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 151-168 of 168 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chess | 8755 | 10-in. | 3/28/1958 | Wake up, baby | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 7890 | 10-in. | 8/12/1955 | Don't start me talkin' | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 7891 | 10-in. | 8/12/1955 | All my love in vain | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8205 | 10-in. | 8/7/1956 | Keep it to yourself | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8207 | 10-in. | 8/7/1956 | The key (to your door) | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8409 | 10-in. | 2/8/1957 | Fattening frogs for snakes | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8410 | 10-in. | 2/8/1957 | I don't know | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8594 | 10-in. | Sept., 1957 | Born blind | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8595 | 10-in. | Sept., 1957 | Ninety nine | Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Chess | 8753 | 10-in. | 3/28/1958 | Your funeral & my trial | Fred Below ; Sonny Boy Williamson | vocalist, songwriter, instrumentalist, harmonica | ||
Decca | 70486 | 10-in. | 3/12/1942 | Shake it but don't break it-1, 2 | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 70487 | 10-in. | 3/12/1942 | I'll bring home the bacon for you, baby-1 | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 70488 | 10-in. | 3/12/1942 | Worried life blues | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 70489 | 10-in. | 3/12/1942 | Wee wee hours | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 71221 | 10-in. | 7/28/1942 | Savoy's jumpin' | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 71222 | 10-in. | 7/28/1942 | Reverse the charges | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 71223 | 10-in. | 7/28/1942 | Rubber bounce | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano | ||
Decca | 71224 | 10-in. | 7/28/1942 | Honey it must be love | Sonny Boy Williams | instrumentalist, piano |
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
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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