Willie Dixon

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William James Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, singer, guitarist, arranger, and record producer.

He was a natural performer on both the upright bass and guitar, as well as singing with a distinct voice, but he is perhaps one of the country's most popular songwriters.

Dixon is the most influential figure in shaping the Chicago blues' postwar II sound, as well as other ensembles in which he appeared.

"I Just Want to Make Love to You," "My Babe," "Spoonful," and "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover" are among his most popular compositions.

These songs were written during Chess Records' peak years, from 1950 to 1965, and were performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Bo Diddley; they inspired a generation of musicians worldwide.

Jeff Beck, Canned Heat, Cream, the Doors, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, and Steppenwolf were among the first rock artists to perform at least one of his songs on their debut albums; the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Early life

Dixon was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 1, 1915. He was one of fourteen children. Daisy, his mother, used to rhyme, a habit her son imitated. Young Dixon, a seven-year-old boy from a band that featured pianist Little Brother Montgomery, became an advocate for a young Dixon. At the age of four, he sang his first song at Springfield Baptist Church. Dixon was first introduced to blues while serving time on Mississippi prison farms as a young adolescent. He learned to sing harmony from Theo Phelps, a local carpenter, who penned a gospel quartet in which Dixon performed bass; the Union Jubilee Singers performed on the Vicksburg radio station WQBC. He began converting his poems into songs and even sold some of his songs to local music stores.

In 1936, Dixon left Mississippi for Chicago. Standing 6 foot 6 inches tall and weighing over 250 pounds, he took up boxing, which he enjoyed, winning the Illinois State Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship (Novice Division) in 1937. He became a professional boxer and served briefly as Joe Louis' sparring partner, but after four fights, he left boxing in a money dispute with his boss.

Dixon met Leonard Caston at a boxing gym, where they would harmonize at times. Dixon performed in various vocal groups in Chicago, but Caston was the one who compelled him to pursue music seriously. Caston created his first bass, made from a tin can and a string. Dixon's experience with the instrument made it familiar. He also learned how to play the guitar.

Dixon, with Caston, Joe Bell, Gene Gilmore, and Willie Hawthorne, was a founding member of the Five Breezes in 1939. In the style of the Ink Spots, the band mixed blues, jazz, and vocal harmonies. Dixon's progress on the upright bass came to a halt shortly after World War II when he refused to be admitted into military service as a conscient objector and was sentenced to ten months in prison. He refused to go to war because he did not want to fight for a world in which institutionalized bigotry and racial policies were widespread. He formed the Four Jumps of Jive after the war. He returned to Caston, forming the Big Three Trio, which went on to record for Columbia Records.

Dixon was signed as a recording artist by Chess Records, but he began producing less frequently because he was more involved with administrative duties for the label. He was a full-time employee at Chess, where he performed as producer, talent hunter, session guitarist, and staff songwriter by 1951. He was also a producer for Chess' subsidiary Checker Records. His Chess friendship was sometimes strained, but he remained with the brand from 1948 to the early 1960s. Dixon's output and clout were at a time when the artistry was brisk. He worked in a similar capacity for Cobra Records, for which he produced early singles for Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Buddy Guy from late 1956 to early 1959. Dixon wrote "Fishin' in My Pond," a Lee Jackson recording that was released on Cobra in January 1957, which was also released on Cobra. Dixon later recorded for Bluesville Records. Dixon's career spanned the 1960s to the mid-1970s, and two successor labels, Supreme and Spoonful, were available from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. He released Peace, his 1971 album, on Yambo, as well as singles from McKinley Mitchell, Lucky Peterson, and others.

Dixon is considered one of the main figures in the development of the Chicago blues. He worked with Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Joe Louis Walker, Little Walter, Stephen Davies, Sonny Boy Williamson, Bo Diddley, Joe Louis Walker, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Eddie Boyd, Willie Mabon, Washboard Sam, Sam Lay and others.

The Rolling Stones hit number one on the UK Singles Chart in December 1964 with their cover of Dixon's "Little Red Rooster." On their debut album, The Rolling Stones, the group also included "I Just Want To Make Love To You" on the same year.

Dixon, a tireless promoter for the blues and a vocal advocate for its musicians, established the Blues Heaven Foundation, which seeks to protect the blues' legacy and ensure copyrights and royalties for blues musicians who have been exploited in the past. Dixon said, "The blues are the roots, and the other forms are the fruits." It's better to keep the roots alive because it leads to fresh fruit from now on. All American music has their roots in the blues. If American music survives, the blues will follow." Arc Music, Dixon, and Muddy Waters, Chess' publishing company, sued Arc, resulting in the settlement, the children formed Hoochie Coochie Music, Inc.

