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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The Later King Sessions
Jazz - Released by Black Sheep Music on 2 Dec 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Happy Hours, Vol. 1
R&B - Released by Simon & Lion on 23 Mar 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Lp Library
Blues - Released by old library records on 9 Jan 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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You're My Sweetheart
Soul - Released by Reminisce Music on 29 May 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Need Your Love So Bad
Pop - Released by Music City Entertainment on 1 Mar 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of Little Willie John (Vintage Charm)
R&B - Released by Don't stop the music on 1 Mar 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The King of R&B
Soul - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 28 Sep 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Life And Money, Vol. 3
Blues - Released by Diamond Days on 5 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Life And Money, Vol. 2
Blues - Released by Diamond Days on 5 May 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Let Them Talk (Billboard Hot 100 - No 100)
R&B - Released by Music Manager on 7 Feb 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Little Willie John - Music History
Soul - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 20 Apr 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cheaper Tricks
Blues - Released by tricki masters mind on 2 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo