Footage of Sonny Boy Williamson live gigs in 1942 & 1952

robert kramer · From: Nashville TN

Amazing silent footage from 1942 of Sonny Boy Williamson and Robert Junior Lockwood appearing at a country store in Arkansas plus more footage (starting @ 1:46) of Sonny Boy and his Houserockers on tour in 1952. Visible in the 1952 footage is Joe Willie Wilkins on guitar and Frock O’Dell on drums along with a trumpet player!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6v-hz3ER0c

From 1941 to 1945, Sonny Boy performed on the “King Biscuit Show” radio show on KFFA in Helena, Arkansas sponsored by “King Biscuit Flour.” Sonny Boy would promote his gigs over the radio like this one w/ Robert Jr. at the Highland Lake Store possibly in Garfield, Arkansas.

Here's what the Houserocker footage would have sounded like: Sonny Boy Williamson’s 1951 “Merry Christmas Blues” (Trumpet 145):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGFnSqMFQFo

Here are Sonny Boy’s 1951 Trumpet recordings reissued on Arhoolie 2020. Essential listening for blues and harmonica fans:

http://www.amazon.com/King-Biscuit-Time-Sonny-Williamson/dp/B0000001FP/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1327759951&sr=8-9

Sonny Boy Williamson & Robert "Junior" Lockwood in 1942:

Michael Lee Allen · From: Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois

Deleted

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

"Help Me" should be his most well known song. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Surprised

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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

robert kramer · From: Nashville TN

"Help Me" could be considered Sonny Boy's most famous song being the song most covered by other artists. The list is endless. "Don't Start Me Talkin" was his biggest hit reaching #3 Billboard in 1955. He wrote most of his material including: "Eyesight to the Blind," "Checking on My Baby," "Fattening Frogs for Snakes," "Nine Below Zero," and "Mighty Long Time" and many, many others. He was one of the giants of Chicago blues along with Muddy, Wolf and Little Walter which is to say he was one of the giants of American music and a direct influence on American & British R&R. But this is just scratching the surface of his long career which began in Mississippi in '30's and continued on to Chicago in the '50's & 60's. He was also very popular when he toured Europe.

Sonny Boy & Robert Junior Lockwood were contemporaries of Robert Johnson and this footage was filmed four years after RJ's death. Watching a 27 year old Robert Jr. in this footage is the closest will ever get to what it must have been like seeing Robert Johnson play the guitar.

To me - Little Walter is the greatest harmonica player of all time. I think Sonny Boy is next - but at their level all we can do is sit back and enjoy them both.

But let Sonny Boy do the talking. Here's "Help Me."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXr6pS-79m8

Joachim Kettner · From: Germany

Thanks Robert. Paul Jones of Manfred Mann and the Blues Band talks about meeting him in England here.
The song he plays at the end of the video was originaly on the b- side of a single from 1966.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayid4-HGshQ
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Fender Kingman, Sierra Crown D-10, Evans Amplifier, Soup Cube.

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

To my ears, Sonny Boy Williamson II was one of the most expressive of the 'blues harp' players. He had no need for a lot rapid-fire notes like John Popper and so many others. Sonny Boy can make my hair stand on end with just a few well played notes. Don't be fooled, he could play at break-neck speed too. I also think he had the best breath control of any 'blues harp' player (Corky Siegel is a close second). I don't know how he could go from signing to blowing without seeming to take any breaths. Take, for instance, his song "She's My Baby"; no space anywhere for a breath during that vocal/harmonica tour de force! Whoa!

Here's the master doing "Your Funeral and My Trial"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFRMBWgyH-M

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn
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Steelin' for Jesus

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