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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".

Birth and Death Data: Born March 30, 1914 (Jackson), Died June 1, 1948 (Chicago)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1958

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, songwriter, harmonica, piano, speaker, composer

Notes: His compositions are often credited under his real name, John Lee Williamson.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 168 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-040533 10-in. 7/21/1939 Something going on wrong Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040534 10-in. 7/21/1939 Good gal blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040535 10-in. 7/21/1939 Joe Louis and John Henry blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040536 10-in. 7/21/1939 Thinking my blues away Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040537 10-in. 7/21/1939 I'm not pleasing you Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040538 10-in. 7/21/1939 New "Jailhouse blues" Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040539 10-in. 7/21/1939 Lifetime blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040540 10-in. 7/21/1939 Miss Ida Lee Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040541 10-in. 7/21/1939 Tell me, baby Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-040542 10-in. 7/21/1939 Honey bee blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and piano vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-049196 10-in. 5/17/1940 I been dealing with the devil Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-049197 10-in. 5/17/1940 War time blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-049198 10-in. 5/17/1940 Train fare blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-049199 10-in. 5/17/1940 Decoration Day blues no. 2 Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-053000 10-in. 5/17/1940 New "Early in the morning" Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-053001 10-in. 5/17/1940 Welfare store blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-053002 10-in. 5/17/1940 My little machine Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-053003 10-in. 5/17/1940 Jivin' the blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with harmonica, piano, and drums vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064019 10-in. 4/4/1941 Western Union man Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064020 10-in. 4/4/1941 Big Apple blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064021 10-in. 4/4/1941 Springtime blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064022 10-in. 4/4/1941 My baby made a change Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064023 10-in. 4/4/1941 Shotgun blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064024 10-in. 4/4/1941 Coal and iceman blues Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
Victor BS-064025 10-in. 4/4/1941 Drink on, little girl Sonny Boy Williamson Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer  
(Results 51-75 of 168 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Williamson, Sonny Boy," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388.

Williamson, Sonny Boy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388.

"Williamson, Sonny Boy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388

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