Little Willie Littlefield

Little Willie Littlefield

Littlefield performing at Saint-Ouen-l'Aumône,

France, in 1980
Background information
Birth name Willie Littlefield, Jr.
Born September 16, 1931
El Campo, Texas, U.S.
Died June 23, 2013 (aged 81)
Voorthuizen, Netherlands
Genres R&B · jump blues Urban Blues ·
boogie-woogie[1]
Occupations Musician · songwriter · producer
Instruments Singing · piano
Years active 1949–2013
Labels Eddie's · Modern · Federal ·
Rhythm · Ace · Oldie Blues

"Willie's Boogie Medley" sample

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Audio sample of "Willie's Boogie Medley", recorded August 1949, Houston, Texas
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Willie Littlefield, Jr.,[2] billed as Little Willie Littlefield (September 16, 1931 – June 23, 2013),[3] was
an American R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer[4] whose early recordings "formed a vital link
between boogie-woogie and rock and roll".[4] Littlefield was regarded as a teenage wonder and overnight
sensation when in 1949, at the age of 18, he popularized the triplet piano style on his Modern Records
debut single, "It's Midnight".[5] He also recorded the first version of the song "Kansas City" (originally
issued as "K. C. Lovin'"), in 1952.

Career

Early career
Littlefield was born in El Campo, Texas, and grew up in Houston with his mother. By 1947, at the age of
sixteen, he was already a local attraction in many of the clubs on Dowling Street in Houston and was
recording for Eddie Henry, a local record shop proprietor who ran his own label, Eddie's Records.[6] He
formed his first band with the saxophonist Don Wilkerson, a friend from school.[4]

Other major influences on Littlefield's style were the Texas musicians Charles Brown and Amos
Milburn.[3][6]

His first recording, "Little Willie's Boogie", was a hit in Texas in 1949 and brought him to the attention of
Jules Bihari, of Modern Records in Los Angeles, who was searching for a performer to rival the success
of Amos Milburn.[4]

Success at Modern records

Littlefield returned to Modern Records and recorded "It's Midnight". It reached number three on the
Billboard R&B chart, and its follow-up, "Farewell", reached number five.[7] He became a major
nightclub attraction and recorded with West Coast musicians such as Maxwell Davis. Don Wilkerson,
Littlefield's schoolmate and the leading saxophone player in his band, also travelled to Los Angeles, but
Milburn promptly persuaded him to lead Milburn's new band, the Aladdin Chickenshackers.[6]

One of his 1950 recordings, "Happy Pay Day", written by Jack Holmes, was later rewritten by Holmes
with entirely different lyrics as "The Blacksmith Blues", which became a hit for Ella Mae Morse.[8]

In 1951, his duet with Little Lora Wiggins, "I've Been Lost", reached number 10 on the R&B chart.[7]

In 1952 he moved to the Federal subsidiary of King Records. His first session for Federal produced "K.
C. Loving", written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and later re-recorded by Wilbert Harrison as
"Kansas City".

In the late 1970s he toured Europe successfully, settling in the Netherlands and releasing a number of
albums from 1982 into the late 1990s for the Oldie Blues label from Martin van Olderen.[9]

Retirement and comeback

After touring for more than 50 years, Littlefield stopped in 2000.
After five years of retirement in his adopted home country, the
Netherlands, he decided to play again, starting in 2006, declaring,
"I went fishing for five years – now I know every herring in
Holland by name – it got boring. I feel great and I want to be back
with my audience."[10]

In his later years Littlefield continued to perform occasionally,

mainly at festivals, particularly in the UK. In 2008 he played at the
20th Burnley Blues Festival, in 2008, and at the 5th annual UK
Boogie Woogie Festival at Sturminster Newton in Dorset, in July
2009. He performed at Shakedown Blues Club, at Castor Village
Hall, near Castor, Peterborough, in 2006 and made a return Littlefield in Germany, 2006
appearance in October 2010.[11][12]

He died at his home in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, in 2013, at the age of 81. He had cancer.[4]

