Alphabetic-B Encyclopedia of Chicago UC-Enc-v.cls May , : BLUES Willie Dixon and the Blues Willie Dixon—blues artist, songwriter, and studio producer—was born in Vicksburg, Mis- sissippi, in 1915. During a Depression youth spent alternately as a laborer, prison inmate, and train hobo, Dixon first displayed the tal- ent that later established his fame, writing songs for diverse Vicksburg musicians. His first motivation for coming to Chicago in 1936 was BOXING: Dixon won a Golden Gloves ti- tle and sparred with world champion Joe Louis, before shoddy management ended his prizefighting career. Dixon retooled himself as a musician, playing bass through the 1940s with several groups and becoming involved with the emerging blues recording industry in Chicago. Dixon’s best work came during his years at CHESS RECORDS (1951–1956; 1959– 1971). Rising from accompanist to studio man- ager, Dixon worked with countless artists, in- cluding Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, and Koko Taylor. During an interme- diate stint with Cobra Records (1956–1959), Dixon worked with many in the “second gen- eration” of blues talent—Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Magic Sam—cementing his reputation as pre- eminent impresario within the postwar blues scene. In spite of Chess’s collapse in 1971 and the decline of the blues’ commercial appeal, Dixon maintained an active professional life, continuing his festival work and organizing the Chicago Blues All-Stars touring group. In 1982, he started the Blues Heaven Founda- Blues musicians on Maxwell Street, ca. 1950–51. Photographer: Jerome Joseph. Source: Chicago Historical tion, a group promoting awareness about blues Society. among urban youth and helping musicians re- gain royalty rights, a struggle Dixon waged un- til his death in 1992. emergence of local labels such as Bluebird, Vee-Jay, and Cobra all signing and producing Adam Green Chicago became the national center for blues large numbers of artists. Of these, the most recording—hits like Lil Green’s “Romance prominent was Chess, whose first generation in the Dark” (), Minnie’s “Me and My of artists—Muddy Waters (McKinley Morgan- Chauffeur Blues” (), and Williamson’s field), Little Walter ( Jacobs), Willie Dixon, later modernized music as composer “Elevator Woman” () exemplified post- Howlin’ Wolf (Chester Burnett)—were exem- Thomas Dorsey. Although Hunter, Broonzy, Depression popular music for blacks, North plars of Chicago blues style. The distinctive and others performed across the S S, and South. As the community of artists and sound of these artists restructured popular mu- and despite an abundant audience of migrants, entrepreneurs grew, blues culture revised the sic, providing fundamental elements for sub- there was not yet the extensive network of blues geography of black Chicago. Legendary clubs sequent genres like soul and rock and roll. clubs that emerged in later years. such as Silvio’s, Gatewood’s Tavern, the Flame Indeed, the work of Waters on songs like Like the rest of the economy, music pro- Club, and the opened along Indiana Av- “Rollin’ Stone” ()and“Hootchie Coot- duction suffered during the G D- enue on the South Side and Lake Street on chie Man” () had international influence, .Between and , annual sales the West Side, serving as community centers subsequently inspiring the Beatles, the Rolling of phonograph records in the United States for migrants arriving in ever greater numbers Stones, and other British bands. Dixon was plummeted from $ to $ million; sales for during the s. Blues music also moved be- also a figure of special note—in addition to black performers decreased from $ million yond studio and stage. The outdoor market playing bass and writing for artists ranging to only $,. The decline slowed the mi- on M S became a regular week- from Waters to Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, gration of blues artists, whose motivation for end venue, and newly arrived musicians found he supervised most of the studio sessions at coming to Chicago, like other black south- work playing “rent parties” across the South Chess beginning in the mid-s. erners, included economic opportunity. Still, and West Sides. A key catalyst to the blues’ postwar popu- the city continued to serve as incubator of During the s, Chicago blues flourished, larization were “black-appeal” , blues music, as musicians awaited the resur- developing the signatures—use of rhythm sec- such as Al Benson and Big Bill Hill, who en- gence of the record industry. Tampa Red and tions and amplification; reliance on guitar and sured that records released by Chess, Vee-Jay, Bill Broonzy were joined by such talents as harmonica leads; and routine reference to Mis- and other labels received public exposure. By Memphis Minnie (Douglas), Lil Green, Mem- sissippi Delta styles of playing and singing— the late s and early s a new genera- phis Slim (Peter Chatman), and Sonny Boy that identify it today. Consolidation of blues tion of West Side artists, including Otis