Blues fans honor Sonny Boy legacy By CLIFTON ADCOCK cadcock@jacksonsun.com Mar 31 2004 The wail of Sonny Boy Williamson's trademark harmonica mingled with guitar and vocals on Tuesday in honor of what would have been the blues musician's 90th birthday. About 15 people gathered at the Jackson Center for Independent Living to celebrate the life of Williamson, a Jackson native. JCIL Executive Director Glen Barr, a life-long blues fan, organized the event. Mike Baker, audio-visual librarian at Jackson-Madison County Public Library, presented his research on the life and career of Williamson. Following that, James ''Shine'' Wilbourn on harmonica and vocals and George Hickerson on guitar gave their rendition of some of Williamson's songs. Their performance also featured other blues tunes, including one Barr wrote - ''Happiness is Technicolor, but the Blues is Black and White.'' - Clifton Adcock, 425-9761

ERIKA ALEXANDER/The Jackson Sun - James Wilbourn, right, known to most as 'Shine,' and George Hickerson perform 'Happiness is Technicolor, but the Blues is Black and White' during their tribute celebration to blues performer John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson at the Jackson Center for Independent Living on Tuesday.

Sonny Boy

* John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson was born March 30, 1914, eight miles south of Jackson.
* His mother gave him a harmonica, or blues harp, when he was a child.
* Williamson was one of the first musicians to incorporate a harmonica into blues music. Before that it was considered a novelty item in the same category as the jug or kazoo.
* Williamson played his new style of blues in St. Louis before moving to Chicago in 1934, where he became one of the founders of modern Chicago blues.
* While in Chicago, Williamson formed a band and played at several clubs. One of the members of his band was blues legend Muddy Waters.
* Williamson wrote the song 'Good Morning, Little School Girl,' which has been redone by artists such as Muddy Waters, Rod Stewart, the Grateful Dead and Johnny Winters.
* A song by Williamson, 'The Jackson Blues,' incorporates Jackson.
* Williamson was killed after being mugged on his way home from a gig. He died at age 34 on June 4, 1948. No suspects were caught, and the murder is still unsolved.
* Williamson is buried in Blair's Chapel Cemetery on Old Blair's Chapel Road in Jackson.

Quotables Sonny Boy was a great, great harp player. Without Sonny Boy, it would be hard to be able to imagine what a band structure would look like. The harp wasn't even included in the music union before Sonny Boy. He was the starting point of a style of music. Mike Baker,audio-visual librarian at Jackson-Madison County Public Library

He's the one that first used the harp as an instrument (playing the blues). Thomas Utley,Williamson's younger brother

He's a great blues singer from Jackson-Madison County. He's right up there with Muddy Waters and the rest of the great blues singers. I think without him we probably wouldn't have had rock and roll. Glen Barr,executive director of the Jackson Center for Independent Living NEXT BACK