Dixon reached an out-of-court deal with Led Zeppelin in 1987 after suing for plagiarism in the band's "Bring It On Home" and lyrics from his album "You Want Love" (1962) on the band's album "Whole Lotta Love."

Dixon's health worsened in the 1970s and 1980s, mainly as a result of long-term diabetes. Eventually, one of his legs was amputated.

In the inaugural session of the Blues Foundation's ceremony, Dixon was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1989, he received a Grammy Award for his album Hidden Charms.

Dixon died of heart disease in Burbank, California, on January 29, 1992, and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery, in Alsip, Illinois. Marie Dixon, his widow, took over the Blues Heaven Foundation and relocated the headquarters to Chess Records following his death. In 1994, Dixon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category Early Influences (pre-rock). Both Dixon and his grandson Alex Dixon were inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame on April 28, 2013.

Dixon was honoured with a marker on Vicksburg's Mississippi Blues Trail in 2007.

In Cadillac Records, a 2008 film based on Chess Records' early history, actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer portrayed Dixon.

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Pinnacle of career

Dixon, a recording artist, signed with Chess Records as a recording artist, but he began to perform less as a result of administrative duties for the label. He was a full-time employee at Chess, where he worked as producer, talent hunter, session player, and staff songwriter by 1951. He was also a producer for Checker Records, the Chess subsidiary. His relationship with Chess was sometimes strained, but he stayed with the brand from 1948 to early 1960s. Dixon's output and clout were at an all-time peak. He worked for Cobra Records from late 1956 to early 1959, for which he produced early singles for Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Buddy Guy. Dixon wrote "Fishin' in My Pond" in 1956, which was recorded by Lee Jackson and published on Cobra in February 1957. Dixon later recorded for Bluesville Records. Dixon operated Yambo Records, and two subsidiary companies, Supreme and Spoonful, from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s. Peace? on Yambo by Harris, 1971, was released, as well as singles by McKinley Mitchell, Lucky Peterson, and others.

Dixon is regarded as one of the key figures in the development of Chicago blues. Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Joseph Rush, Bo Diddley, Joe Louis Walker, Little Walter, Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Milton, Benjamin Jones, Rice, Tahie Mabon, Lockwood, Jimmy Williamson, Willie Mabon, Sam Lay and others.

With their cover of Dixon's "Little Red Rooster," the Rolling Stones reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in December 1964. On their debut album, The Rolling Stones, the band also covered "I Just Want To Make Love To You" in the same year.

Dixon spent his remaining years as a tireless advocate for the blues and a vocal promoter for the interests of blues musicians who were mistreated in the past. Dixon said, "The blues are the roots, and the other instruments are the fruits." It's better to keep the roots alive because it means better fruit from now on. All American music is based on the blues. As long as American music persists, the blues will follow." In 1977, an unhappy royalties paid by Chess' publishing company, Arc Music, Dixon, and Muddy Waters, filed a lawsuit against Arc Music, Dixon, Muddy Waters, deciding that the proceeds from the divorce were used to create their own publishing firm, Hoochie Coochie Music.

Dixon reached an out-of-court deal with Led Zeppelin in 1987 after suing for plagiarism in the band's "Bring It On Home" and lyrics from his album "You Need Love" (1962) in the band's "Whole Lotta Love" (1962).

Dixon's health worsened during the 1970s and 1980s, primarily as a result of long-term diabetes. One of his legs was amputated eventually, but he was fortunately not amputated.

In the inaugural session of the Blues Foundation's ceremony in 1980, Dixon was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He received a Grammy Award for his album Hidden Charms in 1989.

Dixon died of heart disease in Burbank, California, on January 29, 1992, and was buried in Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. Marie Dixon, the Blues Heaven Foundation's widow, took over the Blues Heaven Foundation and moved the headquarters to Chess Records following his death. Dixon was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category Early Influences (pre-rock) in 1994. Dixon and his grandson Alex Dixon were inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame on April 28, 2013.

Dixon was honoured with a marker on Vicksburg's Mississippi Blues Trail in 2007.

In Cadillac Records, a 2008 film based on the early history of Chess Records, actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer played Dixon.

Source