Better late than never: Willie Dixon named to Songwriters’ hall

Although it was long overdue, blues legend Willie Dixon finally was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In a ceremony held in New York on June 18, 2015, Dixon joined fellow songwriters Bobby Braddock, Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, Toby Keith, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry in the class of 2015.

Lyricist Bernie Taupin, named to the hall in 1992, welcomed Dixon into the hall with his induction speech. “There’s no other songwriter who dominated post-war blues more than William James Dixon,” Taupin said. “He wrote the blueprint for a thousand fledgling young bands. In the early ‘60s, every rock and R&B  band, especially those in the the U.K., would have had a much shorter setlist if it weren’t for Willie Dixon.”

Willie’s daughter Jacqueline accepted the award on behalf of her father, who passed away in 1992.

Taupin, who of course is the longtime songwriting partner for Elton John, had championed Dixon’s inclusion into the hall for years. In an open letter to the hall last year, Taupin called Dixon’s exclusion a “travesty” and “embarrassingly overdue.”

A few of Dixon's legendary compositions include "Hoochie Coochie Man," "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Spoonful" and "Little Red Rooster," to name a few. Dixon's songs were covered by blues legends such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter. Later, rock artists including the Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin also had hits with Dixon's songs.

Taupin: Induct Willie Dixon in the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Despite penning many of the greatest blues songs of all time, Willie Dixon is a shocking omission from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

One of Dixon's fellow songwriters, lyricist Bernie Taupin, is hoping to right that wrong. In an open letter to the Hall of Fame, Taupin called Dixon's exclusion from the Hall of Fame a "travesty."

"Once again I’m forced to express my utter frustration with The Songwriters Hall of Fame nominating committee for failing to lionize and reward the work of Willie Dixon, arguably the greatest and single most successful blues composer of the 20th century," Taupin wrote. "His inclusion in the Songwriters Hall of Fame is embarrassingly overdue."

Taupin, of course, is the longtime lyricist for pop legend Elton John. The two men were inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and, clearly, Taupin would like to be joined by the legendary Dixon, who passed away during that same year.

"Ever since my teens, I have been in awe of Willie Dixon’s extraordinary talent as a musician, arranger, producer and above all other things a songwriter of unique and raw originality. In my estimation, he is an American icon in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Led Belly and Duke Ellington deserving of the same accolades and rightful place in any organization that salutes compositional greatness (he was inducted posthumously into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994)," Taupin wrote.

A few of Dixon's legendary compositions include "Hoochie Coochie Man," "I Just Want to Make Love to You," "Spoonful" and "Little Red Rooster," to name a few. Dixon's songs were covered by blues legends such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter. Later, rock artists including the Rolling Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin also had hits with Dixon's songs.

Taupin encouraged his fans to contact the Songwriters Hall of Fame in support of Dixon's induction into the organization. 

For more information, including contact information for the Hall of Fame, read Taupin's blog.

Jimmy Dawkins - 1936-2013

Master West Side Chicago blues guitarist Jimmy Dawkins is gone. Jimmy died from undisclosed causes on Wednesday, April 10, 2013, age 76.

James Henry Dawkins was born Oct. 24, 1936 on a farm outside of Tchula, Miss., but spent much time as a youth with his father, who worked in the shipyards of Pascagoula, Miss. Jimmy moved to Chicago in 1955, where he worked in a box factory and began playing the clubs while working as a session musician for the likes of Sleepy John Estes and others.

Jimmy was good friends with Magic Sam and just about every other West Side musician one could name in the 1950s and '60s. Otis Rush and Jimmy Johnson each served as his sidemen, with Johnson part of Dawkins' mid-1970s touring band. Rush supported Dawkins on the "Tribute to Orange" album of 1971.

