Sonny Boy Williamson I

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About Sonny Boy Williamson I

The first Sonny Boy Williamson, born John Lee Williamson in 1914 near Jackson, Tennessee, had his first great success in 1937 with "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl." Though he started more-or-less in a country blues vein, Williamson established himself in Chicago throughout the '40s, and, most importantly, helped establish the harmonica as a lead instrument in the urban blues. So much so that another virtuoso harp player, Rice Miller, took the Sonny Boy Williamson name while performing in the Delta during the same period. Sonny Boy Williamson I recorded for the RCA Bluebird label throughout the '40s till his career was cut short when he was stabbed in a mugging on Chicago's South Side on June 1, 1948.

HOMETOWN
Jackson, TN, United States
BORN
March 30, 1914
GENRE
Blues

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