Willie Dixon: Encyclopedia - Willie Dixon

Willie Dixon

Willie Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992) was a well-known American blues bassist, singer, songwriter, and record producer.

He was born as William James Dixon in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was a producer for Chess and Checker Records in Chicago, Illinois and is considered one of the key figures in the creation of Chicago blues. He worked with Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Eddie Boyd, Jimmy Witherspoon, Lowell Fulson, Willie Mabon, Memphis Slim and others.

His was a colourful life. In his teens he had many scrapes with the law, and decided to hitch-hike his way to Chicago. A giant of a man, he took up boxing, and was so successful as to win the Golden Gloves heavywight title in 1936. His progess in learning to play the bass was halted when he resisted the World War II draft, and was imprisoned for ten months. After the war, he re-united with his bass playing tutor, Baby Doo Caston, forming the Big Three Trio, who went on to record for Columbia Records. Dixon subsequently signed for Chess as a recording artist, but by 1951 he was a full time employee of the label. His relationship with them was sometimes strained, although his spell there covered the years from 1948 to the early 1960s. During this time his output, and influence was prodigious. Indeed, he once claimed "I am the blues", which may seem a little arrogant. But there is no doubt that he was one of the major influences on the genre, through his original and varied songwriting, live performances, recording, and copious production work.

His bass guitar playing was of a high standard. He appears on many of Chuck Berry's early recordings, so further proving his linkage between the blues, and the birth of rock 'n' roll.

Dixon's genius as a songwriter, lay in refurbishing archaic Southern motifs, in contemporary arrangements. This produced songs with the backbone of the blues, and the agility of pop music. British R&B bands of the 1960's, constantly drew on the Dixon songbook for inspiration.

In addition, as his songwriting and production work started to take a backseat, his organisation ability was utilised putting together all-star, Chicago based blues ensembles, for work in Europe.

His health deteriorated in the 1970s and 1980s, when he contracted diabetes, and eventually had a leg amputated. It was during this latter period of his life that Willie Dixon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As the songlist below ably demonstrates, his work was covered by a varied range of artists, from the blues, to modern day rock music practioneers.

Willie Dixon died of heart failure in Burbank, California in 1992 and was buried in the Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.

Willie Dixon - Songs

He wrote many famous blues songs, usually producing and playing bass when they were first recorded. Some of these, and the extensive subsequent covers, include:

• "29 Ways" – Marc Cohn
• "Back Door Man" – Howlin' Wolf, The Doors, Grateful Dead, Shadows of Knight, Bob Weir
• "Big Boss Man" – Jimmy Reed, Elvis Presley
• "Bring It On Home" – Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Led Zeppelin
• "Built for Comfort" – Howlin' Wolf, Canned Heat, UFO
• "Crazy For My Baby" – Willie Dixon
• "Dead Presidents" – Little Walter
• "Diddy Wah Diddy" – Bo Diddley
• "Everything But You" – Jimmy Witherspoon
• "Evil" – Howlin' Wolf, Canned Heat, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
• "Hidden Charms" – Howlin' Wolf
• "Hoochie Coochie Man" – Muddy Waters, Shadows of Knight, Nashville Teens, Allman Brothers, Steppenwolf, Motörhead, Eric Clapton
• "I Ain't Superstitious" – Howlin' Wolf, Jeff Beck Group, Grateful Dead, Megadeth
• "I Can't Quit You Baby" – Little Milton, Otis Rush, Led Zeppelin
• "It Don't Make Sense (You Can't Make Peace) – Styx
• "I Just Want To Make Love To You" – Muddy Waters, The Kinks, Yardbirds, Shadows of Knight, Grateful Dead, Foghat, Rolling Stones, Van Morrison
• "I'm Ready" – Muddy Waters, Humble Pie, Buddy Guy
• "Insane Asylum" – Koko Taylor, Kathy McDonald & Sly Stone
• "Little Red Rooster" – Howlin' Wolf, Sam Cooke, Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, The Doors, Luther Allison, The Jesus and Mary Chain
• "Mellow Down Easy" – Little Walter, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Black Crowes, Carey Bell, ZZ Top
• "My Babe" – Little Walter, Spencer Davis Group, John Hammond, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters
• "Pain In My Heart" – Rolling Stones, Otis Redding
• "Pretty Thing" – Bo Diddley, Pretty Things, Canned Heat
• "Seventh Son" – Willie Mabon, Mose Allison, Bill Haley, Johnny Rivers, Sting, Climax Blues Band
• "Spoonful" – Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Shadows of Knight, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Cream, Canned Heat, Grateful Dead
• "Third Degree" – Eddie Boyd
• "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy" – Howlin' Wolf
• "Tollin' Bells" – Lowell Fulson, Savoy Brown Blues Band
• "Too Late" – Little Milton
• "Walkin' The Blues" – Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton
• "Wang Dang Doodle" – Koko Taylor, Howlin' Wolf, Grateful Dead, Savoy Brown, Living Blues, PJ Harvey
• "Week Brain, Narrow Mind" – Willie Dixon
• "You Can't Judge A Book By Looking At Its Cover" – Bo Diddley, Shadows of Knight, Cactus
• "You'll Be Mine" – Howlin' Wolf, Stevie Ray Vaughan
• "You Need Love" – Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" was appropriated, without credit, from Dixon's "You Need Love". (As was "You Shook Me"). Dixon and his publisher received credit and royalties, after a lawsuit was settled out of court.
• "You Shook Me" – Muddy Waters, Jeff Beck Group, Led Zeppelin

Categories: Incomplete lists | 1915 births | 1992 deaths | Record producers | Blues musicians | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees | People from Mississippi | African American musicians

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Willie Dixon", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki