Sonny Boy Williamson II facts for kids

Alex Miller (born Alex Ford, possibly December 5, 1912 – May 24, 1965) was a famous American blues musician. He was known as Sonny Boy Williamson. He played the harmonica, sang, and wrote songs. He was a very important blues harmonica player. His music was popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

Miller used other names like Rice Miller and Little Boy Blue. He later chose the name Sonny Boy Williamson. This was also the name of another well-known blues musician. To tell them apart, Alex Miller is often called Sonny Boy Williamson II.

He first recorded music with Elmore James. One of their songs was "Dust My Broom". Some of Sonny Boy Williamson II's most popular songs include "Don't Start Me Talkin'", "Help Me", and "Bring It On Home". He traveled to Europe and played with famous rock bands. These included the Yardbirds and the Animals. Many blues and rock artists have recorded his songs.

Who Was Sonny Boy Williamson II?

His Early Life

The exact date and place of Alex Miller's birth are not fully known. Some people think he was born in 1897, 1899, 1907, 1909, or 1912. Records from 1920 suggest he was born around 1912. His gravestone says March 11, 1908. Miller himself once said he was born in 1897 in Glendora, Mississippi. Researchers believe he was born in 1912 near Greenwood, Mississippi.

He grew up with his mother, Millie Ford, and stepfather, Jim Miller. He later took Jim's last name. In the 1930s, he traveled around Mississippi and Arkansas. He met other blues musicians like Big Joe Williams and Elmore James. He also met Robert Lockwood Jr., who played guitar on some of his later songs. During this time, he developed his unique style of playing. He would even play the harmonica without using his hands! He was often called "Rice" Miller because he loved rice and milk. He was also known as "Little Boy Blue."

Becoming a Radio Star

In 1941, Miller got a job playing on a radio show called King Biscuit Time. This show was on station KFFA in Helena, Arkansas. The show's sponsor started calling him Sonny Boy Williamson. This was to use the fame of another popular blues musician named Sonny Boy Williamson (John Lee Curtis Williamson). Even though John Lee Williamson was already famous, Miller later claimed he used the name first. Some people think Miller said he was born earlier to make it seem like he used the name before John Lee Williamson.

In 1949, Williamson moved to West Memphis, Arkansas. He lived with another blues legend, Howlin' Wolf. Williamson even showed Howlin' Wolf how to play the harmonica. From 1948 to 1950, he had his own radio show on KWAM. He invited his musician friends from King Biscuit Time to play on his new show.

His Recording Career

Sonny Boy Williamson II made his first recordings in 1951. This was for Trumpet Records in Jackson, Mississippi. This was three years after the first Sonny Boy Williamson had passed away. This made it easier for Miller to claim the name. When Trumpet Records went out of business in 1955, his contract was sold to Chess Records in Chicago.

He became very popular in Chicago starting in 1953. He played there with Elmore James's band. His time with Chess Records was his most successful. He recorded about 70 songs for their label, Checker Records, between 1955 and 1964. His first full album was Down and Out Blues, released in 1959.

Touring Europe

In the early 1960s, Sonny Boy Williamson II traveled to Europe many times. This was when British blues music was becoming very popular. He played with famous bands like the Yardbirds and the Animals. He also appeared on TV shows across Europe. He once joked that the British musicians "want to play the blues real bad, and they do."

Sonny Boy really liked his European fans. He even had a special suit, a bowler hat, and an umbrella made for himself there. He also carried his harmonicas in a special case.

His Final Years

After his tours in Europe, he came back to the U.S. He continued to play on the King Biscuit Time radio show. He also performed in the Helena, Arkansas area. On May 25, 1965, his friends were waiting for him at the radio station. When he didn't show up, they found him in his room. He had passed away in his sleep from a heart attack.

Sonny Boy Williamson II is buried in Tutwiler, Mississippi. The owner of Trumpet Records, Lillian McMurry, provided his headstone.

Why Two Sonny Boy Williamsons?

The songs recorded by John Lee Williamson (1914–1948) and Alex "Rice" Miller (around 1912–1965) were both released under the name Sonny Boy Williamson. People believe Miller used the name to make audiences think he was the original. To tell them apart, John Lee Williamson is called "Sonny Boy Williamson I." Alex Miller is called "Sonny Boy Williamson II."

His Lasting Impact

In 2014, Sonny Boy Williamson II was honored with a special marker. It was placed on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Helena, Arkansas. This trail celebrates important blues musicians.

Discography

Albums

• Down and Out Blues (1959)
• A Portrait in Blues (1963)
• The Blues of Sonny Boy Williamson (1963)
• Sonny Boy Williamson and Memphis Slim (1964)
• Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds (1966)
• The Real Folk Blues (1966)
• More Real Folk Blues (1966)
• King Biscuit Time (1989)

Singles

• "Cool, Cool Blues" / "Do It if You Wanta" (1951)
• "Crazy 'Bout You, Baby" / "Eyesight to the Blind" (1951)
• "Pontiac Blues" / "Sonny Boy's Christmas Blues" (1951)
• "Don't Start Me Talkin'" / "All My Love in Vain" (1955)
• "Fattening Frogs for Snakes" / "I Don't Know" (1957)
• "Cross My Heart" / "Dissatisfied'" (1958)
• "Your Funeral and My Trial" / "Wake Up Baby" (1958)
• "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" / "Unseeing Eye" (1959)
• "Trust My Baby" / "Too Close Together" (1960)
• "One Way Out" / "Nine Below Zero" (1962)
• "Bye Bye Bird" / "Help Me" (1963)
• "Bring It On Home" / "Down Child" (1965)

See also

In Spanish: Sonny Boy Williamson II para niños