RE: [Harp-L] Willie Dixon Controversy

["James Sterett" <jsterett@xxxxxxxxx>]

I can't recall if it was the Deep Blues book, but I read a story about Robert Jr. Lockwood and Sonny Boy Williamson getting locked up in jail for something minor (having nowhere to go) down South.  The story went that the jailers gave them their instruments to play while locked up, people would gather outside the jail cell window and throw money through the bars, then Robert Jr and Sonny Boy would split the take with the jailers.  I saw Robert Jr. Lockwood at a small place called the Turning Point in Piermont, NY several years ago and asked him about that story.  Without hesitation, he said something along the lines of, that was all made up just to sell the book.  I'm cynical, it's true.  Meetings like that only strengthen my cynicism.   I figure I believe about 10% of what is presented by people trying to SELL anything that is claimed to be "fact." 

Jim.
www.myspace.com/mulegroove

>>> "Bradford Trainham" <bradford.trainham@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 11/26/2008 2:11 AM >>>
In Robert Palmer's book, Deep Blues... (Not Robert Palmer the musician), one
of the sources he interviewed speculated that Rice Miller was coerced into
adopting the name SonnyBoy Williamson during his run with the King Biscuit
Time show. 
 We'll probably never know for sure how that all got started as the ones who
could tell us are gone now, but if this thread establishes anything at all
as being true, it suggests that the route to fame was a very different path
than the one we'd be taking now, if we were famous ...
 Brad Trainham


-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of harmoniman@xxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 8:48 PM
To: Harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx 
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Willie Dixon Controversy

Don't forget Albert 'Iceman' Collins. I played harp with him a couple of
times. Being from Philly, I like to think of Jerry Butler as one of our own.
Rice Miller has to be one of the most  influencial American blues musicians
in England in the early 60's.  J.B.
 P.S. this Harp-l  makes me think of one of Alecks songs...."Little
Village'......you know the rest. 

-------------- Original message --------------
From: IcemanLE@xxxxxxx 

> Back in the day before radio play headed towards a nationwide 
> awareness of artists, Rice Miller took the name Sonny Boy II with the 
> hope to ride up on the coattails of an already established name - 
> Sonny Boy Williamson. He got gigs because of the name recognition. I 
> don't have the exact detailed story regarding this, but do remember 
> reading that Sonny Boy I didn't find out about this until Sonny Boy II 
> started getting some radio play using the name - and Sonny Boy I was none
too happy.
> 
> History is rife with stories like this - taking something that didn't 
> belong to an artist and making it his own without giving proper 
> credit. Hey, maybe those old days were as hard as our new faltering 
> economy in regards to making a living, so people did "what they had to do"
in order to survive.
> 
> Same could be said of "The Iceman" moniker. It is trademarked by the 
> soul singer out of Chicago, Jerry Butler, who calls himself The Ice 
> Man. Although he splits it into two words, I'm quite sure I'll hear 
> from his lawyers if one day I make a hit record using that name.
> 
> Since I am a poor historian and can not quote my source on the Sonny 
> Boy story, take this remembrance with a grain of salt or hopefully 
> another on the "L" may have more specifics.
>
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