495:. 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. 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. 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.
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Williamson is buried at the former site of the Blairs Chapel Church, southwest of
Jackson, Tennessee. In 1991, a red granite marker was purchased by fans and family to mark the site of his burial. A Tennessee historical marker, also placed in 1991, indicates the place of his birth and describes his
462:. The top-floor nightclub at the Leland, known as the Sky Club, was used for live broadcasts of big bands on a local radio station and, during off hours, served as a recording studio for Williamson's early sessions and those of other Bluebird artists.
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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. Williamson's final words are reported to have been "Lord have mercy".
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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. He has been called "the father of modern blues harp". While in his teens he joined
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Williamson recorded prolifically both as a bandleader and as a sideman over the course of his career, mainly for
Bluebird. Before Bluebird moved to Chicago, where it eventually became part of RCA Records, many early sessions took place at the
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as a solo instrument. He played on hundreds of recordings by many pre–World War II blues artists. 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
450:(whose first recording in 1946 was as a harmonica player, performing an uncanny imitation of Williamson's style). These and other artists, both blues and rock, have helped popularize his songs through subsequent recordings.
442:. He was the most widely heard and influential blues harmonica player of his generation. His music was also influential on many of his non-harmonica-playing contemporaries and successors, including
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To add to the confusion, around 1940 the jazz pianist and singer Enoch
Williams recorded for Decca under the name Sonny Boy Williams and in 1947 as Sunny Boy in the Sunny Boy Trio.
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Williamson's harmonica style was a great influence on postwar performers. Later in his career, he was a mentor to many up-and-coming blues musicians who moved to
Chicago, including
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began recording and performing as Sonny Boy
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740:) or, after the label was discontinued, RCA Victor. Over the years, RCA has released several compilations of Williamson's material, including:
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Chicago, and his name was synonymous with the blues harmonica for the next decade. Other well-known recordings of his include "
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His legacy has been somewhat overshadowed in the postwar blues era by the popularity of the musician who appropriated his name,
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Unreferenced, non-use of wikitables, lack of clear differentiation between singles, EPs and LPs, laundry list appearance.
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This article is about the blues musician who lived from 1914 to 1948. For the Sonny Boy
Williamson who lived from
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Williamson's final recording session took place in
Chicago in December 1947, in which he accompanied
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Louis Prima And His Orchestra / Sonny Boy Williamson – "All Of Me" / "Rub A Dub" (RCA Victor, 1948)
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When The Sun Goes Down: The Secret History of Rock & Roll, Vol. 8: Bluebird Blues
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chart. Williamson's style influenced many blues harmonica performers, including
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785:, Saga, Indigo, Snapper, and others, have also released compilations. In 1991,
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622:"Joe Louis & John Henry Blues" / "Thinking My Blues Away" (Bluebird, 1940)
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John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson: The Blues Harmonica of Chicago's Bronzeville
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player, singer and songwriter. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the
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652:"She Don't Love Me That Way" / "Black Panter Blues" (Bluebird, 1942)
610:"Doggin' My Love Around" / "Little Low Woman Blues" (Bluebird, 1939)
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RCA Blues & Heritage Series: The Bluebird Recordings, 1937-1938
649:"I'm Gonna Catch You Soon" / "Million Years Blues" (Bluebird, 1941)
619:"I Been Dealing With The Devil" / "War Time Blues" (Bluebird, 1940)
