7 October 2009

Sonny Boy Williamson II



Sonny Boy Williamson II
Bye Bye Bird

In this video we get to see the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson do an entire song solo, just him and his tin sandwich. This video is a lesson in what classic Blues harmonica is all about.

Here you get to see his famous trick of putting the harp IN his mouth and playing with no hands! WOW!

Born Alex "Rice" Miller, his performing and recording career is legend. Although his actual birth date is often a matter of dispute, his gravestone shows his birth date as March 11, 1908. He played with everyone from Robert Johnson, Robert Nighthawk, Robert Jr. Lockwood, and Elmore James and even with rock legends Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Robbie Robertson near the end of his career. He died in 1965 but his influence lives on today as harmonica players such as Rick Estrin can often be seen performing the no hands playing style in tribute to Sonny Boy.

All Music Guide has a detailed biography of Sonny Boy. They also have links to listen to samples of many of his songs there. CLICK HERE to see the the bio on their website.

To see this cool video on our website, click the play button below or click the photo above.

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There is also a great website devoted to Sonny Boy at www.sonnyboy.com. There is a wealth of information about Sonny Boy's life there as well as a second version of this same song in an entirely different clip. Click Here to see that version.

For other videos on our website CLICK HERE.


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The Blues Room on Community Radio Hamilton, New Zealand
http://www.communityradio.co.nz/index.asp?PageID=2145835508

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