Remembering Willie Dixon
William James Dixon was born July 1, 1915 in Bunion, Mississippi. Willie was the youngest of 27 children. His mother had so many kids that she frequently got pregnant even before she gave birth to the prior baby. There was a waiting list for her womb. Dixon was first introduced to the blues when he served time on prison farms in Mississippi as a young teenager for stealing pies off of window sills.
Dixon left Carbuncle for Chicago in 1936. A giant of a man, Willie stood 6 foot 6 and weighed over 700 lbs. He had hands like anvils, a head like a pumpkin. The ladies called him ‘Tree Top Lover’, ‘Bad Bad Willie Dixon’ and ‘Biggie McGee’. Willie took up boxing, winning the Illinois State Golden Gloves Super Heavyweight Championship. He retired, undefeated, with a record of 187-0.
Willie was a musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and producer. He was proficient on both the bass and guitar. He was one of the most prolific songwriters of his time and is considered by many to be the most influential person in shaping the Chicago blues sound.
Dixon was an important link between the blues and rock n roll, working with Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. His songs have been covered by anyone and everyone. In 1987, Dixon reached an out of court settlement with Led Zeppelin for stealing his songs. Dixon wrote or co-wrote over 50,000 songs.