Selected discography

Albums
1980: Paris Streetlights, Paris Album PLB 2 28508 (recorded May 14, 1980); reissued on
CD, 1996, EPM Blues Collection BC 157802[13][14]
1982: Houseparty, Oldie Blues OL 8003 (recorded June 1982)
1983: I'm in the Mood, Oldie Blues OL 8006 (recorded 1983)
1985: Happy Pay Day, Ace CH 150
1987: Plays the Boogie Woogie, Schubert Records SCH-100 (recorded 1987); reissued on
CD, 1992, Munich CMA CM 8013
1990: Singalong with Little Willie Littlefield, Oldie Blues OLCD 7001 (recorded 1987)
1992: ...Goes Rhythm 'n Blues, CMA Music CMA CM 10002
1993: The Stars of Rhythm 'n Blues! CMA Music CMA CM 10007
1994: Yellow Boogie & Blues, Oldie Blues OLCD 7006 (recorded 1994)
1997: The Red One, Oldie Blues OLCD 7005 (recorded June 1997)
2006: Little Willie Littlefield Live – Music Keeps You Young, Schubert Records SCH-205
(recorded live in Germany, April 20, 2006)
2008: Old Time Feeling, Stormy Monday 81242[15]

Selected compilation albums

1977: K.C. Loving, K.C. 101 (LP/14 tracks)
1979: It's Midnight, Route 66 KIX-10 (LP/16 tracks)
1980: Volume 1, Ace 10CH 24 (10" LP/8 tracks)
1981: Volume 2, Ace 10CH 34 (10" LP/8 tracks)
1984: Jump with Little Willie Littlefield, Ace CHD 114 (LP/16 tracks)
1993: I'm in the Mood, Oldie Blues OLCD 7002 (recorded 1982, 1983)
 1995: Going Back to Kay Cee, Ace CDCHD 503
1999: Kat on the Keys (The Legendary Modern Recordings), Ace CDCHD 736
2005: Boogie, Blues and Bounce: The Modern Recordings, Volume 2, Ace CDCHD 1056
2018: The Best of the Rest – Selected Recordings from Eddie's, Federal & Rhythm Years
1948–1958, Jasmine JASMCD 3090

See also
Chicago Blues Festival
List of blues musicians
List of boogie woogie musicians
List of jump blues musicians
List of West Coast blues musicians
San Francisco Blues Festival
West Coast blues

References
1. Du Noyer, Paul (2003). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music. Fulham, London: Flame Tree
Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 1-904041-96-5.
2. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara,
California: Praeger. p. 400. ISBN 978-0313344237.
3. Dahl, Bill. "Little Willie Littlefield: Biography" (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/little-willie-littlefie
ld-mn0000266809/biography). AllMusic. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
4. McArdle, Terence. "Little Willie Littlefield, Blues Singer, Boogie-Woogie Pianist, Dies at 81"
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/little-willie-littlefieldblues-singer-boog
ie-woogie-pianist-dies-at-81/2013/07/03/eb57f16a-e280-11e2-80eb-3145e2994a55_story.ht
ml). The Washington Post. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
5. Topping, Ray (1999). Liner notes. Kat on the Keys, CDCHD 736.
6. Topping, Ray (1984). Sleeve notes. Jump with Little Willie Littlefield. Ace Records CHD114.
7. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–1995. Record Research. p. 271.
8. "Original Versions of Happy Pay Off Day Written by Jack Holmes" (http://www.secondhands
ongs.com/work/123447). Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved January 19, 2015.
9. Olderen, Martin van (1993). Liner notes. I'm in the Mood. OLCD 7002.
10. "boogie lecture" (https://archive.today/20130812212020/http://www.ukboogiewoogiefestival.
co.uk/content/view/102/54/). Ukboogiewoogiefestival.co.uk. Archived from the original (htt
p://www.ukboogiewoogiefestival.co.uk/content/view/102/54/) on August 12, 2013. Retrieved
January 19, 2015.
11. "Blues: Little Willie Littlefield at Castor Village Hall" (https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/w
hats-on/music/blues-little-willie-littlefield-at-castor-village-hall-1-1540551).
peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
12. "live music, blues, soul, R&B, Shakedown Blues, Peterborough, UK" (http://www.shakedown
blues.co.uk/previous.php). shakedownblues.co.uk. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
13. Russell, Tony (1997). The Blues: From Robert Johnson to Robert Cray. Dubai: Carlton
Books. p. 137. ISBN 1-85868-255-X.
14. "Little Willie Littlefield, Paris Streetlights" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-streetlights-
r293794). AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
15. "Little Willie Littlefield, Old Time Feeling" (https://www.allmusic.com/album/old-time-feeling-r
1439491). AllMusic. Retrieved December 7, 2011.

External links
Biography (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p428) at Allmusic
Little Willie Littlefield discography (http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/littlewillielittlefield.htm) compiled
by Pete Hoppula
Little Willie Littlefield discography (http://www.discogs.com/artist/Little+Willie+Littlefield) at
Discogs
Little Willie Littlefield (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2171063/) at IMDb
Little Willie Littlefield 2005 performance of "Kansas City" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=7wjQbmgXEpU) on YouTube

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