Little Willie John
He never received the accolades given to the likes of Sam Cooke, Clyde McPhatter, and James Brown, but Little Willie John ranks as one of R&B's most influential performers. His muscular high timbre and enormous technical and emotional range belied his young age (his first hit came when he was 18), but his mid-'50s work for Syd Nathan's King label would play a great part in the way soul music would sound. Everyone from Cooke, McPhatter, and Brown to Jackie Wilson, B.B. King, and Al Green has acknowledged his debt to this most overlooked of rock and soul pioneers.
His debut recording, a smoking version of Titus Turner's "All Around the World" from 1955, set the pattern for a remarkable string of hits: "Need Your Love So Bad," "Suffering with the Blues," "Fever," "Let Them Talk," and his last, "Sleep," from 1961. His version of "Fever" was copied note for note by Peggy Lee and Elvis Presley, both of whom had bigger hits with it; John's version, however, remains definitive. His second hit, "Need Your Love So Bad," contains one of the most intimate, tear-jerking vocals ever caught on tape.
John had a volatile temper, fueled by a taste for liquor and an insecurity regarding his slight height (5 feet 4 inches). He was known to pack a gun and knife; in 1964, he stabbed a man and was sent to the Washington State penitentiary, where he died of pneumonia in 1968. James Brown recorded a tribute album to John that year, and his material has been recorded by scores of artists from the Beatles to Fleetwood Mac to the Blasters. Nevertheless, Little Willie John remains a stranger to most listeners and has never received the respect his talent deserves.
Little Willie John was one of the first artists featured in Rhino's King reissues series. Fever was issued late in 1993, and the single-disc, 20-track anthology included such John releases as "Need Your Love So Bad," "Suffering with the Blues," and the title cut.
© John Floyd /TiVo
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Mister Little Willie John
World - Released by TP4 Music on Jan. 6, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Little Willie John Collection
R&B - Released by Lumi Entertainment on Jan. 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
St. Nicholas - For Young Folks
R&B - Released by St. Nicholas Day on Dec. 11, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Little Willie John Sleep, Vol. 4
R&B - Released by Giggling Gecko on Mar. 27, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Deluxe Edition
R&B - Released by deluxer 60's hits on Jul. 21, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dancing Couple
Blues - Released by nature oldies on Mar. 8, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Cottage for Sale (Billboard Hot 100 - No 63)
R&B - Released by Music Manager on Nov. 13, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Back In The Game
Blues - Released by the music game companys on Aug. 9, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Fever (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 24)
Soul - Released by Music Manager on Dec. 19, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The Sounds of Little Willie John
R&B - Released by Lumi Entertainment on Jan. 1, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
While the Rockin's Good
Pop - Released by Music Made Me Do It on May 1, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Will the Sun Shine Tomorrow
Pop - Released by Jazz Crooners on Oct. 29, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Look What You've Done to Me
Pop - Released by Endless Vinyl on May 20, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Winter Dreams
Blues - Released by Winter Dreams on Sep. 29, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Down
Blues - Released by down in town with sound on Feb. 7, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -