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 126-150 of 158 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | D5AB-0355 | 10-in. | 7/12/1945 | Somebody's been worrying | Joe Williams | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and drums | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D5AB-0356 | 10-in. | 7/12/1945 | Wanita | Joe Williams | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and drums | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D5AB-0357 | 10-in. | 7/12/1945 | Vitamin A | Joe Williams | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, and drums | instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D5AB-0396 | 10-in. | 10/19/1945 | Early in the morning | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, harmonica, and drums | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D5AB-0397 | 10-in. | 10/19/1945 | The big boat | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, harmonica, and drums | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D5AB-0398 | 10-in. | 10/19/1945 | Stop breaking down | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, harmonica, and drums | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D5AB-0399 | 10-in. | 10/19/1945 | You're an old lady | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with guitar, piano, harmonica, and drums | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D6VB-1917 | 10-in. | 8/6/1946 | Sonny boy's cold chills | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, piano, and string bass | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | D6VB-1918 | 10-in. | 8/6/1946 | Mean old highway | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, piano, and string bass | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | D6VB-1919 | 10-in. | 8/6/1946 | Hoodo hoodo | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, piano, and string bass | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | D6VB-1920 | 10-in. | 8/6/1946 | Shake the boogie | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica, guitar, piano, and string bass | vocalist, instrumentalist, harmonica, composer | |
Victor | D7VB-0374 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Mellow chick swing | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-0375 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Polly put your kettle on | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-0376 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Lacey Belle | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-0377 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Apple tree swing | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-1036 | 10-in. | 9/19/1947 | Wonderful time | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-1037 | 10" | 9/19/1947 | Sugar gal | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-1038 | 10" | 9/19/1947 | Willow tree blues | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer, instrumentalist, harmonica | |
Victor | D7VB-1149 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Little girl | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and instrumental ensemble | composer, instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist | |
Victor | D7VB-1150 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Blues about my baby | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist, composer | |
Victor | D7VB-1152 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | I love you for myself | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist | |
Victor | D7VB-1153 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Bring another half a pint | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, harmonica, composer, vocalist | |
Victor | D7VB-1154 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Southern dream | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with harmonica and jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist | |
Victor | D7VB-1155 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Rub-a-Dub | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer, instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist | |
Victor | D7VB-1156 | 10-in. | 11/12/1947 | Better cut that out | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | composer, instrumentalist, harmonica, vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Williamson, Sonny Boy," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388.
Williamson, Sonny Boy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116388.
"Williamson, Sonny Boy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 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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