Sonny Boy Williamson I

American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter

• Born: March 30, 1914
• Birthplace: Jackson, Tennessee
• Died: June 1, 1948
• Place of death: Chicago, Illinois

With his catchy harmonica stylings, Williamson was noted for his roots in the rural traditions of the blues, yet his popular recordings pointed the way toward the amplified band sounds of post-World War II Chicago. His lyrics, though autobiographical, resonated with working-class African Americans of the 1930’s and 1940’s.

The Life

John Lee Williamson was born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, where his grandmother gave him the “Sonny Boy” nickname. By his late teens, Williamson had become proficient enough on harmonica and confident enough as a singer to perform with mandolinist Yank Rachell and guitarist Homesick James Williamson at clubs in the Jackson area. Williamson had an uncle living in St. Louis, home of many established blues performers, and Williamson reportedly became a fixture of the St. Louis blues scene. He is believed to have visited Chicago for the first time in 1934, the year entrepreneur Lester Melrose convinced two of the era’s major record labels, RCA Victor and Columbia, to record blues artists for the jukeboxes then springing up in taverns, newly opened in the wake of Prohibition’s repeal. In May, 1937, Melrose summoned Williamson and guitarists Robert Lee McCoy (Robert Nighthawk) and Big Joe Williams to record at a hotel in Aurora, Illinois.

The first recording, “Good Morning, School Girl,” became a hit, and between 1937 and 1947, Williamson recorded more than a hundred songs. Attacked and robbed on his way home from Chicago’s Plantation Club in the early hours of June 1, 1948, Williamson succumbed to his wounds the same day.

The Music

The harmonica was the most widely disseminated free reed instrument for good reasons: It was cheap, relatively easy to play, and as portable as a pocket knife. This German instrument was adapted by rural Americans to play traditional melodies, and it was also “choked” in order to imitate train whistles and baying hounds. In the early days of recording, novelty recordings of harmonica solos were common. From the 1920’s through the 1930’s, the recorded stars of the blues idiom who wrote and sang original material accompanied themselves either on piano (such as Leroy Carr) or on guitar (Lonnie Johnson). The notion of a harmonica player creating songs of equal caliber was unprecedented. On May 5, 1937, during his debut recording session, twenty-three-year-old Sonny Boy Williamson changed that forever. His power as a blues lyricist and singer, along with his prowess as a harmonica player, made the harmonica player as blues group leader viable for future generations. His lyrics, populated by such ordinary folks as beauticians and insurance collectors, are well-crafted slices of his era’s African American life. That made him something of a folk hero during his thirty-four years, and the popularity of his recordings inspired many young African Americans to emulate his unique strengths, both instrumental and lyrical.

“Good Morning, School Girl.” This song’s loping rhythm and catchy, atypical blues structure were borrowed from an earlier work (“Airplane Blues,” by Sleepy John Estes, 1935). Williamson’s striking lyrics, punctuated by assertive harmonica lines, were sung with a hesitant yet dynamic vocal delivery, which was destined to become his trademark. The overall effect was a sort of relaxed urgency. Williamson’s first recording was an instant hit that would, over time, become a much-covered blues classic.

“Blue Bird Blues.” Williamson’s second recording likewise achieved commercial success, and it saw future revisions by such later blues legends as Howlin’ Wolf. The original offers one of the most lyrically creative uses of metaphor in all recorded blues. The blue bird of its title is asked to deliver a message to Williamson’s wife, Lacey Belle, often mentioned in his lyrics. The bird as messenger—especially of love—is an ancient and universal icon. However, Williamson modernized it and gave it dual meanings it by making it a blue bird: The record label for which Williamson recorded was named Bluebird, and an image of its namesake appeared on each side of its 78-rpm records. Williamson’s blues became a sung letter, delivered by the medium of a commercial recording. Williamson’s knack for drawing listeners into his personal world was his guileless genius, and he was aptly supported in his endeavor by the guitars of Williams and McCoy. The success of his second recording would inspire him to record “Blue Bird Blues Pt. 2” in 1938.

“Decoration Blues.” The harmonica’s ability to mimic the human voice and to make sounds akin to choking and crying is put to stunning use in this performance. It opens with Williamson’s sobbing harmonica, answered by trilled figures on the mandolin of Rachell. Williams’s guitar joins them as Sonny Boy sings a blues elegy for a dead woman he has promised to bring flowers “every Decoration Day.” While death was no stranger to blues lyrics, Williamson sharpens the topic by use of details associated with observance of the holiday now called Memorial Day. The trio’s playing builds to crescendos of mournful passion even as Williamson’s focused lyrics drive home the theme, every verse ending with a reference to Decoration Day as its tag. This darkly emotional, lyrically crafted performance made a deep impression on listeners. It would be covered by such later blues artists as John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson II.

Musical Legacy

Williamson inspired younger musicians to take up the harmonica, and many informally claimed the “Sonny Boy” name, as if it were a brand for blues harmonica players and singers. His untimely death cleared the way for one artist, Rice Miller, to use the name on records. Miller extended Williamson’s legacy into the amplified blues sound that emerged after World War II, but, as early as 1940, Williamson had recorded with a drummer in performances that hinted at the future direction of blues. Additionally, Williamson’s observational skills and natural songwriting abilities would influence not only harmonica players who fronted bands but also the entire next generation of blues songwriters, most significantly Willie Dixon.

Principal Recordings

singles: “Blue Bird Blues,” 1937; “Early in the Morning,” 1937; “Good Morning, School Girl,” 1937; “Blue Bird Blues Pt. 2,” 1938; “Decoration Blues,” 1938; “Honey Bee Blues,” 1938; “Whiskey Headed Woman Blues,” 1938; “Deep Down in the Ground,” 1939; “Low Down Ways,” 1939; “My Little Machine,” 1939; “T. B. Blues,” 1939; “Tell Me Baby,” 1939; “Dealing with the Devil,” 1940; “Jivin’ the Blues,” 1940; “Ground Hog Blues,” 1941; “My Black Name,” 1941; “Sloppy Drunk Blues,” 1941; “Western Union Man,” 1941; “My Black Name Ringing,” 1943; “Check Up on My Baby,” 1944; “Miss Stella Brown Blues,” 1944; “Mean Old Highway,” 1945; “Stop Breaking Down,” 1945; “Hoo-Doo Man,” 1946; “Biscuit Baking Woman,” 1947; “Shake That Boogie,” 1947; “Better Cut That Out,” 1948; “Susie Q.,” 1948.

Bibliography

Field, Kim. Harmonicas, Harps, and Heavy Breathers: The Evolution of the People’s Instrument. New York: Fireside, 1993. Field offers an entry on Williamson’s career and influence in a work that chronicles the history of the harmonica and its best-known players in a variety of musical genres.

Palmer, Robert. Deep Blues. New York: Viking Press, 1981. Palmer’s excellent book offers deft observations, framing Williamson in the larger context of the evolution of the blues.

Rowe, Mike. Chicago Blues: The City and the Music. New York: Da Capo Press, 1975. Rowe’s thorough and well-written account of the development of the blues in Chicago offers an appraisal of Williamson’s unique contribution to the blues.

Santelli, Robert. The Big Book of Blues. New York: Penguin, 1993. The entry on Williamson offers a succinct overview of his style and influence.