Sonny Boy Williamson Pt. 1_StCelibart.com

hey people, I'm italian and I can't understand what's the name of the disease (?) which affected the speech of Sonny Boy. Could someone help me? Thanks;)

He had a speech impediment called a "stammer". It's not a disease.

trattasi di balbuzie...

The history of blues artists, is the real history of
America.

Mmmousemaid

Thanks for posting this. It's great to see it.

Most folk get John and Rice Miller mixed up. Not surprising as he took his name as "Sonny Boy Williamson II. John was a much better and innovative harp player and singer IMHO. I've got some old recording of his with out-takes of some awful racism on them, which gives a flavour of the times.
What a pity no-one filmed Robert Johnson and some of the other fantastic musicians of the era.

You can't really compare the both sonny boys. I think everyone was great in his own way. I think SONNY BOY II was older but not born in 1897 like he always claimed (but he certainly looked older than he actually was). When he started recording he was at least in his late 40's while John Lee did his last recordings at the age of 33.

JOHN LEE started when he was a young man in his mid-20's. Both had complete different back up bands - Sonny Boy II had a more modern one with people like Robert Lockwood, M. Waters, O.Spann, Fred Below, Billy Emerson for instance.
While John Lee sounded more optimistic & frolic compared to Alex the later one sounded (naturally) more experienced with ups & down of life and more pessimistic.

BTW Little Walter had a similar opinion like yours. In a 1964 interview to british Jazz monthly he said SONNY BOY II would live on borrowed time and show mannerism.
I like to invite you to my bluescartoons on JIMMY REED & SONNY BOY II. I hope you enjoy it,
bye

In 1980 a west-berlin radio station did a 90 minute documentary about him and some east german radio stations did around the same time some 2o minute specials on him.
Of course only people with interest in blues or jazz did listen to it. But east & west Berlin radio was quite good back then when it came to the blues.
I did a tribute to Jimmy REED and i like to invite you to watch my animated short film of 74 seconds. Reed was influenced by both Sonny boys. Like that documentary

the blues began in the Mississippi Delta and then it migrated to Memphis and Beale St.