The Legendary Mississippi Bluesman Willie Dixon

Tuesday Bluesday honoring the Legendary Willie Dixon at 11 PM!

Willie was born on July 1, 1915, in Vicksburg, Mississippi. We lost the great Bluesman on January 29, 1992. R.I.P.

Willie Dixon was a blues songwriter with more than 500 compositions to his credit. Born and raised in Mississippi, he went to Chicago during the Great Depression. While there, he became the primary blues songwriter and producer for Chess Records.

As a youth, Dixon heard a variety of blues, Dixieland, and ragtime musicians performing in the clubs near his home where he would listen to them from the sidewalk. Listening from the street, Dixon, at eight years old, heard bluesmen Little Brother Montgomery and Charley Patton perform.

Dixon's songs created the "Chicago blues sound." Blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Bo Diddley recorded his songs.

In December 1964, the Rolling Stones reached number one on the UK Singles Chart with their cover of Dixon's "Little Red Rooster". In the same year, the group also covered "I Just Want To Make Love To You" on their debut album, The Rolling Stones.

Me and WMMR's Pierre Robert met with Willie Dixon's grandson Keith on our tour of Chicago's Chess Records. He let me hold Willie's upright bass. My hands were shakin'!!

XOXO