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691:"Mellow Chick Swing" / "G. M. & O. Blues" (RCA Victor, 1947)
679:"You're An Old Lady" / "Early In The Morning" (RCA Victor, 1946)
592:"Miss Louisa Blues" / "Until My Love Come Down" (Bluebird, 1938)
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667:"Decoration Day Blues No. 2" / "Love Me, Baby" (Bluebird, 1944)
598:"Lord, Oh Lord Blues" / "Shannon Street Blues" (Bluebird, 1938)
589:"Up The Country Blues" / "Collector Man Blues" (Bluebird, 1938)
403:", "Shake the Boogie", "Better Cut That Out", "Sloppy Drunk", "
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RCA Blues & Heritage Series: The Bluebird Recordings, 1938
719:"Bring Another Half A Pint" / "Little Girl" (RCA Victor, 1949)
670:"Miss Stella Brown-Blues" / "Desperado Woman" (Bluebird, 1945)
646:"You Got To Step Back" / "Sloppy Drunk Blues" (Bluebird, 1941)
628:"Something Going On Wrong" / "Good Gal Blues" (Bluebird, 1940)
616:"I'm Not Pleasing You" / "New Ailhouse Blues" (Bluebird, 1940)
573:"Skinny Woman" / "Got The Bottle Up And Gone" (Bluebird, 1937)
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716:"Southern Dream" / "I Love You For Myself" (RCA Victor, 1949)
631:"Coal And Iceman Blues" / "Mattie Mae Blues" (Bluebird, 1941)
688:"Lacey Belle" / "Polly Put The Kettle On" (RCA Victor, 1947)
685:"Hoodo Hoodo" / "Sonny Boy's Cold Chills" (RCA Victor, 1947)
673:"Win The War Blues" / "Check Up On My Baby" (Bluebird, 1945)
658:"Springtime Blues" / "Drink On Little Girl" (Bluebird, 1942)
643:"My Baby Made A Change" / "Big Apple Blues" (Bluebird, 1941)
713:"Wonderful Time" / "Blues About My Baby" (RCA Victor, 1949)
655:"I Have Got To Go" / "My Black Name Blues" (Bluebird, 1942)
634:"Welfare Store Blues" / "Train Fare Blues" (Bluebird, 1941)
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The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz & Blues
682:"Shake The Boogie" / "Mean Old Highway" (RCA Victor, 1946)
664:"Shady Grove Blues" / "She Was A Dreamer" (Bluebird, 1942)
661:"Ground-Hog Blues" / "Broken Heart Blues" (Bluebird, 1942)
637:"Jivin' The Blues" / "My Little Machine" (Bluebird, 1941)
700:"Better Cut That Out" / "The Big Boat" (RCA Victor, 1948)
601:"Honey Bee Blues" / "Whiskey Head Blues" (Bluebird, 1938)
446:(who played guitar with Williamson in the mid-1940s) and
583:"Worried Me Blues" / "Frigidaire Blues" (Bluebird, 1938)
703:"Alcohol Blues" / "Apple Tree Swing" (RCA Victor, 1948)
676:"Sonny Boy's Jump" / "Elevator Woman" (Bluebird, 1946)
640:"Western Union Man" / "Shotgun Blues" (Bluebird, 1941)
595:"Decoration Day Blues" / "Down South" (Bluebird, 1938)
292:(March 30, 1914 – June 1, 1948) was an American
604:"Sunny Land" / "My Little Cornelius" (Bluebird, 1938)
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Sonny Boy Williamson gravesite and historical marker
694:"Sugar Gal" / "Willow Tree Blues" (RCA Victor, 1948)
586:"Suzanna Blues" / "Black Gal Blues" (Bluebird, 1938)
335:. In an attempt to capitalize on Williamson's fame,
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312:. His popular songs, original or adapted, include "
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946:How to Play the Harmonica; and Other Life Lessons
791:Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order
474:. On June 1, 1948, Williamson was killed in a
359:, in 1914. His original recordings are in the
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1081:Discography of American Historical Recordings
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625:"Good Gravy" / "T. B. Blues" (Bluebird, 1940)
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983:(3rd ed.). Rough Guides. p. 267.
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607:"Susie-Q" / "Goodbye Red" (Bluebird, 1939)
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1017:. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 106.
555:Learn how and when to remove this message
140:Learn how and when to remove this message
1011:Inaba, Mitsutoshi (September 23, 2016).
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728:Williamson's recordings were issued on
383:Williamson first recorded in 1937, for
290:John Lee Curtis "Sonny Boy" Williamson
372:, playing with them in Tennessee and
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78:adding citations to reliable sources
1277:20th-century American male singers
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1287:20th-century American songwriters
1267:1948 murders in the United States
1207:African-American male songwriters
580:" / "Sugar Mama" (Bluebird, 1937)
1247:Murdered African-American people
1242:American blues harmonica players
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1077:Sonny Boy Williamson recordings
827:The Guinness Who's Who of Blues
65:needs additional citations for
1212:Blues musicians from Tennessee
1202:People from Jackson, Tennessee
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1282:20th-century American singers
1067:Blues Foundation Hall of Fame
343:or "the original Sonny Boy".
885:Mandel, Howard, ed. (2005).
387:, and his first recording, "
1262:People murdered in Illinois
949:. Gibbs Smith. p. 89.
