Little Willie Littlefield facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Little Willie Littlefield
Littlefield performing at Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône, France, in 1980
Background information
Birth name	Willie Littlefield, Jr.
Born	(1931-09-16)September 16, 1931 El Campo, Texas, U.S.
Died	June 23, 2013(2013-06-23) (aged 81) Voorthuizen, Netherlands
Genres	R&B jump blues boogie-woogie
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter producer
Instruments	Singing piano
Years active	1949–2013
Labels	Eddie's Modern Federal Rhythm Ace Oldie Blues

Willie Littlefield, Jr., known as Little Willie Littlefield, was an American musician. He was a talented pianist and singer who played R&B and boogie-woogie music. His early songs were very important. They helped connect boogie-woogie to rock and roll.

When he was just 18 in 1949, Little Willie became famous. He introduced a special piano style called the "triplet" style. This was on his first song for Modern Records, "It's Midnight." He also recorded the first version of a famous song called "Kansas City" in 1952.

Musical Journey

Starting Out

Little Willie Littlefield was born in El Campo, Texas. He grew up in Houston with his mother. By 1947, when he was sixteen, he was already popular. He played in many clubs in Houston. He also started recording for Eddie Henry's local record label, Eddie's Records. He formed his first band with his school friend, saxophonist Don Wilkerson.

Littlefield was greatly inspired by the boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons. One of his favorite songs was Ammons' "Swanee River Boogie." He later recorded his own version of it. Other big influences on Littlefield's style were Texas musicians Charles Brown and Amos Milburn. Littlefield learned from them. Soon, he created his own unique "triplet" piano style. Many R&B musicians copied this style in the early 1950s. Fats Domino even used it in his New Orleans rhythm and blues.

His first recording, "Little Willie's Boogie," was a hit in Texas in 1949. This caught the attention of Jules Bihari. Bihari worked for Modern Records in Los Angeles. He was looking for a musician to compete with Amos Milburn's success. Bihari flew to Houston in July 1949. He heard about a "teenage wonder boy pianist" who was very popular. Bihari went to hear Littlefield play. He quickly set up an audition at a local studio.

Success with Modern Records

Back at Modern Records, Littlefield recorded "It's Midnight." This song became a national hit. It reached number three on the Billboard R&B chart. His next song, "Farewell," reached number five. He became a big star in nightclubs. He recorded with West Coast musicians like Maxwell Davis. Don Wilkerson, Littlefield's schoolmate, also went to Los Angeles. However, Amos Milburn quickly asked Wilkerson to lead Milburn's new band.

Modern Records booked Littlefield for many recording sessions. He recorded over 22 songs in just three months. This was a lot more than most other artists. Other musicians at these sessions included saxophonists Maxwell Davis and Buddy Floyd. Guitarists Chuck Norris and Johnny Moore also played. Drummers Al Wichard and Jessie Price were there too. One of his 1950 songs, "Happy Pay Day," was later rewritten. It became "The Blacksmith Blues," a hit for Ella Mae Morse.

In 1951, he sang a duet with Little Lora Wiggins. Their song, "I've Been Lost," reached number 10 on the R&B chart.

In 1952, he moved to Federal Records. This was a part of King Records. His first recording session for Federal produced "K. C. Loving." This song was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was later re-recorded by Wilbert Harrison as "Kansas City."

By 1957, Littlefield moved to northern California. He continued to record for Don Barksdale's Rhythm label. He released the song "Ruby, Ruby" there. His new songs were not as successful. But he remained a popular performer in clubs in the San Francisco area.

In the late 1970s, he toured Europe. He was very successful there. He then moved to the Netherlands. From 1982 to the late 1990s, he released several albums. These were for the Oldie Blues label.

Later Years and Comeback

Littlefield in Germany, 2006

After touring for over 50 years, Littlefield stopped performing in 2000. He retired for five years in the Netherlands. But then he decided to play music again in 2006. He said, "I went fishing for five years – now I know every herring in Holland by name – it got boring. I feel great and I want to be back with my audience."

In his later years, Littlefield still performed sometimes. He mostly played at festivals, especially in the UK. In 2008, he played at the Burnley Blues Festival. He also performed at the UK Boogie Woogie Festival in July 2009. He played at the Shakedown Blues Club in 2006. He returned there in October 2010.

Little Willie Littlefield passed away at his home in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, in 2013. He was 81 years old. He had cancer.

Selected Discography

Little Willie Littlefield released many songs and albums throughout his career. Here are some of his notable recordings:

• Singles: "Little Willie's Boogie", "It's Midnight", "Farewell", "I've Been Lost", "K. C. Loving", "Ruby, Ruby".
• Albums: Paris Streetlights, Houseparty, I'm in the Mood, Happy Pay Day, Plays the Boogie Woogie, Singalong with Little Willie Littlefield, Yellow Boogie & Blues, The Red One, Little Willie Littlefield Live, Old Time Feeling.

See also