Sonny Boy Williamson
John Lee Curtis "Sonny Boy" Williamson (March 30, 1914 – June 1, 1948) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He is often regarded as the pioneer of the blues harp 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 Lester Melrose and Bluebird Records. His popular songs, original or adapted, include "Good Morning, School Girl", "Sugar Mama", "Early in the Morning", and "Stop Breaking Down". 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 Muddy Waters. In an attempt to capitalize on Williamson's fame, Aleck "Rice" Miller began recording and performing as Sonny Boy Williamson in the early 1940s, and later, to distinguish the two, John Lee Williamson came to be known as Sonny Boy Williamson I or "the original Sonny Boy". |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 168 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-020844 | 10-in. | 6/17/1938 | Whiskey headed blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and mandolin | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-020845 | 10-in. | 6/17/1938 | Lord, oh Lord blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and mandolin | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-020846 | 10-in. | 6/17/1938 | You give an account | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and mandolin | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-020847 | 10-in. | 6/17/1938 | Shannon Street blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and mandolin | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-020848 | 10-in. | 6/17/1938 | You've been foolin' 'round downtown | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and mandolin | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-020849 | 10-in. | 6/17/1938 | Deep down in the ground | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030848 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Number five blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030849 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Christmas morning blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030850 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Susie-Q | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030851 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Bluebird blues—part 2 | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
Victor | BS-030852 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Little girl blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030853 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Low down ways | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030854 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Goodbye Red | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030855 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | The right kind of life | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030856 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Insurance man blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030857 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Rainy day blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
Victor | BS-030862 | 10-in. | 12/17/1938 | Next door neighbor | Ramblin' Bob ; Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, and talk | speaker | |
Victor | BS-040525 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | Bad luck blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040526 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | My little baby | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040527 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | Doggin' my love around | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040528 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | Little low woman blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040529 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | Good for nothing blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040530 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | Sugar mama blues no. 2 | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040531 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | Good gravy | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and guitar | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | BS-040532 | 10-in. | 7/21/1939 | T.B. blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Williamson, Sonny Boy," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388.
Williamson, Sonny Boy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388.
"Williamson, Sonny Boy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Sonny Boy Williamson
Discogs: Sonny Boy Williamson
Allmusic: Sonny Boy Williamson
Grove: Sonny Boy Williamson
Britannica: Sonny Boy Williamson
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Williamson, Sonny Boy, 1914-1948 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr89010894
Wikidata: Sonny Boy Williamson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q918571
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/158145606975501380000
MusicBrainz: Sonny Boy Williamson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/8ebad434-3593-49bc-b60c-bd66e8efbbbb
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