6. Sonny Boy Williamson II: Eyesight To The Blind
There were actually two bluesmen who used the name Sonny Boy Williamson, and both left their marks on history. Usually, they are denoted by a I or II to distinguish them. Williamson I was a harmonica player, who was murdered in 1948. Williamson II (aka Rice Miller, although his real name has never been verified) was also a harmonica player who gained notoriety in the 40's for impersonating the original on the radio, despite different styles. Born in 1899 by most accounts, his career spanned long enough that he played with both Robert Johnson and Eric Clapton. "Eyesight To The Blind" is one of many classics he penned during his 1940's-1950's heyday, and is known to rock listeners primarily via The Who's significantly altered version on Tommy, and a more recent cover by Aerosmith. It's a standard blues highlighting his harmonica playing, which plays the lead normally reserved for guitar. During the blues rediscovery of the early 60's he played with the Yardbirds and the Animals onstage, he later played with the Hawks. One of his last recordings, "I'm Trying to Make London My Home" from 1964, featured a still-wet-behind-the-ears Jimmy Page. He died in 1965.
7. Albert King: Born Under A Bad Sign
Albert King (Albert Nelson) was one of the most influential guitarists in blues; his style can be detected in artists such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Robert Cray. A southpaw, he played the guitar upside-down without restringing it, giving it an altered tone, and requiring a different approach to bending notes, since he had to push up where most push down. Born in Mississippi in 1923, he gained professional work in Arkansas, and eventually wound up in Gary, IN where he joined Jimmy Reed's band (as drummer). He also cut his first sessions there in 1953, before moving once again to St. Louis. In St. Louis, he recorded and released a number of successful singles before signing with Stax in 1966, home to his greatest era, where he was usually backed on record by Booker T. & The MG's. "Born Under A Bad Sign" (written by William Bell/Booker T. Jones) was one of a string of mid 60's hits, covered by Cream, Peter Green, Rita Coolidge, MC5, and countless others. It's a slinky, soulful number with a powerful oomph lent by Booker T. and company, with horn section. King's lead is spare and eerily upper register. He remained active until his death in 1992.
Article comments
1 - Jones Violet
Perfect for a Sunday morning. Great stuff here, uao.
2 - uao
Thank you Jones Violet. I put a lot of effort into this one; I appreciate the kind word. :-)
3 - Phillip Winn
Wow, there's so much here it is hard to know where to even begin!
Blind Lemon Jefferson is worshipped around these parts, with a historical marker in downtown Dallas and a club (Blind Lemon) named after him.
Leadbelly is another amazing artist. I didn't know about his personal history, but I love his "King of the 12-string" album.
It's also nice to see Big Mama Thornton given some recognition here; she deserved more acclaim than she ever got.
You've got a couple of albums on here I don't think I've ever heard. Thanks for the recommendations; I'm going to spend a lot of time going through this.
4 - Taloran
An excellent read. You've covered some daunting ground here, and as you said, have barely scratched the surface. I look forward to future installments.
5 - hayduke
howlin wolf was named chester burnett, not arthur.... wasn't arthur the prez? Shoot wolf should of been president...
also willie dixon wrote songs for wolf and muddy. i thinks he gave them to the first one interested, not necessarily for one person in particular. He was an astute man who made alot of money in publishing, and holding a track for one person in particular, seems unlikely.
great records all that you cite. well done....
6 - uao
Thanks much guys. You're right hayduke, Chester Arthur was a president; my mind sometimes confuses names like that; good catch.
Now that you mention it, Dixon probably didn't write that tune "specifically" for Waters; like you said, it's more likely it was in his bagforthe first comer.
I do think that Dixon may have written stuff specifically for Koko Taylor, whose career he shepherded, but I may be wrong.
Thanks everyone for the thoughts and comments. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and even more fun listening to it along the way.
7 - TJ
Great article!
One question, though: I thought Mose Alison wrote "Parchman Farm?" Is this a different song entirely, or did Mose just "borrow" it?
8 - uao
Hmmm. Good question, TJ. I double checked it; "Parchman Farm Blues" is credited to Bukka White, although Mose Allison is listed as composer for "Parchman Farm" I haven't heard Allison's version, so I'm not sure if it is the same song. White's version would have predated Allison's by at least a decade, so White seems to indeed have written his version.
On Howlin' Wolf's name; turns out, I wasn't completely off. His full name was Chester Arthur Burnett, and he was named after Chester Arthur, the President.
9 - Joanie
Excellent dip into rock's historic link to the blues.
I'd love to see a part two!