Little Sonny
Encyclopedia
Little Sonny is an American
electric blues
harmonica
player, singer and songwriter
. His early mentor and inspiration was Sonny Boy Williamson II
. Nevertheless, Little Sonny stated that his nickname
originated with his mother. "[She] called me 'Sonny boy' from the time I can remember." He has released eight albums, including a trio on a subsidiary of Stax Records
. His 1973 release, Hard Goin' Up, reached the Top 50 in the US
Billboard
R&B
chart
.
, before he relocated to Detroit in 1953. At first he had no real interest in music until, as he explained, "But then I saw Sonny Boy Williamson II
." Willis was "spellbound at the way he played. After the show I went home and practiced for hours. Every day after that I would practice until I got the sound I wanted." His daytime job was working in a used car lot
.
His first professional appearance was at the Good Times Bar in Detroit, playing in Washboard Willie
's backing group. He put together his first band in March 1956. For the following fifteen years Little Sonny performed in numerous Detroit clubs
, often boosting his earnings by photographing
customers between his on-stage appearances. He ofttimes performed alongside John Lee Hooker
, Eddie Kirkland
and Baby Boy Warren
. Another club stalwart Eddie "Guitar" Burns
provided accompaniment to Little Sonny on his debut single
, "I Gotta Find My Baby" (1958), which was released by Duke Records
. It was co-written with Little Sonny's wife, Maggie. His follow-up release, "Love Shock" appeared on Excello
label
. He received $25 for the latter track, before setting up his own label (Speedway Records) and selling sufficient copies of his next effort, "The Mix Up", to write off his production costs.
Home recording his own tracks, in 1966 he leased "The Creeper" and "Latin Soul" to Revilot Records. A later track, "Sonny’s Bag," became his first Top 20 hit
in Detroit. By late 1969, Little Sonny finally recorded his debut album
, the predominately instrumental
, New King of Blues Harmonica, which he cut in less than six hours. It was released on Enterprise,
a subsidiary of Stax Records
. Despite their reputation for soul music
productions, Little Sonny released three albums with them in the early 1970s. He also briefly appeared in their concert film
, Wattstax
.
Black & Blue (1972) and 1973's Hard Goin' Up followed, with Little Sonny using an Old Standby 34B harmonica. A lean period ensued before the British label Sequel Records issued Sonny Side Up in 1995. His accompanists included keyboard
player Rudy Robinson, and Little Sonny's guitarist son Aaron Willis, Jr., who had both played on Hard Goin' Up over twenty years previously.
Little Sonny appeared at Black Hills State University
on June 24, 2000.
His photograph collection, housed in the basement of his Detroit home, includes shots of John Lee Hooker, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Eddie Kirkland, Joe Hunter
, Eddie Willis
, Bobby Bland
, Washboard Willie, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Little Sonny performed on October 4, 2008, at the Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival, in Detroit, with Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Otis Clay
and Bobby Rush
.
He is not to be confused with Little Sonny Warner
, Little Sonny Jones
, or Little Sonny Parker.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player, singer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. His early mentor and inspiration was Sonny Boy Williamson II
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...
. Nevertheless, Little Sonny stated that his nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
originated with his mother. "[She] called me 'Sonny boy' from the time I can remember." He has released eight albums, including a trio on a subsidiary of Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
. His 1973 release, Hard Goin' Up, reached the Top 50 in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
Biography
He was born in 1932 and raised solely by his mother. His early interest lay in baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, before he relocated to Detroit in 1953. At first he had no real interest in music until, as he explained, "But then I saw Sonny Boy Williamson II
Sonny Boy Williamson II
Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, from Mississippi. He is acknowledged as one of the most charismatic and influential blues musicians, with considerable prowess on the harmonica and highly creative songwriting skills...
." Willis was "spellbound at the way he played. After the show I went home and practiced for hours. Every day after that I would practice until I got the sound I wanted." His daytime job was working in a used car lot
Car dealership
A car dealership or vehicle local distribution is a business that sells new or used cars at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. It employs automobile salespeople to do the selling...
.
His first professional appearance was at the Good Times Bar in Detroit, playing in Washboard Willie
Washboard Willie
Washboard Willie was an American Detroit blues musician, who specialised in playing the washboard. He recorded tracks including "A Fool On a Mule in the Middle of The Road" plus "Cherry Red Blues", and worked variously with Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Baby Boy Warren, and Boogie Woogie...
's backing group. He put together his first band in March 1956. For the following fifteen years Little Sonny performed in numerous Detroit clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, often boosting his earnings by photographing
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
customers between his on-stage appearances. He ofttimes performed alongside John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, Eddie Kirkland
Eddie Kirkland
Eddie Kirkland was an American electric blues guitarist, harmonicist, singer, and songwriter.Kirkland, known as the "Gypsy of the Blues" for his rigorous touring schedules, played and toured with John Lee Hooker from 1949 to 1962...
and Baby Boy Warren
Baby Boy Warren
Baby Boy Warren was an American blues singer and guitarist, who was a leading figure on the Detroit blues scene in the 1950s.-Early life:...
