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davieG

The Best of the 50s

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12 hours ago, pSinatra said:

 

 

 

I had to research what was behind Sonny Boy's bowler, briefcase and brolly. Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Boy_Williamson_II#1960s_European_tours

 

"In the early 1960s he toured Europe several times during the height of the British blues craze [...]. He was quoted as saying of the backing bands who accompanied him, "those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do". According to the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods, while in England Sonny Boy set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator. The book also maintains that future Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant stole one of the bluesman's harmonicas at one of these shows. Robert Palmer, writing in "Deep Blues", stated that during this tour Williamson allegedly stabbed a man during a street fight and left the country abruptly. Sonny Boy took a liking to the European fans, and while there had a custom-made, two-tone suit tailored personally for him, along with a bowler hat, matching umbrella, and an attaché case for his harmonicas. One of his final recordings from England, in 1964, featured him singing "I'm Trying to Make London My Home"

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45 minutes ago, Alf Bentley said:

 

I had to research what was behind Sonny Boy's bowler, briefcase and brolly. Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Boy_Williamson_II#1960s_European_tours

 

"In the early 1960s he toured Europe several times during the height of the British blues craze [...]. He was quoted as saying of the backing bands who accompanied him, "those British boys want to play the blues real bad, and they do". According to the Led Zeppelin biography Hammer of the Gods, while in England Sonny Boy set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator. The book also maintains that future Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant stole one of the bluesman's harmonicas at one of these shows. Robert Palmer, writing in "Deep Blues", stated that during this tour Williamson allegedly stabbed a man during a street fight and left the country abruptly. Sonny Boy took a liking to the European fans, and while there had a custom-made, two-tone suit tailored personally for him, along with a bowler hat, matching umbrella, and an attaché case for his harmonicas. One of his final recordings from England, in 1964, featured him singing "I'm Trying to Make London My Home"

 

That would put that video around that time then & he would have died not much later, aged 52.  Although there is some doubt about his actual age.  I don't think I've ever seen a photo or video where he looked any younger than 52.  I play the harmonica myself, though not remotely as good as Sonny Boy.  Harmonica playing is all about mouth shapes & Sonny Boy is/was the best in the business - largely down to the fact he didn't have any teeth & could create shapes others can't.  It's reassuring to know that should my teeth ever fall out, at least my harmonica playing should improve.

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5 minutes ago, pSinatra said:

 

That would put that video around that time then & he would have died not much later, aged 52.  Although there is some doubt about his actual age.  I don't think I've ever seen a photo or video where he looked any younger than 52.  I play the harmonica myself, though not remotely as good as Sonny Boy.  Harmonica playing is all about mouth shapes & Sonny Boy is/was the best in the business - largely down to the fact he didn't have any teeth & could create shapes others can't.  It's reassuring to know that should my teeth ever fall out, at least my harmonica playing should improve.

 

Yes, I wondered about his age after seeing that he supposedly died at 52 - 3 years younger than I am now.

He definitely looks older than that in the clip, but maybe he had a tough life or his true age is not known.

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