Willie Dixon
William James Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he is perhaps best known as one of the most prolific songwriters of his time. Next to Muddy Waters, Dixon is recognized as the most influential person in shaping the post–World War II sound of the Chicago blues. Dixon's songs have been recorded by countless musicians in many genres as well as by various ensembles in which he participated. A short list of his most famous compositions includes "Hoochie Coochie Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "Little Red Rooster", "My Babe", "Spoonful", and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover". These songs were written during the peak years of Chess Records, from 1950 to 1965, and were performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley; they influenced a generation of musicians worldwide. Dixon was an important link between the blues and rock and roll, working with Little Walter, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, his songs were adapted by numerous rock artists. He received a Grammy Award and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Vicksburg (city and county seat of Warren County, Mississippi, United States), Died January 29, 1992 (Burbank (city in Los Angeles County, State of California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1947 - 1959
Roles Represented in DAHR: string bass, vocalist, songwriter, leader
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 228 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | D7VB-0312 | 10-in. | 2/12/1947 | Farewell night life | John Sellers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0313 | 10-in. | 2/12/1947 | Let me be your sidetrack | John Sellers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0314 | 10-in. | 2/12/1947 | Mama, what you gonna do | John Sellers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0315 | 10-in. | 2/12/1947 | Play around with my head | John Sellers | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0316 | 10-in. | 2/18/1947 | You can't make the grade | Washboard Sam ; Washboard Sam's Band | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0317 | 10-in. | 2/18/1947 | You can't have none of that | Washboard Sam ; Washboard Sam's Band | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0318 | 10-in. | 2/18/1947 | I just couldn't help it | Washboard Sam ; Washboard Sam's Band | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0319 | 10-in. | 2/18/1947 | Soap and water blues | Washboard Sam ; Washboard Sam's Band | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0374 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Mellow chick swing | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0375 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Polly put your kettle on | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0376 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Lacey Belle | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0377 | 10-in. | 3/28/1947 | Apple tree swing | Sonny Boy Williamson | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0387 | 10-in. | 4/3/1947 | Where shall I go | Boogie Band ; J. T. Brown ; Memphis Jimmy | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0388 | 10-in. | 4/3/1947 | Jimmy's jump | Boogie Band ; J. T. Brown ; Memphis Jimmy | Male vocal solo, with instrumental quintet | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0389 | 10-in. | 4/3/1947 | I had to let her go | Boogie Band ; Little Eddie Boyd ; J. T. Brown | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0390 | 10-in. | 4/3/1947 | Kilroy won't be back | Boogie Band ; Little Eddie Boyd ; J. T. Brown | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Victor | D7VB-0895 | 10-in. | 5/22/1947 | The jungle king (you ain't a doggone thing) | Count Basie ; Count Basie Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with vocal group and jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | CCO4750 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | Signifying monkey | Big Three Trio | Instrumental ensemble, with vocal trio | instrumentalist, string bass, vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4751 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | If the sea was whiskey | Big Three Trio | Instrumental ensemble, with vocal trio | instrumentalist, string bass, vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4752 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | Money tree blues | Big Three Trio | Instrumental ensemble, with vocal trio | instrumentalist, string bass, vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4753 | 10-in. | 3/11/1947 | Lonely roamin' | Big Three Trio | Instrumental ensemble, with vocal trio | instrumentalist, string bass, vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4788 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | Ebony rhapsody | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, string bass, vocalist | |
| Columbia | CCO4789 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | I keep on worrying | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Columbia | CCO4790 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | When I been drinking | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, string bass | |
| Columbia | CCO4791 | 10-in. | 6/10/1947 | Help me baby | Big Three Trio ; Rosetta Howard | Instrumental ensemble, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, string bass |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Dixon, Willie," accessed December 31, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357926.
Dixon, Willie. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 31, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/357926.
"Dixon, Willie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 31 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Willie Dixon
Discogs: Willie Dixon
Allmusic: Willie Dixon
Grove: Willie Dixon
IMDb: Willie Dixon
Britannica: Willie Dixon
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Dixon, Willie, 1915-1992 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n83125288
Wikidata: Willie Dixon - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q204092
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/178453802
MusicBrainz: Willie Dixon - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ff4c8d42-4871-4778-885b-d41b01245133
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/114000 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/114000
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