October 19, 2012 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 158, Pt. 11 15025 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

HONORING MR. WILLIE ‘‘SONNY and cotton picking in Tallahatchie County and the owners. In 1955, he began recording for BOY’’ WILLIAMSON started becoming a familiar voice and blues Chess Records in Chicago, Illinois after Trum- artist on the local circuits. He played on the pet Records went bankrupt. His years at HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON street corners, at church socials, fish fry’s, and Chess Records were his most successful in OF MISSISSIPPI anywhere he could attract a crowd, sometimes his career as a blues artist. In fact, he re- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES getting paid. Sonny Boy made friends with corded about 70 songs from 1955 to 1964 for other blues artists like Big Joe Williams, Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Friday, October 19, 2012 Elmore James, Joe Willie ‘‘Pinetop’’ Perkins, Records. In 1959 he finally got the opportunity Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speak- Robert Lockwood, Jr., and Robert Johnson. to record a compilation of stories about the er, I rise today to honor a blues musician and He was always looking for ways to entertain blues with his first LP record titled Down and legend of the Mississippi Delta, Mr. Willie besides just singing, so he started doing what Out Blues. It featured such hits as Dissatis- ‘‘Sonny Boy’’ Williamson. some might call impossible until they saw him fied, Your Funeral and My Trial, Don’t Start Mr. Speaker, the ‘‘Blues’’ is not just a song, do it—he would put his entire harmonica in his Me to Talkin, and All My Love in Vain. it’s a story about hard times and frustration put mouth and play it with no hands, wow, what In the 1960s, he toured Europe several to musical rhymes and rhythms; it’s a means a talent. times during the height of the British blues ex- to an end. The Blues was influenced by field The 1940s was just as entertaining and by citement; having much influence on the Blues hollers, religious hymns of hope, and even now, Sonny Boy’s blues future was beginning music he recorded with The Yardbirds, Eric dance. So let me share a blues story with you to take shape. In 1941 he was hired to play Clapton, guitarist Jimmy Page, The Animals, through the life of Mr. Willie ‘‘Sonny Boy’’ on the King Biscuit Time show where he did and even Mississippi Slim of Greenville. In the Williamson. advertisement for King Biscuit Flour on a radio summer of 1964, he did a BBC TV show with If you happen to hear the names, Alex station (KFFA) in Helena, Arkansas. The jazz musician Chris Barber. He also recorded ‘‘Rice’’ Miller, Sonny Boy Williamson number sponsors thought he would be perfect to ad- with Roland Kirk, another jazz musician, who 2, Sonny Boy Williamson the second, Willie vertise King Biscuit Flour to the black audi- could play three horns at the same time. It Miller, Sonny Boy Miller, or Little Boy Blue, ence King Biscuit wanted to reach. He was reported in the Led Zeppelin biography just know that it’s the same Willie ‘‘Sonny partnered with fellow blues artist Robert that while in England, Sonny Boy accidently Boy’’ Williamson of Tallahatchie County, Mis- Lockwood for this gig and they became known set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook sissippi. His birth given name however, is Alex as the King Biscuit Boys. The show was lim- a rabbit in a coffee percolator. Miller. There are different reports circulating ited in range, only reaching an audience within Homesick for the Mississippi Delta area, the about when Sonny Boy was born. The dates about a 50 miles radius. As a result, he quietly local blues circuit he started on, to see old in question are 1897, December 5, 1899, started doing radio shows in Little Rock, Ar- friends, down home cooking and living, to March 11, 1908, and December 5, 1912. He kansas, and Belzoni, Mississippi, outside of hang out with newcomers to the blues scene, was born on the Sara Jones Plantation near the range of KFFA. Then in the late 1940s and to play on KFFA again—all beginnings he Glendora, Mississippi. Nevertheless, it was not KFFA extended its listening audience through wanted to cash in for better endings, Willie until 1941 that he began to assume the name WROX in Clarksdale, Mississippi