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Sonny Boy Williamson was a prolific recording artist, recording from 1951 for Trumpet Records in Jackson, through his 1955-1964 recordings for Chess in America and 1963-65 in the studio for Storyville and live on the American Folk Blues Festival for L+R and in 1963-1964 live with the Yardbirds, the Animals and a jam with Jimmy Page through his final informal recording of a "King Biscuit Time" radio show in Helena for Arhoolie. Don't be deceived with the Chess cover photos which captured him at a much later time in life than the music captured within. Such combinations, along with the photo of an anonymous street bum (certainly not the dapper Rice Miller) on the cover of his 1959 classic "Down and Out Blues" on Chess, reinforced his claim that he was "born in 1897 in a little town, Glendora Mississippi." After several attempts at early recording contracts and a highly successful and influential radio show, "King Biscuit Time" on KFFA in Helena Arkansas, starting in late 1941, he was first signed and recorded by Lillian McMurry of the Diamond Record Company, Jackson, Mississippi in December 1950. Mrs. McMurry was unaware of his history during his lifetime and knew him as Willie 'Sonny Boy' Williamson the remainder of his life. It was only after he died that she knew of "King Biscuit Time." He recorded a series of 78 and 45 RPM discs followed on the Trumpet label, including the classic "Eyesight To The Blind" featured in Tommy, The Who's rock opera. Some of these have been included in compilations by Arhoolie, Blue Moon and Alligator Records. When Diamond was essentially forced out of the increasingly competitive record business 1955. First presented to Diamond's pressing plant owner as partial settlement of their bill (Diamond did NOT got bankrupt) and later sold to Chicago's Chess Records, where he was reunited with his fellow King Biscuit Entertainer alumni, Robert Lockwood Jr., and recorded a substantial body of work by him over the next ten years. Released on the Checker and Chess labels, these recordings include Sonny Boy's most widely known performances. During both his Trumpet and Chess periods, he made sideman appearances with such artists as Tampa Red, Josh White, Baby Boy Warren, Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Charles Clark, The Skunks and King Biscuit Boys Dudlow Tayor and Peck Curtis and others. Sonny Boy continued to record for Chess until his death, recording over 70 tracks for them, despite numerous spats with Leonard Chess, some of which were caught on tape ("Little Village")-- to the amusement of generations of Sonny Boy fans and irritation of sideman Robert Lockwood Jr..Sonny Boy toured Europe with the 1963 and 1964 editions of the American Folk Blues Festival. The result included, along the way, live sessions with the Animals and the Eric Clapton-led Yardbirds (precursors of the later "In London" albums by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley), a series of excellent live Festival performances and a moving and spare marathon one-night recording session for Storyville Records (his first true "album" session) where his harp virtuosity was allowed to express its full and mournful sound in stark contrast. Conducted in Copenhagen, Denmark over 20 new, previously recorded songs were, apparently written in a short time or in the studio, recorded. Sonny Boy Williamson II (Alex "Rice" Miller) died on May 25, 1965 (although his grave marker erroneously reads "June 23, 1965") and he was laid to "rest" just outside of Tutwiler Miss. In front of his gravemarker is an indentation and, in many continually surprising ways, his unstoppable spirit is still very much of this world! On the other hand, I have heard four disturbingly similar and independently reported accounts of sightings of his ghost in the past few years.. The following discography includes all Sonny Boy's major recordings, but it is far from complete. We would appreciate any corrections or information about missing material. (Send us an e-mail -- all contributions will be acknowledged.) REFERENCES |
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