. Another club stalwart Eddie "Guitar" Burns
Eddie "Guitar" Burns
Eddie "Guitar" Burns is an American Detroit blues guitarist, harmonica player, singer and songwriter...
provided accompaniment to Little Sonny on his debut single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "I Gotta Find My Baby" (1958), which was released by Duke Records
Duke Records
Duke Records was an American record label, started in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1952 by David James Mattis and Bill Fitzgerald, owners of Tri-State Recording Company. Their first release was Roscoe Gordon singing "Hey Fat Girl", issued on Duke R-1, later amended to R-101.After forming a partnership...
. It was co-written with Little Sonny's wife, Maggie. His follow-up release, "Love Shock" appeared on Excello
Excello Records
Excello Records was an American blues record label, started by Ernie Young in Nashville, Tennessee in 1953 as a subsidiary of Nashboro, a gospel label...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. He received $25 for the latter track, before setting up his own label (Speedway Records) and selling sufficient copies of his next effort, "The Mix Up", to write off his production costs.
Home recording his own tracks, in 1966 he leased "The Creeper" and "Latin Soul" to Revilot Records. A later track, "Sonny’s Bag," became his first Top 20 hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in Detroit. By late 1969, Little Sonny finally recorded his debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, the predominately instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
, New King of Blues Harmonica, which he cut in less than six hours. It was released on Enterprise,
a subsidiary of Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
. Despite their reputation for soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
productions, Little Sonny released three albums with them in the early 1970s. He also briefly appeared in their concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
, Wattstax
Wattstax
Wattstax is a 1973 documentary film by Mel Stuart that focused on the 1972 Wattstax music festival and the African American community of Watts in Los Angeles, California. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Documentary Film in 1974...
.
Black & Blue (1972) and 1973's Hard Goin' Up followed, with Little Sonny using an Old Standby 34B harmonica. A lean period ensued before the British label Sequel Records issued Sonny Side Up in 1995. His accompanists included keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
player Rudy Robinson, and Little Sonny's guitarist son Aaron Willis, Jr., who had both played on Hard Goin' Up over twenty years previously.
Little Sonny appeared at Black Hills State University
Black Hills State University
Black Hills State University, South Dakota's third largest comprehensive public university, offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus is located in Spearfish, South Dakota. Close to 5,000 students attend classes at the Spearfish campus, at sites in Rapid City, Pierre, Yankton,...
on June 24, 2000.
His photograph collection, housed in the basement of his Detroit home, includes shots of John Lee Hooker, Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Eddie Kirkland, Joe Hunter
Joe Hunter (musician)
Joseph Edward Hunter Born in Jackson, Tennessee was an African-American musician, known for his recording session work as a pianist in Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers. One of the original Funk Brothers, Hunter served as band director for the band from 1959 until 1964, when...
, Eddie Willis
Eddie Willis
Eddie "Chank" Willis is an African-American musician. Willis played electric guitar and occasional electric sitar for Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers, during the 1960s and early 1970s....
, Bobby Bland
Bobby Bland
Robert Calvin Bland better known as Bobby "Blue" Bland, is an American singer of blues and soul. He is an original member of the Beale Streeters, and is sometimes referred to as the "Lion of the Blues"...
, Washboard Willie, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Little Sonny performed on October 4, 2008, at the Motor City Blues & Boogie Woogie Festival, in Detroit, with Eddie "Guitar" Burns, Otis Clay
Otis Clay
Otis Clay is an American R&B and soul singer, who started in gospel music.-Life and career:...
and Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush (musician)
Bobby Rush is an American blues and R&B musician, composer and singer. His style incorporates elements of soul blues, rap and funk.-Biography:...
.
He is not to be confused with Little Sonny Warner
Little Sonny Warner
Little Sonny Warner was an American blues singer.Haywood S. Warner was born in 1930 in Falls Church, Virginia, and in the early 1950s, Warner sang as a backing vocalist for Van Walls on the Atlantic Records releases "After Midnight" and "Open the Door"...
, Little Sonny Jones
Little Sonny Jones
Little Sonny Jones was an American New Orleans blues singer and songwriter. Over his lengthy career, Jones worked with various blues musicians, most notably Fats Domino....
, or Little Sonny Parker.
Discography
- New King of Blues Harmonica (1970) - StaxStax RecordsStax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
- Black & Blue (1972) - Stax (subsequently re-issued in 1992)
- Hard Goin' Up (1973) - Stax - USUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&BTop R&B/Hip-Hop AlbumsTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chartRecord chartA record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
#42 - Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, Vol. 2: Blues With a Feeling (1995) - live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
- Schoolkids - Sonny Side Up (1995) - Sequel (UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) - Blues with a Feeling (1996) - Sequel (UK)
- Live in Japan 1994 (1997) - P-VineP-Vine RecordsP-Vine Records is a record label started by Blues Interactions, Inc., a firm in Tokyo, Japan established in 1975 by Yasufumi Higurashi and Akira Kochi...
- The Best Love I've Ever Had (2003) - P-Vine