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Sonny Boy Williamson
246,050 plays (48,659 listeners)
blues, harmonica blues, delta blues, classic blues, chicago blues… see all
This is Sonny Boy Williamson I; for the later blues harmonica player, see Sonny Boy Williamson II.
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Sonny Boy Williamson, also known as John Lee Curtis Williamson, was an American blues harmonica player, born in Jackson, Tennessee, whose first record “Good Morning little School Girl” was a hit in 1937. He was widely popular throughout the whole southeast of the U.S., and was practically synonymous with the blues harmonica for the next decade, making his a commonly used stage name by the time he was murdered in 1948. Sonny Boy Williamson was born on 30 March 1914, and died on 1 June 1948. He is buried at the Old Blairs Chapel Church, south west of Jackson, Tennessee.
Williamson recorded prodigiously, often backed by Big Bill Broonzy, and was a fixture on the legendary “King Biscuit Radio Hour” broadcast from Helena, Arkansas. One of the reissue albums of his music featured a cover photo of Williamson performing on the hour, its details prominently displayed on the front of the bass drum.
Williamson has often been confused with the later artist, Rice Miller, who also adopted the moniker Sonny Boy Williamson and is referred to by blues aficianados as Sonny Boy Williamson II. In fact, the two are easy to distinguish. Williamson I played the harmonica acoustically and was essentially a pre-War artist. Williamson II was entirely an electrified harpist, in the style of Little Walter, reflecting the advent of the jukebox and electrified instruments following World War II.
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Sonny Boy Williamson, also known as John Lee Curtis Williamson, was an American blues harmonica player, born in Jackson, Tennessee, whose first record “Good Morning little School Girl” was a hit in 1937. He was widely popular throughout the whole southeast of the U.S., and was practically synonymous with the blues harmonica for the next decade, making his a commonly used stage name by the time he was murdered in 1948. Sonny Boy Williamson was born on 30 March 1914, and died on 1 June 1948. He is buried at the Old Blairs Chapel Church, south west of Jackson, Tennessee.
Williamson recorded prodigiously, often backed by Big Bill Broonzy, and was a fixture on the legendary “King Biscuit Radio Hour” broadcast from Helena, Arkansas. One of the reissue albums of his music featured a cover photo of Williamson performing on the hour, its details prominently displayed on the front of the bass drum.
Williamson has often been confused with the later artist, Rice Miller, who also adopted the moniker Sonny Boy Williamson and is referred to by blues aficianados as Sonny Boy Williamson II. In fact, the two are easy to distinguish. Williamson I played the harmonica acoustically and was essentially a pre-War artist. Williamson II was entirely an electrified harpist, in the style of Little Walter, reflecting the advent of the jukebox and electrified instruments following World War II.
Videos
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Play
SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON EYESIGHT TO THE BLIND
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Play
Sonny Boy Williamson:Your Funeral and my trial
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Play
scratch:sonny boy williamson
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Play
Sonny Boy's Jump
Top Albums
Top Tracks
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Bring It On Home
full track
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| 2 |
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Help Me
full track
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Fattening Frogs For Snakes
full track
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| 3 |
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| 5 |
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Nine Below Zero
full track
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| 6 |
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Keep It To Yourself
full track
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| 7 |
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Your Funeral and my Trial
full track
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| 8 |
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Mighty Long Time
full track
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| 9 |
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Don't Start Me To Talkin'
full track
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| 10 |
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One Way Out
full track
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| 11 |
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Checkin' Up on My Baby
full track
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| 12 |
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| 13 |
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Too Close Together
full track
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| 13 |
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Born Blind
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| 15 |
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Ninety Nine
full track
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Shoutbox
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wallydeane wrote:
My father recorded with Lillian McMurry (Trumpet/Globe) in the same studio as Sonny Boy and Robert Johnson. In my research of my fathers music, I ran into Sonny Boy and I fell in love immediately. This guy is so talented. Its no wonder that every blues label wanted him to record for them. Rest in peace my brother and keep playing that harp. Wally Deane Cool Cool Daddy
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SirAlecHendrix wrote:
you're right, these songs are from SBW II. BTW, i didn't know that he didn't only play the delta blues, but chicago blues style, too. is this one of those usual last.fm mistags ?
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punk6268 wrote:
hahaha,didn't know about the controversy...it's cool to see the battle of songs from each sonny boy in sonny boy's page... sonny boy I's material is quite hard to find...and the numbers are misplaced in last.fm for some weird reason...this is sonny II's page...
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CannedHeat665 wrote:
Ok for some weird reason Sonny Boy 1's stuff is in Sonny Boy 2's profile and vice versa, if someone just changes the name and descriptions around things be fine.
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CannedHeat665 wrote:
Who cares who you like more? This is Sonny Boy Williams 1 page not Rice Millars (Sonny Boy 2), god who puts these songs here, idiots?
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Tim010987 wrote:
Yeah, respect to Sonny Boy I, but Sonny Boy Williamson II is what it's all about. Fattening Frogs For Snakes, such a perfect song...
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lucky_lucas wrote:
Picture is wrong! This is Rice Miller, aka Sonny Boy II
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tjkeller wrote:
Bring it on home, covered by Led Zep,and no credit given to Sonny .Too bad ,I really like them.
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Damnated6mil wrote:
this is basically Sonny Boy Williamson II. the albums are his, the top tracks are his.
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brotherharmon wrote:
Bring it on home and help me are by Sonny Boy II, but I believe school girl and this version of nine below zero are by Sonny Boy I.
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elfje77 wrote:
kan iemand me helpen aan het nummer NEED MIJ BABY van sonny boy williamson Heeft hele goeie herinneringen voor mij en kan het nergens vinden op het net alvast bedankt!
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guitarguy33 wrote:
http://www.last.fm/group/Real+Deal+Blues
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Carlos44 wrote:
very, very, very good
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thisisapd wrote:
ditto farmolio. personally, i like Jerome Green's playing.
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farmolio wrote:
I wish I was as boring as Muddy Waters...
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Phillyzero wrote:
Greatness!
Including Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson II, T-Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James and more…
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Recent Activity
- chiarel tagged Sonny Boy Williamson with ‘harmonica blues’. 4 hours ago
- chiarel, bluesman60, frankrathbone and 1 other person added Sonny Boy Williamson to their libraries. 4 hours ago
- Lenhador1 tagged Sonny Boy Williamson with ‘classic blues’. 7 hours ago
- flacuraneuquina, tomqryan and caio2112 added Sonny Boy Williamson to their libraries. 9 hours ago
- haknir_3 tagged Sonny Boy Williamson with ‘blues’. yesterday evening
- Paulfalkus1, ichbineinmachin, tinystork and 6 other people added Sonny Boy Williamson to their libraries. yesterday evening
- melz_o tagged Sonny Boy Williamson with ‘harmonica blues’ and ‘blues’. Sunday morning
- Igor5123 and cloviole added Sonny Boy Williamson to their libraries. Sunday morning
- vertgame updated the wiki page for Sonny Boy Williamson. (diff) Saturday evening
- vertgame updated the wiki page for Sonny Boy Williamson. (diff) Saturday afternoon
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