Donal Dineen’s Sunken Treasure: Sonny Boy Williamson – Down and Out Blues

At almost seven foot tall, Sonny Boy Williamson cut an impressive figure whenever he rolled into town. He made no bones about hiding his hard liquor habit, so that languid roll of his would occasionally incorporate the odd shake and stumble, but he was never one for falling down. And he never missed a show or left an audience not wanting more. Sonny Boy had the music in him. Adding strong whiskey just seemed to make it easier to come out.

A great deal of mystery surrounds his name. Earlier in his life in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, he was called Aleck, Alex or Willie.

His choosing the name Sonny Boy Williamson was itself somewhat controversial. In 1941 he was hired the play the King Biscuit Time radio show, sponsored by the King Biscuit brand of baking flour, on KFFA in Helena, Arkansas. The producers began billing him as Sonny Boy Williamson as a way of catching some deflected starlight from another blues player known as Sonny Boy Williamson, who was far bigger news at the time. The early days of advertising were a little less fearful of litigation, it seems, and the ruse worked. The new Sonny Boy broke out through the medium of the biscuit. Pretty soon he commanded the cover of the packet itself, looking mighty fine with his bowler hat and irresistible, raffish charm.

Juke joints

Sonny Boy was ready for some success when it came his way soon after. He had bided his time honing his craft in the juke joints of Mississippi, and when an opportunity to record came in the 1950s he grasped it with both of his giant hands. As well as having a voice that was sly, dark and world-weary – all qualities eminently suited to enunciating the twisted words of his hard blues style – he could also play the harmonica better than anyone else. He spent a lot of time making the instrument work for him. His hands cradling a tiny harp was a sight to see. He was the first person to manufacture an amplifier especially for the harp. Sonny played it loud hard and proud.

He had a very distinctive style as a result. If there was a pattern it would generally be short, rhythmic bursts intertwined with long periods of impassioned blowing.

This was a mightily commanding sound all by itself. Depending on the circumstance or his mood, he could take his game up in an instant and insert the harp into the mouth and move with the tune without using his hands. He was a showman.

Suspicious man

He was variously referred to as a moody, bitter and suspicious man, and his songs were full of mostly autobiographical lyrics that pulled no punches and were full of dark, mordant wit. If you happened to cross Sonny Boy, there’s a fair chance he’d get you back real good in some future verse.

Some live footage from this period exists and his face is always a study of intensity and intent. Purely as a performer, he had few peers.

These are early recordings, a collection of singles that are powered up by the presence of supportive giants such as Muddy Waters and Otis Spann.

From these sparks a great fire was lit.