Jimmy went on to make records for Delmark, waxing his first full album for the label, "Fast Fingers" in 1969. This disc earned him a Grand Prix du Discque from the Hot Club of France. He also recorded albums for various European labels, as well as for Earwig, Storyville and Fedora, among others. Among Dawkins other top studio discs were "Blisterstring" in 1976, "Hot Wire '81" and "Kant Sheck Dees Bluze" in 1992. The greatness of Dawkins live can be heard on "I Want to Know," "Come Back Baby," and the very rare LP "Jimmy and Hip Live!"

Dawkins was one of Chicago's heaviest guitarists. His shows were legendary for starting off relatively loosely in the first set, Jimmy noodling and warming up. Later, however, with audience members in a trance, he would crush them during the third and final set of the night. Dawkins was known for his audacious use of volume at his gigs and for his mastery of controlled feedback. He would hit spine-tingling staccato runs up and down the freeboard of his blonde Gibson, to later ride massive waves of feedback. Under this cacophony, Dawkins' muscled band - including drummer Ray Scott and bassists Sylvester Boines or Cornelius Boyson - undulated a funky groove. Guitarists such as Johnson, Rich Kirch or later, Billy Flynn and Keith Scott, were always stage right to provide Dawkins a chunky rhythm.

Dawkins was famous for supporting the budding solo careers  of musicians including Vance Kelly, Nora Jean Wallace, Queen Sylvia Embry and Taildragger via his Leric Records label. In 2010 Dawkins helped Delmark Records coordinate a compilation of singles he recorded of these artists for Leric. 

Jimmy Dawkins seemed to this writer, who began chronicling the bluesman's life for Living Blues magazine and other outlets in 1992, to be a conflicted man. Jimmy's life was filled with incidents of racism which seemed to burn in his soul. There was a rumor his grandfather had been lynched in Mississippi by a white mob. Jimmy also told of having to sleep under his touring van while working certain parts of the deep South because he was not provided hotel lodging due to his skin color. Dawkins also told of a  time in the 1990s when he had been chased down the highways of Mississippi at night by an unknown vehicle. "Who are they?" Dawkins asked.

Despite his encounters with racism, Dawkins did well fighting what could well have been an urge to be a racist himself. He was always very helpful to white musicians and featured caucasian guitarists in his band from about 1976 onward. He also opened doors for younger musicians and blues journalists whenever he could. Dawkins, himself, was a journalistic contributor to Living Blues magazine in the 1970s.

Dawkins lost his son to street violence about two decades ago and according to his bandmates was horribly affected by this. He went on to be a wonderfully doting grandfather to his grandson Darin. Darin was almost always seen at Dawkins rare Chicago gigs in the 2000's and even traveled to Europe with his grandfather so he could remain under his grandfather's watchful eye. Dawkins was with his beloved grandson right up to the end. Jimmy would often take the boy to school in his car, despite the fact he was weak and very ill near the end of his life.

The legendary Jimmy Dawkins will be remembered for his imposing, full-back-like appearance, blistering and immediately recognizable guitar style, gospel-inflected vocals, intellect, business sense and for his caring for others who were trying to make their way in the blues business. Jimmy will be sorely missed by many people who respected and loved him and his music.

- Steve Sharp

Chicago bluesman Magic Slim dies at 75

Magic Slim, one of the last remaining links to the classic days of traditional Chicago blues, passed away on Feb. 21, 2013, at age 75.

Born Morris Holt in Torrence, Miss., Magic Slim joined other musicians in making the journey to Chicago to help define the Chicago blues scene. Early on, he backed fellow Mississippian Magic Sam, who gave Magic Slim his nickname.

Eventually, Slim put together his own band, the Teardrops, leading them on vocals and guitar for more than 45 years. During that time, Magic Slim & the Teardrops were recognized with six Blues Music Awards, including Blues Band of the Year.

A mainstay on the Chicago scene, Magic Slim also recorded numerous albums, including critically-acclaimed recordings for Blind Pig Records. His last album for the label, "Bad Boy," was released in 2012.