530:. The specific problem is:
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1217:Songwriters from Tennessee
980:The Rough Guide to Chicago
859:. The Dead Rock Stars Club
857:"The 1960s Lester Melrose"
781:Specialty labels, such as
757:Rare Sonny Boy (1937-1947)
526:to meet Knowledge (XXG)'s
483:influence on blues music.
181:John Lee Curtis Williamson
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29:
1222:Harmonica blues musicians
1149:Good Morning, School Girl
747:(Side 2 only) (RCA, 1964)
578:Good Morning, School Girl
389:Good Morning, School Girl
353:Madison County, Tennessee
314:Good Morning, School Girl
199:Madison County, Tennessee
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1257:Bluebird Records artists
914:Green, Jonathon (2002).
745:Big Bill & Sonny Boy
376:. In 1934 he settled in
89:"Sonny Boy Williamson I"
41:Not to be confused with
1252:American murder victims
1232:Country blues musicians
1227:Chicago blues musicians
351:Williamson was born in
36:Sonny Boy Williamson II
27:American blues musician
1237:American blues singers
1127:Sonny Boy Williamson I
1087:Sonny Boy Williamson I
1048:Sonny Boy Williamson I
341:Sonny Boy Williamson I
171:Background information
156:Sonny Boy Williamson I
977:McHugh, Rich (2009).
1163:Early in the Morning
893:. pp. 91, 107.
789:issued Williamson's
710:" (RCA Victor, 1948)
537:improve this section
405:Early in the Morning
347:Biography and career
322:Early in the Morning
74:improve this article
943:Barry, Sam (2009).
832:Guinness Publishing
830:(Second ed.).
337:Aleck "Rice" Miller
43:Sonny Bill Williams
18:John Lee Williamson
1170:Stop Breaking Down
777:(RCA Victor, 2003)
738:RCA Victor Records
724:Compilation albums
708:Stop Breaking Down
409:Stop Breaking Down
326:Stop Breaking Down
34:1912 to 1965, see
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918:Famous Last Words
736:(a subsidiary of
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466:Death and legacy
460:Aurora, Illinois
424:Billy Boy Arnold
401:Sugar Mama Blues
385:Bluebird Records
310:Bluebird Records
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63:This article
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1091:Find a Grave
1028:. Retrieved
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994:. Retrieved
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861:. Retrieved
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535:Please help
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456:Leland Tower
452:
448:Jimmy Rogers
444:Muddy Waters
440:Snooky Pryor
428:Junior Wells
420:Race Records
412:
391:", became a
382:
366:Yank Rachell
350:
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333:Muddy Waters
330:
289:
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266:Years active
211:(1948-06-01)
209:June 1, 1948
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130:January 2019
127:
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72:Please help
67:verification
64:
47:
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1197:1948 deaths
1192:1914 births
783:JSP Records
771:(RCA, 1997)
765:(RCA, 1997)
759:(RCA, 1988)
753:(RCA, 1970)
545:August 2024
539:if you can.
502:Discography
493:Rice Miller
487:Name issues
432:Sonny Terry
248:Instruments
231:Occupations
1186:Categories
1030:October 4,
996:October 7,
962:October 7,
863:October 5,
855:Doc Rock.
797:References
318:Sugar Mama
301:blues harp
270:1930s–1948
240:songwriter
192:1914-03-30
177:Birth name
100:newspapers
414:Billboard
297:harmonica
254:Harmonica
521:require
393:standard
374:Arkansas
324:", and "
279:Bluebird
237:Musician
1079:at the
1052:Discogs
568:Singles
523:cleanup
476:robbery
397:Detroit
378:Chicago
357:Jackson
355:, near
216:Chicago
114:scholar
1021:
987:
953:
926:
897:
838:
438:, and
275:Labels
257:vocals
223:Genres
201:, U.S.
116:
109:
102:
95:
87:
1134:Songs
294:blues
226:Blues
121:JSTOR
107:books
1032:2016
1019:ISBN
998:2015
985:ISBN
964:2015
951:ISBN
924:ISBN
895:ISBN
865:2015
836:ISBN
407:", "
368:and
320:", "
316:", "
308:and
206:Died
186:Born
93:news
1089:at
732:by
328:".
76:by
1188::
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889:.
873:^
805:^
434:,
430:,
426:,
418:s
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32:c.
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