in the late ‘‘Sonny Boy’’ Williamson returned to Helena, of ‘‘Sonny Boy’’ Williamson when Max Moore, 1940s, which was far enough for Sonny Boy Arkansas to live until his death in June 1965 owner of Interstate Grocer Company’s King to reach the ears of young Riley King, known from a heart attack. Sonny Boy Williamson Biscuit Flour business, started calling him by as B.B. King, over in Indianola, Mississippi. was born on the Sara Jones Plantation near that name in order to promote the show. On Saturdays, the KFFA King Biscuit Enter- Glendora, Mississippi and buried on New Afri- Although researchers and historians alike tainers would visit grocery stores performing ca Road just outside of Tutwiler, Mississippi at have debated important dates and events sur- on King Biscuit’s flatbed truck throughout the site of the former Whitman Chapel Ceme- rounding his life, one thing they all agree upon Northern Mississippi delta towns like Sardis tery. These towns are approximately 15 miles is that he is a son of the Mississippi Delta and Clarksdale. In 1944, his picture appeared apart. His headstone was paid for and do- blues, a self taught harmonica player, and a on Sonny Boy Corn Meal and he became a nated by Mrs. Lillian McMurry, owner of Trum- legendary blues singer and song writer. He household name. pet Records, another one of his beginnings. began playing the guitar and harmonica at the Sonny Boy figured out he had a knack for Over the course of Sonny Boy Williamson’s early age of five. Sonny Boy’s stepfather and the radio and he could make money doing it. career, he recorded over 150 songs, from mother, Jim and Millie Miller, never discour- So, he started his own KWEM radio show in 1951 to 1965. He wrote and composed most aged him from playing his blues music or his 1948 until 1950. He moved to West Memphis, of his own songs, many of which were re- instruments. Arkansas in 1949 to live with his sister and corded more than once. A musical prodigy in Mississippi was a very implacable place for her husband, Howlin’ Wolf, another blues leg- his own right and style, he was able to make blacks in the 1900s with the Great Depres- end from White Station, Mississippi. This was each performance unique and different sion, the Civil Rights Movement, efforts to his golden opportunity where he brought along through impromptu styles of arrangements, pass life changing legislation, and when cotton other struggling great blues artists before they tempos and lyrics. pickers were paid about forty cents a day per were greats. These were friends like James Sonny Boy Williamson may have been char- one hundred pounds of cotton picked. The Cotton, Houston Stackhouse, Elmore James, acterized by a hip flask, British bowler sittin’ blues music was filled with lyrics about those B.B. King, Arthur ‘‘Big Boy’’ Crudup, Robert high on his head cocked to the side, tailor times, bad luck, hope, and memories experi- Nighthawk and others to perform on the show. made two-tone suits, a foul mouth, fast enced or seen by the blues artist. Unrelenting Sonny Boy finally got to record one of his women, short tempered, and a grey goateed beats accompanied the lyrics of the songs as many stories about the blues; it came in 1951 image, but don’t forget about the characteriza- the artist told their story. with his first single on Trumpet Records titled tion of his musical ability. He was highly origi- In the early 1920’s, Sonny Boy was a young ‘‘Eyesight to the Blind,’’ where he was singing nal with his own signature harmonica style man struggling to make a living, so he started about a woman. Using the word ‘‘good’’ to de- and vocal gift for moaning out a rich blues performing in juke joints and night clubs scribe him was not good enough; people often saga. Just as I stated earlier, there is no doubt throughout Mississippi and Arkansas under said that with this song he could make a blind about it, he had the blues. the name of Little Boy Blue. The pay was very man think he could see her. He was the pri- Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me meager or sometimes there was no pay at all. mary artist for Trumpet Records. Henry and in recognizing Mr. Willie ‘‘Sonny Boy’’ By the 1930s he left a life of sharecropping Lillian McMurry in Jackson, Mississippi were Williamson, a world renowned blues legend

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