According to the Blind Pig website, Magic Slim "is the greatest living proponent of the intense, electrified, Mississippi-to-Chicago blues style that spawned much of the music played by modern blues artists and rockers. It's no wonder that Magic Slim and the Teardrops, considered by many to be 'the last real Chicago blues band,' have become one of the busiest and best-loved blues bands around."

According to The Associated Press, Slim died at a Philadelphia hospital with health problems that worsened while touring in Pennsylvania. Most recently, he made his home in Lincoln, Neb.

Blind Pig website

Hard soul legend makes triumphant return to Chicago

Syl Johnson - SPACE, Evanston, Ill. - Nov. 21, 2012

By Steve Sharp
A rare performance by Chicago hard soul/blues legend Syl Johnson these days is not to be missed. With that in mind, this reviewer and a friend ventured south down Interstate 94 about 80 miles from Milwaukee to Evanston, Ill. to the wonderful club SPACE near the Northwestern University campus.

Not long after our arrival, Syl came slinking out of his dressing room wearing some sort of a pseudo-military uniform. He apparently deemed himself worthy of a sergeant's rank, because that was the patch on his arm. His band followed behind. It consisted of two female background singers; three horn players, among them the great baritone sax-player Willie Henderson; a cool old Hammond B-3 keyboard player; drummer; bass player and guitarist — all veterans of Chicago soul music, some dating to the 1960s.

The band took the stage and goofed around, getting plugged-in and situated. They seemed very up for the show and loose. Syl then started talking about the history of soul in an initially disjointed rap that seemed to indicate the night had potential to go off the tracks before even starting. After 5 minutes of this "summary" of his career, Johnson introduced the entire band before they hit their first note. Underneath his military jacket, Syl wore a black T-shirt with white writing that asked the infamous question from his past, "Is it Because I'm Black?" Johnson's head was adorned in a black do-rag and black leather baseball cap.

History lesson and introductions over, Syl let the music finally bust loose. In all my life of countless shows, I have never gotten the shivers like I got them from the first notes that band hit. They were so hard, tight and funky, and SPACE sounded so good, this reviewer almost melted off the barstool. From there Syl flawlessly delivered his hard Chicago soul classics from the 1960s such as "C'mon, Sock it to Me" and "Is It Because I'm Black?" He then traveled down to Memphis to touch on his HI Records years with Willie Mitchell, including his composition "Take Me To the River."

Syl's quirks manifested themselves throughout the first set. His guitar strap came undone and it took him quite a while, and lot of ridiculous fiddling around, to get it back on. He then said he had only two CDs left to sell that night and sat on one of them while he played. He was just a little ... strange, yet funny, lovable and engaging.

At one point after the intermission, during "Monkey Time," a blond girl in the front row accidentally shook her long hair into the candle on her table and her locks went up in a ball of fire three-feet high. Some guys around her put her hair out and everyone was in shock. Most thought the woman would be maimed for life and that the show was most certainly over. Nope, the band didn't miss a beat, although the female vocalists looked stunned and very concerned. When the band realized the woman was truly OK, Syl started singing teasing lyrics to her about her hair being recently ablaze. The woman didn't even leave the show to assess the damage and for the rest of the night SPACE reeked of burned human hair.

Near the end of the show, Syl addressed the earliest point in his career in Chicago, when he hung around with Magic Sam, and he played some amazing blues guitar on two Sam classics, including "Easy Baby." Johnson is a spectacularly gifted blues guitar player, although he initially said he was just a singer who also played guitar. That was about the only time Syl's humble side was on display. Many times he would address himself in third person. Johnson later had the crowd in stitches when he talked about how he could be the poster boy for Viagra. He want on and on about this belief, talking about "SIDE-EFFECTS, my SIDE-EFFECTS!!!!!!!" with visuals added, to be sure the audience got the point.

Overall throughout this fantastic evening, Syl Johnson showed what a great singer, songwriter, guitarist, harp-player, band leader and showman he is. He is Chicago's Ike Turner and that's the highest praise I can give an artist like that. Johnson is a treasure of American music.