Rush, ( John Lee) Williamson. With the wartime recording continued, with new labels C, Magic Sam (Maghett), and Buddy (George) Alphabetic-B Encyclopedia of Chicago UC-Enc-v.cls May , : BOARDINGHOUSES Blues Clubs in Chicago Black population (by census tract) 0–10 0-10 10-50 50-90 90-100 0-10 10-50 50-90 90-100 percent Broadway Broadway Broadway Western Western Western Lawrence Lawrence Lawrence 10–50 percent Clark Clark M Clark ilw Harlem Harlem a 50–90 Belmont Belmont uke Belmont M M e percent ilw ilw Cicero Cicero Cicero auk auk 90–100 e e North e North e North percent Chicago Chicago Chicago Madison Madison Madison Blues club Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt en en gd Cermak den Cermak gd Cermak O Og O cher cher cher Ar Ar Ar 47th 47th 47th Cicero Western Cicero Western Cicero Western State 63rd 63rd 63rd Stony Island State 79th 79th 79th So Sout So uth uth h Stony Island Stony Island C C C hicag State hicag hicago 95th 95th 95th o o 3 MILES Torrence Torrence Torrence 130th 130th 130th 1945–1949 1966–1970 1996–2001 © 2004 The Newberry Library. Authors: Michael P. Conzen and Max Grinnell Though one could hear the blues in 1920s Chicago, the club scene was not well developed until the 1940s. Blues musicians performed regularly at bars and other entertainment venues in African American communities on both the South and West Sides in the ’40s, but rarely outside these areas. Blues clubs spread out as the city’s black population grew and the genre’s popularity rose, but most remained in or close to African American neighborhoods. By the 1990s, the blues had become widely fashionable, and while the historic pattern largely held, some clubs, especially those downtown and on the North Side, catered to largely non–African American audiences. Guy, carried the work of Waters, Dixon, and and other new genres of black popular music. Further reading: Keil, Charles. Urban Blues. , other Chess artists even further. Chicago blues Chess went out of business in ,bywhich . • Palmer, Robert. Deep Blues. soon attracted substantially broader audiences. time most older clubs were closing down. While Chicago blues did not recapture its In , Dixon and Memphis Slim toured Eng- Board of Trade. See Commodities centrality to the civic life of the African Ameri- land and the Middle East: they would return Markets to Europe in with a full roster of artists to can community, a renaissance has been build- perform in the first of many annual American ing since the late s, when blues found a Folk Blues Festivals. new audience drawn from followers of Boardinghouses. Residential boarding ar- The history of Chicago blues since the s searching out roots artists. Such local rangements in the Chicago metropolitan area has been a contradictory one, combining peri- labels as Delmark, which recorded Junior Wells are at least as old as the taverns of the F ods of recession and renewal. By the end of (Amos Blakemore) and Magic Sam (Sam D trading settlement. During Chi- the s, blues had infrastructural as well as Maghett), and Alligator, which recorded Koko cago’s early boom years, when housing facil- aesthetic presence. WVON, the all-day radio Taylor and Lonnie Brooks (Lee Baker, Jr.), ities lagged behind population growth, many station opened by Chess owners Leonard and built a new national audience for Chicago visitors and newcomers found lodging and Phil Chess in , maintained a healthy blues blues. Old-line clubs (notably the Checker- meals in the households of private citizens. playlist, augmenting programming from other board) on the South and West Sides have been By the s, boarding was an established local stations. Blues continued to joined by new venues on the South, West, and way of life. Private boardinghouses typically shape black neighborhoods on the South and North Sides (notably Kingston Mines) serving consisted of a married couple (with or without West Sides; Roosevelt Road, Madison Street, the tourist industry and predominantly white children) who kept several boarders, generally and rd Street became blues thoroughfares. fans of blues. In Chicago inaugurated an single, unrelated individuals. While married With the failure of Cobra Records in and annual blues festival. Continued participation couples occasionally boarded, families with Vee-Jay in , Chess stood as the only re- in Chicago blues culture underscores that, as children rarely lived in boardinghouses. maining major label and, under the supervision in earlier times, the music serves as “living his- Women usually took primary responsibility of Willie Dixon, consolidated the remaining tory,” shaping both memories of and hopes for for boarders. For many women, keeping board- talent. Old rivals such as Buddy Guy and Otis urban social life. ers and lodgers was a readily available way to Rush were signed, along with newcomers Etta Adam Green earn money that permitted a flexible schedule James, Little Milton (Campbell), and Koko See also: Entertaining Chicagoans; Ethnic Music; and was compatible with caring for children.