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.