#Little Willie John

[twixnmix]

Ads for Club Riviera in St. Louis

Luis Russell / Sister Rosetta Tharpe (January 1945)

Billie Holliday (January 21-28, 1950)

Cab Calloway (January 1, 1951)

Duke Ellington (January 12-19, 1952)

Louis Jordan (May 4-12, 1956) / Count Basie (May 18, 1956)

Dinah Washington (June 26-28, 1956) / Little Richard (July 20-21, 1956)

Ike Turner (May 25, 1957)

Little Willie John (June 20-22, 1957)

Ray Charles (January 10-11, 1958)

B.B. King (August 22-32, 1958)

Jackie Wilson (February 26-27, 1960)

Etta James & Elmore James ( April 30, 1960)

Bobby "Blue Bland / Little Jr. Parker (April 7, 1961)

[dirtylowdown2]

FEVER: Little Willie John's Fast Life, Mysterious Death, & The Birth Of Soul

"Little Willie John is the soul singer's soul singer." -- Marvin Gaye 

 "My mother told me, if you call yourself 'Little' Stevie Wonder, you'd better be as good as Little Willie John." -- Stevie Wonder 

 Little Willie John was induced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Before Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, The Temptations, Levi Stubbs and The Four Tops and The Supremes there was John. He is best known for his hit "Fever" which has been covered by Beyonce and Peggy Lee. The Beatles covered his song "Leave My Kitten Alone." The legendary H. B. Barnum, says, "In bad voice, he could out-sing anybody." Barnum should know having been Aretha Franklin's musical director for nearly three decades.   Little Willie John lived for a fleeting 30 years, but his dynamic and daring sound left an indelible mark on the history of music. His deep blues, rollicking rock 'n' roll, and swinging ballads inspired a generation of musicians, forming the basis for what we now know as soul music. The soaring heights of Little Willie John's career are matched only by the tragic events of his death, cutting short a life so full of promise. Charged with a violent crime in the late 1960s, an abbreviated trial saw Willie convicted and incarcerated in Walla Walla Washington, where he died under mysterious circumstances in 1968. In this, the first official biography of one of the most important figures in rhythm & blues history, author Susan Whitall, with the help of Little Willie John's eldest son Kevin John, has interviewed some of the biggest names in the music industry and delved into the personal archive of the John family to produce an unprecedented account of the man who invented soul music.

[musickickztoo]

Little Willie John

November 15, 1937 – May 26, 1968

[partial-boner]

Little Willie John

[ronnydeschepper]

55 jaar geleden: "Need your love so bad" (Fleetwood Mac)

55 jaar geleden bracht de toen nog Britse bluesband Fleetwood Mac hun versie uit van “Need your love so bad”, een nummer van de Amerikaanse muzikant Little Willie John.  Continue reading Untitled

[radiophd]

little willie john -- talk to me, talk to me

[culturalappreciator]

[odk-2]

Little Willie John - Fever (1956) Little Willie John with Orchestra Eddie Cooley / John Davenport (Otis Blackwell) from: "Fever" / "Letter from My Darling" (Single) "Fever" (LP)

Rhythm and Blues

Tumblr (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Little Willie John: Vocals Jon Thomas: Piano Ray Felder: Tenor Saxophone Rufus "Nose" Gore: Tenor Saxophone Bill Jennings: Guitar Edwyn Conley: Bass Edison Gore: Drums

Percussion/Finger Snaps: ?

Arranged and Produced by Henry Glover

Recorded: @ King Records Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio USA on March 1, 1956

Released: May, 1956

King Records

[serpentinesheldonserpentine]

Salma Hayek

[dirtylowdown2]

Little Willie John - Need Your Love So Bad (1955)

[boricuacherry-blog]

People say I'm a doo-wopper, and it's certainly true, but of the four singers who influenced me the most, only two are considered group singers.

The big four are Rudy West, Clyde McPhatter, Little Willie John, and Ray Charles.

-Marvin Gaye

[musickickztoo]

Little Willie John  † May 26, 1968

[phantasmagloria]

Storm Stereo 108: FM Trölli, Feb. 22

In light of Black History Month, on this episode we listen to legends of blues, soul, R&B, gospel and Motown.

Listen back to the Storm Stereo show for Trölli FM, that aired on February 29, 2024. You can tune in every Thursday, 5-6 pm GMT at 103.7 FM on the radio in North Iceland and at trölli.is wherever you are in the world. In light of Black History Month, on this episode we listen to legends of blues, soul, R&B, gospel and Motown. Included are songs made famous by white artists but which were…

[music-crush]

Little Willie John

Happy birthday, William Edward "Little Willie" John!