Willie Dixon

William James "Willie" Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992) was an American blues bassist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. His songs, including "Little Red Rooster", "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Evil", "Spoonful", "Back Door Man", "I Just Want to Make Love to You", "I Ain't Superstitious", "My Babe", "Wang Dang Doodle", and "Bring It on Home", written during the peak of Chess Records (1950–1965), and performed by Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Little Walter, influenced a worldwide generation of musicians.

Dixon at Monterey Jazz Festival, 1981

Quotes

• I am the blues
  I am the blues
  The whole world knows
  I've been mistreated and misused.
  • "I Am The Blues" (Hoochie Coochie Music/Arc Music, 1969), reported in I am the Blues: the Willie Dixon Story‎ (with Don Snowden, 1990), p. 1.

• According to Biblical history and all of the history of the world, the blues was built in man from the beginning. The first thing that came out of man is the blues because, according to the Scriptures, when God made man, man was lonesome and blue.
  • I am the Blues: the Willie Dixon Story‎ (with Don Snowden, 1990), p. 2.

• That's the reason I always say about music, the blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits. Without the roots, you have no fruits so it's better keeping the roots alive because it means better fruits from now on.
  • I am the Blues: the Willie Dixon Story‎ (with Don Snowden, 1990), p. 4.

Attributed

• The blues is the roots; everything else is the fruits.

• Some people think they've got religion, they've got the blues.
  • According to Memphis Slim in the song "Blues is troubles".