singles on allmusic. This is a fine album by sonny boy and his chicago rhythm section. Although john lee williamson was a major blues star who had already released. They werent related, sonny boy ii just took the name. He played on hundreds of recordings by many preworld war ii blues artists. John lee sonny boy williamson 19141948 find a grave. He was buried in his hometown, at the former site of the blairs chapel church, southwest of jackson.
Sonny boy williamson licensed to youtube by umg on behalf of geffen. He never really contested the appropriation of his name by rice miller sonny boy williamson ii, an arkansas bluesman who gained popularity in the 1960s. John lee curtis sonny boy williamson march 30, 1914 june 1, 1948 was an american blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Sonny boy williamson was, in many ways, the ultimate blues legend.
Sonny boy williamson live session in sweden youtube. He was an early and influential blues harp stylist who recorded successfully in the 1950s and 1960s. Music profile for sonny boy williamson, born 5 december 1899. Sonny boy williamson i good morning little schoolgirl. This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name.
John lee sonny boy williamson, made the harp a featured instrument in the classic chicago blues band sound, and wrote some great songs too. The cover photo, and the music inside, is, of course, sonny boy ii, real name rice miller or aleck miller, or who knows what. Explore releases from sonny boy williamson at discogs. While in england, according to author stephen davis book hammer of the gods, sonny boy accidently set his hotel room on fire, trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the blues harp as a solo instrument. The essential sonny boy williamson by sonny boy williamson. John lee sonny boy williamson all about blues music. Randy newman declares for the one true sonny boy williamson. By the time of his death in 1965, he had been around long enough to have played with robert johnson at the start of his career and eric clapton, jimmy page and robbie robertson at the end of it.
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