Sonny Boy Williamson
Sonny Boy Williamson
Artist Information
Genres: Early R&B, Chicago Blues, Electric Chicago Blues, Electric Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Electric Delta Blues, Electric Harmonica Blues, Harmonica Blues, Delta Blues, Regional Blues
Active: 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's
Born: December 5, 1899 in Glendora, MS
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Biography
Sonny Boy Williamson was, in many ways, the ultimate blues legend. By the time of his death in 1965, he had been around long enough to have played with Robert Johnson at the start of his career and Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Robbie Robertson at the end of it. In between, he drank a lot of whiskey, hoboed around the country, had a successful radio show for 15 years, toured Europe to great acclaim and simply wrote, played and sang some of the greatest blues ever etched into black phonograph records. His delivery was sly, evil and world-weary, while his harp-playing was full of short, rhythmic bursts one minute and powerful, impassioned blowing the next. His songs were chock-full of mordant wit, with largely autobiographical lyrics that hold up to the scrutiny of the printed page. Though he took his namesake from another well-known harmonica player, no one really sounded like him.
Discography
Release: June 11, 2008
Label: Classics
Release: May 19, 2008
Label: BD, Nocturne Records