Sonny Boy Williamson II

USA, 1941–1965

Rice Miller — Chicago blues harmonica master who recorded a live album with The Yardbirds in 1963 and directly shaped Clapton and Page.

MusicRoots documents 1 artist who influenced Sonny Boy Williamson II and 5 artists Sonny Boy Williamson II influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Sonny Boy Williamson II?

• Sonny Boy Williamson I — Rice Miller took John Lee Williamson's name and built on the harmonica-star framework the first Sonny Boy created.

Which artists did Sonny Boy Williamson II influence?

• The Band — The Hawks learned the blues on the bandstand behind Sonny Boy Williamson II before they were The Band.
• The Yardbirds — The Yardbirds recorded a live album with Williamson in 1963; Clapton called him 'the real deal'.
• Ike Turner — At thirteen Ike backed Sonny Boy Williamson II on piano — an early apprenticeship in the Delta blues circuit.
• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band — The harmonica mastery of Sonny Boy Williamson II was a direct model for Butterfield's own blues harp.
• Little Walter — Rice Miller, whom he sat in with as a teenager on the way north — the second of the two Sonny Boys he learned the instrument from.