Photo: Roman Medellín / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Williamson is the trickster king of the blues, a harp player whose phrasing is so conversational it feels like he's talking right to you. The whole mystery around his name, his age, and whether he 'borrowed' another man's identity only adds to the legend. What gets me is the menace and wit packed into 'Don't Start Me Talkin'' and 'Help Me' that whole vocabulary of cool that the British rockers couldn't get enough of when he toured Europe. The Yardbirds and Animals worshipped him for good reason. He's the kind of foundational artist whose DNA is buried in half the music I love.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
Overview
Sonny Boy Williamson II (born Aleck "Rice" Miller, circa 1912 - May 25, 1965) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter from Mississippi. One of the most influential blues harpists in history, he recorded enduring classics such as "Don't Start Me Talkin'" and "Help Me" and toured Europe in the 1960s, where he performed with British rock musicians. He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sonny Boy Williamson II
- Name (Japanese)
- サニー・ボーイ・ウィリアムソンII
- Reading
- さにー・ぼーい・うぃりあむそんII
- Born
- December 5, 1912 – May 25, 1965
- Origin
- Mississippi, United States
- Occupation
- Singer / Composer / Songwriter / Bandleader / Recording artist
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Sagittarius / Rat
2. Background
Awards & achievements
- 1980 Blues Hall of Fame
- 1986 Blues Music Award
- 1988 Blues Music Award
3. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.sonnyboy.com/
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny%20Boy%20Williamson%20II
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%B5%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9C%E3%83%BC%E3%82%A4%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A3%E3%83%AA%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A0%E3%82%BD%E3%83%B3II
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q454692
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Sonny Boy Williamson II born?
Born December 5, 1912.
When did Sonny Boy Williamson II die?
Died May 25, 1965, aged 52.
Where was Sonny Boy Williamson II from?
Sonny Boy Williamson II was from Mississippi, United States.
What did Sonny Boy Williamson II do?
Sonny Boy Williamson II worked as Singer, Composer, Songwriter, Bandleader, Recording artist.
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